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Power Breathing


An essential skill of Elite Performers In The Zone


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The following is an excerpt from Dr.Ray Mulry's Sport Psychology book, In The Zone: Making Winning Moments Your Way of Life.....

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Van

Power Breathing in Sports

Regular practice of the Position of Strength (balanced posture) coordinated with Exhaling Into The Exertion (Power Breathing) will help you form beneficial habits of correct, full-body movements.

This self-training will prove useful in all your physical activities. If you want to improve your golf swing, your tennis game, batting average or your bowling score, you will always do better when you use Power Breathing in the Position of Strength.

Athletes and coaches often gain valuable insights that improve their performance by watching skilled specialists in other sports. You can use this cross training tool.

For example, the chances are that you've never tried fencing, and don't intend to. But if you look at fencing technique, you can see a very pure example of the effective use of Power Breathing.

The lunge is one of the fundamental moves in fencing. In simple terms, it is a long step forward with the leading foot as the fencer attempts to reach an opponent with the point of the sword. It is by far the most rapid attack a fencer can make.

When a lunge is performed, it is common to hear the fencer make a ki-ai like sound which is, once again, the coordination of breathing, full-body movement, and mental concentration.

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Van

THE GRUNT

Anyone who follows tennis knows of Jimmy Connors and how he often makes a ki-ai sound as his racket meets the ball. I don't happen to know how and why Connors began this practice, but it's clear that when you serve or return a tennis ball, coordination, timing, power and accuracy are increased as you Exhale Into The Exertion at the moment of impact.

As other tennis stars picked up this technique, it aroused a log of notice, not all of it favorable. In August of 1992, USA Today reported "Grunts gone, Seles loses in silence." Monica Seles was the number one woman professional in the world of tennis, winner of six grand slam titles and had gained a certain reputation for her so called "grunting."

Because of media attention and complaints from other players, Seles cut back on her grunting and subsequently lost three consecutive finals. In fact, she lost to a player she had previously beaten ten consecutive times.

Seles had learned the breathing technique behind the grunt from Sport Psychologist, James Loehr, and claims it boosts her intensity and aggressiveness during competition.

In defense of Seles, tennis great Chris Evert said, "You need to grunt, and most players do." Similarly, Brett Newman, ranked in the top five in the nation in table tennis, told me "the breathing technique is use, namely Power Breathing, helped me to develop an extremely powerful smash and forehand loop in Table Tennis."

During the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, sportscasters amused by the "screaming" observed during the during various competitive events, presented a mini-special on "Olympic Screamers".

Power Breathing was observable in the Hammer Throw, Shot Put, Weight Lifting and many other events.

"We've got to scream to produce," one Olympian joked. Winning athletes take advantage of any competitive edge.

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Van

Here's a Uechi top master rank practitioner on the so called Uechi breathing standard...i.e., a short sssst after a strike

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Van

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Van

Although Master Kanei Uechi was reported to have said that one must breathe 'naturally' during the performance of Sanchin_ kata_ and the general application of the Uechi strikes/blocks etc., other Okinawan Masters have reportedly said that in letting any breath out, such as the 'ssst' sound, just before the strike is complete, instead of after the strike is complete, will cause a loss of 'chi' and would weaken the effectiveness of the strike.

Good point but I would like to have Bill Glasheen, or any other person who has spent time training in Okinawa, comment on this from scientific perspective in retaining compressive breath forces in the body during the strike 'load' _

And if it would be a safe way to use the same mechanism while lifting a heavy weight.

Also if there is a way of measuring the difference of power in the strike using a device like George had at camp last year….maybe GM could arrange for this test this year.

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Van

Peter Kellogg explained it this way to me.. " If you are playing darts, then breath in completely and throw the dart, it flys high. Then breath completely out and throw it flys low. But if you are half full and just recirulating the air without being full or low in air but somewhere in between it will fly straight." I'm not a dart player so I never really tried... But while shooting my M16 I would exhale most air so I was more relaxed and relied compltely on my frame position and structure integrity rather than "forcing" the shot.. My feeling about it is that I don't want to be full of air if I'm hit in transition if fighting, nor do I want to be too low as to decrease strength or stamina.. I agree with the power lifters for what they are doing.. But they are in a more serene and controled environment.. Also if all I worry about is power then that is all I will achieve... Power can be slow. I want to derieve my power from a different source.. More like a whip with an iron ball on the cracking end of it..This is Mochime...I get that from the integrity of my stance and body structure (ie.. elbows 1 fist distance, not going outside of my structure for scoops or blocks, ect) and the use of my Tandan to control the power coming as a "wave" from the ground through my legs, through my hips, transfered through my center and so on.. This should be pretty much undetectable if done correctly unless you are on the other end of it..So to put it in a way we have already heard, if I regulate my breath to circulate half full or half empty, I will be more "Half hard, Half soft"... I'll wait for Bill for a scientific explaination wheather this is in anyway scientifically correct, because I have no idea wheather it is or not to be honest.. It's just the way I was trained and it's always just worked for me..

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SILENCE!!! I Kill You!!!!

Good points, Steve. There are many ways to breathe depending upon the demands upon the physical and psychological of the moment.

Kanei Uechi Sensei, said to breathe naturally, which I take to mean as the body requires at any specific moment in time.

This seems to jibe with modern studies that suggest to let the body breathe you instead of the other way around.

This means to me that the students who become familiar with the many ways the body works with the breathing under physical/psychological pressures of various kinds, are better equipped to breathe naturally.

As a competition rower and soccer player, I learned early on not to screw around with breathing, or there would be a big 'accident' under the extreme pressure of such demanding sports. The coaches were very clear on this.

Any of us, if ever involved in a real fight for survival on the street, would also be in the grip of the fight or flight reflex, which overloads our system with adrenaline and cuts our breath in dangerous ways. Understanding how our individual bodies will work with the breathing under extreme stress, is critical.

Over the years I have seen many Students turn red and blue on the dojo floor while practicing, especially when under the stress of testing.

There are myriad ways to breathe and it should be more of a personal matter instead of being forced to breathe a specific way.

Good post, Stevie.

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Van

In these discussions of best ways to breathe, it is critical to keep in mind that you will not be the same person who is in the dojo when you are suddenly faced with having to deal with street violence and possibly end up dead or paralyzed by unforeseen attacks upon your person, either by multiple opponents or armed opponents.

The survival instinct will grip you immediately…there is no way to shunt it. Epinephrine plays a central role in the short-term stress reaction—the physiological response to threatening, [ Fight-or-flight response), It also reacts to stress induced anger.

It increases heart rate and stroke volume, dilates the pupils, and constricts arterioles in the skin and gut while dilating arterioles in leg muscles.

... Adverse reactions to epinephrine include palpitations, tachycardia, anxiety, headache, tremor, hypertension, and acute pulmonary edema.

….heart starts pumping very fast, all muscles get stiff and vision tunnels or gets blurred…you will not hear so well anymore.

It also expands air passages. All of these things work together in order to allow the body to circulate more oxygen into the lungs as well as more blood throughout the body. Because more blood can go into the muscles at this time, some people are able to find themselves with more strength than they usually possess.

This relates back to the evolutionary process when adrenalin used as a physical response that humans and animals were able to use to defend and protect themselves.

But there are downsides…your breathing rate increases and many people will hyperventilate…some people will suffer heart attacks or strokes…we have seen students go red/blue and almost stop breathing during a test…most concerning when involving students of middle age and beyond...and physical factors...which I won't go into.

In order to deal with the seriousness of these complication when fighting for our survival…we need to learn how to let our breathing flow freely depending on demands of the body…and never program any restrictions such as holding the breath when striking and 'sshhhing' through pursed lips after the strike.

This is only one way of breathing...and so be it…but you don't want to imbed this only way when you must really fight for survival.

There are no guarantees that you can control an adrenaline dump, sometimes it will simply get the best of you. However, if you learn to control your breathing and match your breathing to your motion you will have the best chance to control the adrenaline dump.

… The intensity of your breathing should automatically match the intensity of your work. Often our breathing lags behind and we end up in an oxygen deficiency state which makes everything more difficult….I see this happen on the dojo floor frequently.

Example: You start to increase the pace of your workout Kata/sparring etc._ but don't change your breathing until your oxygen level has dropped dramatically in the blood.

Now you start to breathe harder and deeper but your cells are already starved and behind the power curve.

Therefore learning to match your breathing with your motion is a big help, that way you automatically adjust your breathing to match the work at the beginning.

When doing hard techniques or load…. or during an intense situation inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth…. forcefully… but never completely….which will then cause the body to immediately breathe back in to restore oxygen and load up for the next stressful action you may need to make.

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Van

Stevie gave me the heads up, so I decided to pay a visit.

For Stevie... This is an oft-discussed subject in these Forums. Given my academic training (while practicing martial arts) in systems physiology with a specialty in cardiopulmonary systems, I've had time to ponder it and even indirectly relate it to my dissertation research. I've also had the good fortune of walking into martial arts as an athlete (track and baseball) and studying other styles (Nippon Shorin Ken, Goju Ryu, etc.). So yes... I have some opinions.

I'm at peace with my own approach to breathing. I'm not a student of any single way, but rather use whatever breathing seems to match what I'm doing physically.

The first and most important thing to remember is to breathe. That may sound stupid, but it isn't. Under stress where many get deer-in-the-headlamps syndrome, some will hold their breath. Most breathing methods are good merely in the fact that they get the practitioner to breathe when doing martial movement. Everything from that point forward is icing on the martial cake.

If one lives by the principles of Uechi, then one considers that over-extension is rarely done. Much of Uechi Ryu is exactly like the same biomechanical principles we see in any other sport. The biggest difference is we do everything smaller because over-extension can create vulnerability and speed (glare in the eyes with fast hands) is a prime directive. So yes... all that you learned with Peter Kellog is true. And the principle of power breathing Van talks about is a good one. Marry the two together, and you get something unique to the style.

Or not... Nobody says a Uechika needs to be bound by the style. The principles are there to use, or not. There is no one "right" way.

Just as one can get all obsessed with Power Breathing, so too can one go off the deep end with Kanei's more passive approach to breathing. I think the correct way to think of it is the way another of Van's friends likes to think of it. Instead of thinking of breathing driving the power, we can think of the movement itself breathing us. We can "be breathed" by our whole-body mechanics. This fits with the description of Uechi Ryu as "hard on the outside, and soft on the inside." If we don't hold that breath when we move, breathing will naturally happen. Then you can go with it and dial it up as it seems and feels appropriate.

You want some science...

Well the first part is the stupid-simple part I mentioned. Don't forget to breathe. Power breathing gets you to breathe with movement. The between-breathing gets you breathing in-between movement. Both are important. Both should be practiced so you'll do it under pants-pizzing stress. Everyone is right here, and everyone wins.

The science of power breathing in martial arts isn't about aerobics. Cross country running is about aerobics. Basketball is about aerobics. Rowing is about aerobics. Martial arts - particularly the striking arts - is primarily an anaerobic activity. So obsession with optimal O2 transport to tissue is a waste of time. Whatever energy you need to beat the beast comes with the phosphocreatine and glycolytic energy pathways. That energy is in the bank at rest, ready to be used. Anything that comes from aerobics is long-lasting, but a fraction of what anaerobic metabolism can generate.

The best way to think about it is to think about a properly-inflated basketball. Too little air and you don't get an elastic collision when you bounce the ball. Too much and you do to the basketball what my son did to my riding mower tire a few weeks ago when he overinflated it. There is a right pressure for that basketball. There's a right pressure for the tire based on the riding you plan to do.

Whether you realize it or not, power breathing involves restricting the exhale a bit. Restrict it maximally (while still breathing) and you get a kiai. Restrict it very little and you get smooth movement. Do something in-between and it's optimal for some particular kind of technique.

Whole-body movement and whip-like power (sequential summation of motion) involves generating most of the force with the big muscles (legs and hips), passing that power through the torso, and having it radiate out to the periphery. How that energy passes through the trunk depends a lot on the viscoelastic properties of that trunk. And that depends on the intraabdomenal and intrathoracic pressure, which is affected by power breathing or something else. It's the tire pressure thing. You want lower tire pressure to grip the road, but higher tire pressure to carry a heavy load or go high speed. It all depends.

The best athletes don't over-think this. My recommendation is to carry this into the weight room, and put it to practice. What I like doing however is getting beyond the stupid-simple stuff of bench and squat. Try multi-part exercises like the Olympic clean-and-jerk, where one needs to use more than one breath. Do ten of them. Another of my favorites is the Turkish get up. Again... do ten of them. Find out how to weave the inhale (very neglected part) into the exhale. I can't tell you how many times I've had to shake my head in discussions with the exhale-obsessed because they fail to acknowledge that yang needs yin. Restricted inhaling (sniffing) works like restricted exhaling (hissing), only to load before unloading. With multiple movements, you need to get it all to balance out, unless you're fond of practicing red-faced. And that by the way isn't healthy. What you'll find is that you exhale, you inhale, you pant in places, and you even briefly hold your breath in places. See what works and then think about why. You start with these good ideas and then put them to use with your car in gear. With the feedback of real weight (and various levels of weight from light to heavy), you'll find the right paths. When we're swinging at air we can lie to ourselves. The weight doesn't lie.

Listen to what folks are saying here. Everyone's got it right. Everyone's got a piece of the picture. All we have to do is put it together in a way that makes sense in our practice.

My opinions, of course, worth what you paid for them.

- Bill

How does Bill explain things better in Latin than I do in English? "Most importantly don't forget to breath".. Sounds simple, but not.. I don't subscribe however to what I call "Power Breathing" of the Goju Ryu system.. While I will make an occasional hiss, it is simply to remind me that I am breathing (especially after a Grren Beret just punched me in the bread basket, or to start breathing again QUICKLY!!!! But on a serious note; I think of the way that I was trained to breath as another weapon or defense in an arsenal (probably the most important defensive tool anyways, because if your not breathing then you are done!) I will say that I am more apt to breath more "normally in a long range encounter as it requires less concentration than a short range confrontation where it's more likely to be hit.. Then I try to get outside to recoup a second.. I appreciate the views from both of you guys and I agree with Bill.. There really isn't a right or wrong but what fits the situation.. But most importantly BREATH!!! So that you can come back and breath a different day..

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SILENCE!!! I Kill You!!!!

Keep your mind open, Stevie. There's a lot to learn from others.

There's quite a bit of unfriendly rivalry between Goju and Uechi. Go figure... my Goju instructor was a mixed martial artist before it was fashionable. He had Kanei's Kyohon and wanted to learn Uechi from me. We exchanged information and the rest is history. He learned a lot from me, and I learned much more from him. He taught me more applications from my Uechi kata than any one Uechika ever taught me.

When it comes to underlying principles, the Sanchin-based part of Goju is the same as Uechi. They just have different ways of developing the student. As history goes, Miyagi Chojun closed the hand in his teacher's Sanchin (Higashionna), and the rest is history. He wanted to incorporate more of the Okinawan fist. We were graced with material that kept much of its Fuzhou flavor. He wanted to develop the body with dynamic tension and dragon breathing. We preferred the jars and training speed. It's all good. If there isn't that rivalry and one ponders it all over time, you'll realize that much can be learned from each other as I did with my Goju instructor.

For the record, my Goju instructor was also a combat instructor in the Green Berets. He was the real deal. He wasn't a big guy, but he was scary good. I understand that's a common trait with people in special forces.

Van is very much into shattering practices based only on tradition and folklore. He'll be the devil's advocate from hell if it's what it takes to shake people of beliefs which should be questioned. Let some of what he says sink in. There's wisdom in there, and it's there for you to use. Or not...

- Bill

Don't misunderstand me Bill, I've worked with plenty of Goju Ryu guys and their techniques are awesome! I would use and do use many of their training techniques in the Dojo. I train the way I want to fight, and I fight the way I train.So all I'm saying is I personally prefer our breathing system as I would actually utilize it in a real confrontation. I'm sure most Goju guys wouldn't go into Dragon breathing mode in a real fight no more than I would set into a deep Sanchin stance.. It's a training tool that works for them.... I understand and respect that.
As for Van being the Devil's advocate I understand his position both as moderator of the forum and of Sensei to many of the readers here.. Again, respect for both and admiration to be able to communicate points. Van is looking out for most people when he is teaching mindset in an altercation.. His job carries a lot of unexpected situations and I'm sure he is very well versed in how to walk the streets of Boston and get home at night..And in honesty a lot of people (probably most) SHOULD concentrate on breathing naturally ( or simply breathing) in a street confrontation..Whatever works for the individual is what they should do IMHO...

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SILENCE!!! I Kill You!!!!

It seems, then, we basically all agree on this very crucial point. Thanks you Stevie for the kind words.

What you write here makes the most sense to me

This tells me you have the practical understanding of the subject matter which can be controversial for many personal reasons and beliefs.

Is the so called 'Uechi breathing standard' [hold your breath in …until after the strike…then perform a 'sssst' sound] ….a viable method? Of course it is…but it is only one way of breathing. Will it work under all kinds of individual personal situations…training and street survival _ body/mind response action?

This is the question the smart scholar must address to be a good performer when it counts and most of all a good teacher for the benefit of his students. Will ANY breathing method work better at the exclusion of others…for him personally?

When a student embraces any specific training methods, to include a breathing mechanism, he must ask himself 'what do I want this stuff to do for me and for who I am' _

Then he should make a study of human response actions that will naturally surface in what he envisions could happen…and determine if what he is learning will be congruent with these 'hard wired' body/mind response actions…and if any of these might be over-ridden by specific ways of training to the best personal advantage.


One of the things that will happen under the adrenaline/cortisol dump is that the muscles in the wall of the chest becomes tense, as generally all other muscles of the body tense… and it is hard to breathe.


Bill explains all this exceedingly well when he opines that there is a right pressure for the tire based on the riding you plan to do, and also very important, for the riding 'you need to do' in emergencies when there are 'collapsing forces at work' trying to sabotage your 'air bags' _

Opinions vary ad infinitum on what is the best way to breathe properly for specific sports/arts applications, upon heavy demands by the body in moments of seizure by the epinephrine that comes on very suddenly.

What is the natural way? Kanei Uechi sensei said for one to breathe naturally. Has anyone ever bothered to have him explain what he meant specifically by that statement…and more importantly…did anyone do any research on the subject to provide some sensible answer?

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Van

Now, how is breathing really taught in Okinawa and by whom and why?

Surely there will be many opinions on this as well.

These comments by a high rank sensei, good friend, and veteran of many visits to Okinawa...wrote this

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Van