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11. Breathing Exercises

If you're an average human being, you may be alive but you are not breathing . . . correctly, that is. Americans take breathing for granted, but did you know it is really an important exercise. Proper breathing habits stimulate heart action, increase the circulation, drain the carbon dioxide from the blood, and make for better, more active muscular coordination. But alas, so many of us indulge in shallow breathing, mouth breathing and some of us —in a moment of intense concentration—even for­get  to breathe!

In Karate you need the maximum physical and psychological strength at a critical moment. Often you are surprised by an opponent; he has you at a slight disadvantage. You become excited, flushed; you miss a heartbeat; gasp for breath! That is when your Karate Breathing Exercises will come to your rescue. These exercises, when properly per­formed, will train your body to operate at peak ef­ficiency even in a moment of extreme danger! Even if you are caught unaware, caught short of breath, you will be able to defend yourself successfully.

Proper Posture

The most important prerequisite to proper breathing has nothing to do with the respiratory system at all. It's proper posture! If your shoulders slump for­ward . . . your neck droops . . . your stomach bulges ... if your spine curves as you walk and your back looks like the letter "S", then brother, ATTEN­TION! You can learn all the Karate techniques and principles, but without proper posture you can never perform correct breathing exercises. Resolve now to stand erect, back straight, head up, shoulders back. Now we shall describe the most popular breathing positions.

Standing Positions

Stand straight, arms at your side, abdomen relaxed, head up. Exhale completely. Then wait a second. Now inhale. Hold the breath a second, then exhale. This is the basic breathing exercise. It teaches you control of the breathing muscles and the proper filling of your lungs.
Another exercise in the standing position is ac­complished in the following manner: Clasp your hands behind your neck. As you exhale you raise your hands high up the back as far as possible and extend downward, straightening the arms as you inhale. Do this a number of times.

Still a third exercise is done the following way: First, raise your arms high above your head. Bend forward and touch your toes as you exhale. Return to the original position as you inhale. This breathing exercises really  empties  the lungs  of  impurities.

A fourth method of breathing exercise while standing is this: Stand erect. Place your arms straight ahead of you, and on the level with your shoulders. As you inhale you bring the hands back to the shoulders. Bend your elbows but be sure they are on the level with your shoulders. Force your elbows well back. This method helps expand your upper front chest.

A fifth method is jokingly called, "rocking the boat" exercise. After you exhale, you bend the body to the right side and raise the left arm straight up as you inhale; then lower the arm and return to the original rigid position as you exhale. Then bend your body to the left, raise the right arm as you breathe in, and return to the original erect position as you exhale. This method helps raise the lower ribs.

Sitting Positions

The proper basic sitting position is as follows: Sit erect, keep your head up, hands resting on your hips, abdomen relaxed.

The first exercise: Close the left nostril by press­ing your forefinger on it. Then breathe in and breathe out thru your right nostril. Reverse the procedure. Place your finger on the right nostril with one hand; inhale and exhale thru the left nostril.  Do  this  about  10 times.  Notice  how  your nostrils feel clear afterwards.

A second breathing exercise that can be performed while sitting is called the "slow motion" exercise. Here you breathe as you normally would, but when you inhale and exhale you do it at a very s-l-o-w pace. The "slow motion" method teaches you proper breath control.

Remember the story of the 3 Little Pigs? Well, keep that children's tale in mind when performing this exercise. First exhale. Then breathe in slowly and long. Now with the mouth wide open exhale in one great puff! Push the air out like the big bad wolf blowing the straw house down!

Supine Position

The basic position: Lie flat on your back, stretch out your legs as far as you can. Keep the arms at your side. Just lie relaxed.

The first method: Place your right or left hand on your stomach, palm flat. Inhale as much as you can until the hand sinks well down. Then as you exhale push the hand up as much as you can al­most as if you are pushing the air out. This exercise teaches you control of the diaphragm.

Another exercise in the supine position Raise the head and shoulders and stretch forward with the arms, almost as if you are about to get up. But return to the supine position as you inhale and raise the arms straight up. Do this several times.

Third breathing exercise while lying on your back: Breathe in slowly but don't let the chest ex­pand; try to draw it in while you are inhaling. This helps expand the ribs.

The Prolonged Yoga Breath

Have you ever seen an experienced swimmer dive into a pool? You wait for him to come up but he doesn't. Then you hear a voice. It's your friend calling to you from the other end of the pool. He swam the entire length underwater. That re­quires good breath retention, good strong lungs, good breath control.

Here is how to develop the prolonged Yoga breath. Stand up erect, inhale slowly. Then hold the breath for as long as you can without causing strain or undue discomfort. Then exhale, but in rapid, forceful style thru the mouth. In fact, the air should gush out. The more air you draw into the lungs the more oxygen you receive and the longer you can hold your breath. When you exhale, you are clearing your lungs quickly, thus permitting an immediate inhalation. Repeat this exercise every day, but hold your breath longer each time. This exercise is excellent for underwater swimming, but also useful in any encounter with an opponent in Karate maneuvers.

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