Inhale, exhale, in, out. Breathing is one of the most natural functions of our bodies. Or is it? In spite of its importance, many of us have developed shallow and uneven breathing habits. Effective breathing can make a measurable difference in martial arts performance.
When you inhale, or breathe in, the air you take in goes through a multi-step filtering process before reaching your lungs. Specialized lung structures extract oxygen and leach it into your bloodstream, where it travels to various oxygen-hungry tissues, such as the brain and the large muscles. This cycle occurs tens of thousands of times each day, unnoticed, until you really push yourself in Martial Arts class, and discover how much work breathing can be.
With additional exertion, or work, the process picks up speed, trying to accommodate the body’s increased demand for oxygen and blood. The heart pumps faster, attempting to meet the demands of muscles engaged in high activity, demands not only for oxygenated blood, but for the removal of waste carbon dioxide. Within the lungs, oxygen-rich air is exchanged for carbon dioxide in millions of small delicate sacs termed alveoli, minimizing premature muscular fatigue and compromised mental alertness. In other words, even unremarkable breathing habits and techniques, however, can have a profound impact on athletic performance, namely in the Martial Arts. Frequent kiai’s (shouts) for example, ensure smooth inspiration and expiration. Regular deep breathing, because of its effectiveness in removing carbon dioxide and increasing oxygen levels in tissues, can allow for greater stamina, strength and mobility, as well as greater mental focus, all of which are hallmark of excellence in the Martial Arts.
Although theories and techniques concerning breathing are in abundance the most simple breathing exercise that still works today is …standing in a loose parade rest position, bring both arms over your head in a circular motion and breathe deeply through your nose; as your arms halfway complete the large circle, push them out in front of you as if to clap (but don’t). During that pushing action, exhale sharply through your mouth, then drop your arms and begin the action all over again. These motions should be repeated about ten times. Then you should let your arms hang at your sides, pressing your shoulder blades together and inhaling through your nose; then bring hands forward as if to clap below your waist while exhaling through your mouth. This simple exercise insures that your lungs will get the correct amount of oxygen while you…complete your workout for that day.
Have Fun - Train Hard - Train Smart - Fightwize
Sensei Malcolm Bale
www.jiu-jitsu-calgary.com
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on Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Martial Arts.
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