You Breathe, You Live

 

With each breath you take….Life means breathing

 

When I began my studies in Isshinryu no special instruction was given to breathing.

I just mimic kata as I was taught it. Of course there were differences.

 

When I was taught Seiunchin kata, for ½ the kata it was done with dynamic tension in the movements, and with deep, hard breathing.

 

Then again learning Sanchin it was done with dynamic tension and hard, deep breathing throughout all the kata.

 

The remainder of my Isshinryu kata and kobudo kata, were done without a special breathing method, just breathing as needed.

 

** Note – this discussion is only intended for Dan consideration –

there is no logical reason to discuss this with kyu students  **

 

Then when I had reached Black Belt in Isshinryu, I took advantage of the opportunity to study Yang Tai Chi Chaun, and one of the basic practices, I was taught how to control my breathing timing my movement. A very specific instruction from Ernest Rothrock. Of course that was not the only specific instruction as additionally I was taught how and where to gaze during the form, and to also roll my head while I was gazing.

 

Together a more unique study that what I ever expected.

 

I did so when I practiced my tai chi. I did not follow that when I did my Isshinryu.

And yes I experienced a conflict between those studies during my Sanchin practice.

 

It was also during that period of my training, I trained with many other people. None of whom ever discussed specific breathing in their practice.

 

I digress a bit, for there was one other person who did so. Tristan Sutrisno explained at 3^rd dan there were many fundamental changes for the adept of his Indonesian Shotokan family art. Among which was a switch to reverse breathing in study, for everyone still training at that level (of course instructors would continue to teach beginning students (kyu and up to 2^nd day standard breathing).

 

This means where you inhale and exhale is reversed so you exhale and inhale in study and practice of the art.

 

I never studied that art to that depth, and am unaware of anyone else who describes that with karate. Though there are some tai chi systems that use it, but do not switch, either using regular respiration or reverse respiration when moving through the form.

 

As a point I did discover there is a case for special karate/aikido techniques to use reverse breathing.

 

Years later when my own studies into kata technique analysis progressed I began to realize that what a breath could be offered advancing possibilities.

 

Let me provide a simple example. As you get deeper into the topic there are many other options.

 

When I learned Seisan kata, it was taught like this.

 

1. Rei and inhale.

2. Step left foot forward with a crescent step, exhaling a portion of your air and executing a left side block. The  right hand chambers at the same time. Then chamber the left hand and then as you rapidly step forward with a right crescent step quickly exhale the rest of your air as you right punch.

3. Step right foot forward with a crescent step, quickly inhaling and then exhaling with left reverse punch.

4. Step left foot forward with a crescent step, quickly inhaling and then exhaling with a right reverse punch.

 

This can be defined as 4 separate technique series.

 

But the entire movement section can also be done this way.

 

1. Rei and inhale.

2. Step left foot forward with a crescent step, exhaling a portion of your air and executing a left side block. The  right hand chambers at the same time. Then chamber the left hand and then as you rapidly step forward with a right crescent step quickly exhale the rest of your air as you right punch.

3. Step right foot forward with a crescent step with left reverse punch  and on the same exhalation step left foot forward with a crescent step, concluding the exhalation with a right reverse punch.

 

Now the same moves but used as 3 separate applications.

 

A movement is capable of being defined as you elect, it does not have one answer. As the above two examples there are at least 2 answers, which an opponent cannot easily anticipate which will be used. That is the first reason to consider more than one answer.

 

This is not appropriate training for the kyu student. Rather for the dan student to begin to consider possible uses of their Isshinryu. While an exercise of changing entire kata breathing patterns can be done, that is not an optimal answer. Rather sections of kata should be explored and then considered possible alternate breathing drills. To make one move towards being totally unpredictable, so no one knows when you will chose to use those answers. There is no end  to considering those possibilities.

 

 

Then I have thought long and hard about the Sutrisno family practice of using only reverse breath after 3^rd dan, and I believe I have uncovered a possible reason for doing so. It could depend on understanding what training has done to the operating system of most people.

 

As a more precise level than I believe most consider, the idea behind ‘ghost techniques’ enters the picture. ‘Ghost Techniques’ work on the concept that many people launch their attacks on the assumption they know where you are, and the ‘ghost’ uses that assumption against them, by being somewhere else. Because they assumed they know where you are (as they launch their attack), they are not looking actually where you are. This makes the ‘ghost technique work.

 

On a different level, most do not realize enough about what the old saying “The eye must see all sides, the ear must listen in all directions” means. The concept of Ghost Techniques works because many do not really look, and you turn their assumption against them. At another level one must not hear on automatic.

 

I believe the concept of reversing breathing resulted in understanding how people use their hearing in defense and offense. Hearing the inhalation, ‘knowing’ that the attack follows on the expiration, is an assumption. And if people are responding because their knowledge how people attack allows them to key off of their opponents breathing pattern, that can be a mistake, when you only use reverse breathing.

 

So hearing the inhale, preparing the body to expect the attack on the exhale, offers a factional opening into their timing and more so when the attack is on the inhale.

 

This is fairly complicated stuff.

 

I have never seen anyone else suggest this is something that can be used.

 

But I back my supposition after seeing how explosive my friend was, over and over and over. It is logical that was  a component of what I experienced.

 

This in no way completely addresses possibilities to looking at breath.