The bodily process of inhaling and exhaling.

Inflected Form(s):

Breathing (present tense, noun), Breathed (past tense), Breath (noun)

Comments:

Breathing is the most important physical activity. Without it, one would die within a matter of minutes.

The importance of proper breathing cannot be understated.

Breathing is composed of the following parts:

a.Inhaling

b.Exhaling

c.the transition point - if the transition is not immediate, it is referred to as Maintaining

Benefits of proper breathing are:

a.greatly contributes to the stability and/or buoyancy of one's stance

b.helps improve timing of maneuvers

c.helps increase power generation of maneuvers

d.helps the body to reinforce itself against harm from external forces

e.helps the body and mind to relax

f.helps the mind maintain focus

g.can be used as a Psychological Weapon to distract or discourage and opponent

The bodily areas physically effected by breathing are:

a.Diaphragm

b.Abdominal Muscles

c.Solar Plexus

d.Lungs

e.Throat

f.Nose/Mouth

Breathing is one of the most important physical elements to obtaining Complete Harmony.

For the uninitiated practitioner, the importance of breathing is often overlooked.

The practitioner is encouraged to study the advantages and disadvantages to each part of the breathing process, and learn when and how to use each part, to enhance and maximize their moves.

The standard method of breathing in Kenpo is inhalingthrough the nose and exhaling through the mouth. But, this can vary depending upon Environmental Conditions.

Most martial arts Systems spend a great deal of time on mastering breathing through various techniques and exercises. And through utilization of those methods, development and perfection of both body and mind control can be achieved.

Breath control is one of the main elements of Meditation.

For more information on breathing and it's use, see inhale, exhale, and maintain.

Related Definition(s):

Buoyancy, Chi, Choke, Exhale, Float, Fly, Focus, Inhale, Ki, Kiai, Maintain, Meditation, Scissor, Settle, Stable, Stance, Timing, Unify

Related Term(s):

Active Chi/Ki, Body Mechanics, Body Momentum, Complete Harmony, Environmental Condition, External System, In-Sync, Internal System, Passive Chi/Ki, Stabilize Your Base