17
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Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?
I am an amateur boxer competing so perhaps I can share some insight.
Basically breathing technique is a major aspect one needs to learn. You can very quickly gas out (lose your breath, which also ...
- 645
10
votes
how to use o2 mask to training martial arts
This sort of product will fail to achieve any short term or long term benefits over regular training. In fact, some results show that it can hinder performance.
People believe these sorts of products ...
- 18.9k
9
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Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?
Exhaling on a strike is common in many martial arts as well as boxing (most forms of Karate and Tae Kwon Do for example).
The purpose of a short sharp exhalation at the end of the technique is to ...
- 2,949
8
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Accepted
Is chi kung just deep breathing?
No, qigong is not just deep breathing.
There are MANY different qigong exercises, so it's impossible to say what the goal of your particular exercise is. Here is a sampling of non-breathing qigong ...
- 14.2k
8
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Kiai, the Hara and Dantian (etymology and philosophy)
Ki (気) does mean "energy" or "mood", but the A (合) is just a shout of enthusiasm (Korean does use the energy+join setup with K'ihap), so no, there's nothing mystical about it any more than a sports ...
- 11.9k
7
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Cheng Man-Ch'ing advises that breath should be: Fine, Long, Calm, and Slow. What does this mean?
I do not think it is necessary to seek out and translate primary sources for breathing. My understanding is that taiji, bagua, and xing yi share Daoist qi gong breathing; guidance from any of these ...
- 14.2k
6
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Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?
There are few reasons for this:
remembering to breathe correctly.
tightening your core muscles
adding additional explosiveness to your punch
relieving unnecessary tension in your muscles
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6
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Kiai, the Hara and Dantian (etymology and philosophy)
You are mixing world religions and confusing Chinese chi with Japanese ki. This is problematic. They are different interpretations of mystical force.
Since you used the term "kiai" I will speak from ...
6
votes
Accepted
If yelling is so good, why MMA fighters don't yell often
As per the provided link, there's a number of factors going on.
First of all, a kiai is as much about a forceful exhalation and a focus of purpose as it is actually yelling. Many of the fighters do ...
- 11.9k
5
votes
Accepted
How is it helpful during training, to hold ones breath after intense warm-up?
Controlling breath is important in martial arts, and all exercise in general. Holding your breath is the opposite of that.
The short answer is; holding your breath would result in erratic breath to ...
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5
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Accepted
Should I follow the class or instructor's breathing rate during Tai Chi breathing exercises?
You should not try to match your instructor's breathing rate. This would be like trying to lift the same weight as your weightlifting instructor; it does not make sense to do this because your ...
- 14.2k
5
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how to use o2 mask to training martial arts
Don't. Train your skills in class normally, without the mask. Train your conditioning outside of class, by running and sprinting or whatever. Train your strength in the gym by progressively lifting ...
- 20.9k
5
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When is the best time to kihap while executing a strike?
The kiai, kihap, or "shout" serves many different purposes. It can help provide focus by association (you shout when you strike in practice, so shouting in combat helps you land that ...
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4
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Why do martial artists "shout" in the execution of a technique?
Besides the inner and outer manifestations of power and focus which are mentioned in the other answers, the yell also has other uses which haven't been mentioned. In two styles, the kiai (japanese) ...
- 4,057
4
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How is it helpful during training, to hold ones breath after intense warm-up?
Breathing slowly is trained in Daoist-influenced martial arts
Martial arts with a Daoist influence (bagua, xing yi, taiji) train breathing to be relaxed, continuous, deep, and even. Training for ...
- 14.2k
4
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Kiai, the Hara and Dantian (etymology and philosophy)
From a purely mechanical perspective, the purpose of a kiai in a punch is to force the abdominal muscles to engage, allowing for the transfer of effort (kinetic energy) from the legs and hips to the ...
- 519
4
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Accepted
When is the best time to kihap while executing a strike?
For the sake of answering, I'm going to assume you're asking "When is the best time to kiai in order to maximize effect?"
Leaving aside any psychological benefit, the physiological effect of ...
- 76
4
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Why is exhalation so strongly associated with striking in martial arts?
This is similar to the effect when forcefully exhaling during weightlifting - the forceful exhalation (different to the Valsalva manoeuvre, which is also employed in some situations) creates not only ...
- 802
3
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Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?
The huff is a quick exhale that brings all the contributing muscles in your body to support that punch you throw. At the same time it prepares your conditioned body to absorb any shock from a counter-...
- 31
3
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Kiai, the Hara and Dantian (etymology and philosophy)
Kiai means merging your energy. (Ki = energy, Ai = merge/join/blend/combine.)
The short story is that what you're attempting to do is, in the moment that you shout, you merge the ki throughout the ...
- 18.9k
3
votes
Why do boxers huff each time they throw a punch?
Huffing while punching is sort of a golden rule which they teach in boxing.
The effect of punching without exhaling is much lesser than that of while exhaling. If the boxing classes have very ...
- 131
3
votes
Accepted
Why is exhalation so strongly associated with striking in martial arts?
The exhalation is not linked to any particular sports, but a rather profane mechanism: Tensioning of the abdominal muscles reduces the volume of your lower abdomen and thus pushes your diaphragm ...
- 7,540
2
votes
Which kind of breath provides the most striking power?
From an exercise science standpoint, we're looking at a few factors: muscle contraction, breathing efficiency, and metabolic function.
The body works better when only contracting or only stretching, ...
- 121
2
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Yang tai chi breathing (when to inhale/exhale)
Your teacher is right, as ist the classic text you cited.
But...
Doing it the opposite way isn't necessarily wrong. In the beginning, it seems more "natural" to inhale while rising the arms and to ...
- 286
2
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Is chi kung just deep breathing?
EDIT: A Definition of Qi Gong / Chi Kung
Qi means "breath" or "energy". Gong means "skill". Hence, Qigong is the "skill or working with one's breath or one's energy". The idea is to move Qi ...
- 3,907
2
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Nasal dilators in martial arts
You will need to get medical clearance from your doctor, and, since you mentioned competition, you will need to get clearance from the competition's directors, who will only clear you once your doctor ...
- 4,057
2
votes
What body factors limit the number of punches in a combo?
Even someone with very basic ability should be able to alternate left and right punch punches indefinitely at some speed and intensity level, and they could trivially add some variety and footwork and ...
- 4,140
2
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Kiai, the Hara and Dantian (etymology and philosophy)
A kiai comes from the hara or dantian in the same way that a singer projects using their diaphragm. You can point to a physical place on your body and say this is where the hara is, or this is where ...
- 14.2k
2
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Kiai, the Hara and Dantian (etymology and philosophy)
From Hapkido by Marc Tedeschi while interviewing Grandmaster Han-Jae Ji, "Ki-power is adrenaline only? Yes. Adrenaline only. There is no energy out there in the universe that we bring into our bodies?...
2
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Why is exhalation so strongly associated with striking in martial arts?
I can state that it is not a universal principle in martial arts. In both Doce Pares Escrima and Capoeira, I was specifically told not to tie my breaths to strikes, but rather to focus on breathing ...
- 11.9k
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