What's up with reverse breathing?

[Vapour]

I notice that in some martial arts style they encourage you to do reverse breathing, that is to expand your abdominal when breathing out and to contract it when breathing in.

Another thing I notice is that in Aikido, it is harder style of aikido which practice this method. My suspicion is that it is similar in Kung Fu. My question is whether any soft martial arts style practice this breathing method and if there are, can you tell me what is the point of this method?

[Crimson Phoenix]

I do believe internal arts use it...someone correct me if I'm wrong.

This breathing is used to energize yourself more efficiently...it is the natural breathing you adopt when you, for example, intend to push a heavy object.
Try it, go in your backyard, breath in and push your car to make it move...you will be reverse breathing without even wondering...

[Vapour]

Originally posted by Crimson Phoenix
I do believe internal arts use it...someone correct me if I'm wrong.

This breathing is used to energize yourself more efficiently...it is the natural breathing you adopt when you, for example, intend to push a heavy object.
Try it, go in your backyard, breath in and push your car to make it move...you will be reverse breathing without even wondering...

Yes, you are right. When I pushed against the wall of my room, my stomach did tence up. But that is a problem. My body tense up.

We actually do pushing wall exercise to learn appropriate feel for push as well as to develop stamina. However, we are adviced to relax our body at the end of every push before releasing our hands from the wall. Our aim in pushing or any execution of technique is to be relax throughout the execution of techniques. When I did relax, my stomach contracted.

In our school, rather than tensing up at the end of a punch or a block like karate, we are told to relax and let it go when executing any technique.

One reason for this is so that our technique flow from one to another without interuption. Another reason we relax at the end of excecution of any techniques is that we are aiming to create release of power (fa-jing) from relaxation.

The best analogy is throwing a ball. When you throw a ball, you let go of the ball by your hand rather than tensing up your hand. Otherwise ball (power) won't be released.

I also can see merit of this breathing method. It will force practioner to concentrate their mind to dantien and to coordinate their movements with breathing.

Since I'm only familiar with one style of taijiquan I would appreciate any corrections if I'm wrong but this breathing method seems to be inappropriate for taijiquan.

Anyway, I do appreciate your comment. It's provided me with another insight regarding taijiquan.

[ddh]

In my experience reverse breathing should be learned after full development in abdominal breathing. This takes time. The reason for this is quite simple. Reverse breathing puts pressure on the heart and other organs if abdominal breathing is not developed. It can be damaging if you are not trained in a proper manner. Personally, I advise getting expert help in this kind of training. :)

[RAF]

In general, to effectively punch with fa-jing expression involves reverse breathing.