reverse breathing..the bow and arrow of tai chi

[Stacey]

ever read accounts of tai chi masters using reverse breathing to pop rice grains to the ceiling? Then you hear that in combat its all about the heng and ha and not about baby breathing. It seems to me that silk realing and reverse breathing equal combat effectiveness even more so than specific technique.

what do you guys think? Ever practice with rice? Do you have to be fat to do it? I can't make it go very high. Are the hips involved in the breathing?

[Laughing Cow]

Stacey.

Nope, don't practice with rice. Never read about nor did any of my teachers ever mention it.

Most of TJQ guys I know are rather trim and wiry. (exceptions exist = me) :D

I would agree that silk-reeling, reverse breathing and other things are more important for combat effectiveness than techniques.

If the foundation is lacking you can't build a solid big house on it.

Seeya.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

The effects of reverse breathing are too numerous and profound to go into detail here.. "just do it"... Aside from that, there are also body mechanics involved, like very expressive "peng", like the supple wave that rolls up the spine, and.. yes, the vertical rotation of the hips (pelvis) as you close and tighten the "floor" of the torso (perinium)..

Consider the form.. as you retreat (roll-back) you should be inhaling, you should also be compressing the DanTien (abdominals) = reverse breathing... as you roll-back, as you inhale, as you compress the Dantien, these are all Yin actions = "triple Yin" (Sa Yin).. similarly, as you move forward, as you exhale, as you expand the Dantien and roll the spine to expand the chest in a subtle vertical whipping motion, these are all Yang actions = triple Yang (Sa Yang).. so we acheive full yin or full yang through reverse breathing.. not to mention the great abdominal workout and excellent internal organ massage we get in the process..

In the roll of combat, reverse breathing seems to be the norm.. the triple yang mentioned above is my normal attacking movement.. triple yin is my normal defense during a retreating/redirecting movement.. Reverse breathing also moves energy appropriately.. while compressing, energy (Chi) is pumped out of the Dantien into circulation.. while expanding, energy is directed to the application..

Anyhow, that has been my instruction and experience.. Be well..