Breathing

Correct breathing is used to focus the mind, increase concentration and enhance physical performance, among other things. Learning how to control your breathing will only make you a better martial artist.

By now you are already familiar with the kihap, or spirit yell. We can separate this word into two components, ki and hap. Hap generally means “coordinating” or “harmony.” Ki means “universal life force” or the energy that pervades all things within the universe- people, animals, water, rocks, trees, and outer space. Therefore when you kihap, you are literally harmonizing your universal life force, gathering it and directing it toward the appropriate use. Learning how to control your breathing will help you begin to develop your Ki, thus giving you control over your body physically, mentally, and medicinally.

Learning to control your breathing begins with become aware of it, since it is normally an involuntary act. During meditation (mun nyum) at the beginning and end of class, think only of your breathing. Sit on the floor with your legs crossed, hands palm down on your knees with your back straight. Your eyes can be closed, or open and focused on a stationary object. Breathe in through your nose, ballooning your abdomen (stomach area) to fill up your lungs. Hold that breath, then release it slowly either through your nose or your mouth. With proper practice, your should be able to increase the length of this breathing cycle. For example, breathe in for a count of four, hold for four, and release for four. With practice, you can increase that to in for eight, hold for four, and release for eight. This technique is very basic and should follow with much more advanced learning and practicing.

Not only is breathing important during mun nyum, but it is also important during the physical techniques in training. Make sure you always breathe properly during stretches. Make sure you breathe out during focused energy movements such as kicks, punches, and blocks during regular techniques and forms. It is suggested that you make a breath sound every time you need to focus energy, so that you are conscious of doing so. For example, if you are executing a punch in a form (that doesn’t have a kihap), at the exact point power and snap within that block you should create a sound that comes from your abdomen that may sound like “shio.” If you are conscious of your breathing techniques and keep practicing, eventually they will become instinct and you will notice a greater improvement in your abilities.