Hi there Tim, i was wondering can or do you ever apply the breathing that you learnt in the internal arts to your bjj? If so, have u found that tai chi has enhanced your ground game at all?

Max,

My Internal teachers were all about natural breathing, no special contortions or anything like that.

So maybe there is an indirect influence, my breathing is the same because I still breathe naturally when I grapple.

Tim,

I remember well. Hsu Lao Shi always said if you want to know how to breathe properly watch an infant breathe. They have yet to be influenced by anything other than what is natural. The exception is, of course, those times when you must focus the breath.

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Tim,
Do you mean you dont emphasis a breathing pattern when you are doing your tai chi form?

For example, breath out when extending etc. or do you just go through the form and breath without any attention to your breathe?

Max044,

The Yang practitioners emphasize breathing that is coordinated with the opening and closing of the movements of the form. I study Wu Style, and we do breathing that is natural and into the belly. We do have coordinated breathing in our Chi Gung exercizes, but those are relatively easy and repeated movements.

Besides, in a confrontation the timing must follow your opponent's speed. So if you happen to be on the wrong part of your inhale/exhale as you need to attack/defend, should you suddenly change your breathing to match? That was a rhetorical question...

I recently took a worshop from Peter Ralston and he basically said the same thing. Breathing is a function of your energy needs. If you are relaxed, breath naturally. If you are expending more energy, still breathe naturally, but faster.


Tim Ash
contact@sandiegotaichi.com
http://SanDiegoTaiChi.com