Breathing - Grapplers Advantage

[Palomino1]

After getting super gassed in a recent tournament that I trained for I started to break down what was gong and on realized that my cardio was fine. I am pretty sure I hold my breath for long peroids of time while fighting in intense matches.

I spent my last practice play around with breathing techniques during sparring. My initial reaction? WOW! I rolled 3 bigger stronger opponenents that usually wear me out in one roll and had a little left in my tank at the end. We have been told to "control our breathing" before but never really stressed or trained in how to do it. It seems almost like one of those "holy grails" of grappling.

I was being overly dramatic with it, slow, drawn, long breaths, in and out. One guy asked me if I was OK! I exhailed fast when trying to push an arm or greak guard or apply pressure somewhere. It was honestly amazing.

My question is two fold:

1) Did I just have a good day or am I really on to something special and this does have "Holy Grail" potential?

2) Is breathing really not address correctly and should it be studies and trained just like other parts of your game? I dont know any school that really does.

 

[STFUjiujitsu]

breathing is everything in any sport. Weight lifting, jogging, boxing. If you hold your breath your muscles don't get oxygen and your brain starves of it too. That's why you get light headed faster when you hold your breath like you describe.

I don't know if there's an art to how to breathe correctly but I do know that just about every noob I roll with that's freaking out hyperventilating, I just tell them to slow down and breathe.

 

[Palomino1]

Thats the thing. The only training people get is "you have to calm down and breath". People still hold there breath and freak out when they get in trouble. For newer guys this is most of the time. I almost am starting to think that alot of gas probelms are more from breathing that from actual energy delpeletion.

I bet it is an under diagnosed problem in general for many athletes.

 

[STFUjiujitsu]

I'll agree with that completely. Most of the tie people hold their breath though if you notice is when they are trying to muscle something. So if you can teach them not to muscle everything, inadvertently you are teaching them to breath.

 

[Palomino1]

I think you get more muscle when you breath correctly. Say your breaking grips. If you exhale forcefully while braking it you get better focus and strength into the push or pull. This should be the standard through out all movements through out the match. People dont learn it.

 

[Slithers]

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/breathing-578710/

 

[Damien Karras]

that was my biggest problem and still is a problem from time to time. Does anybody know any good breathing techniques? (or should I start a thread on it? )

 

[TheGambler13]

Learning how to breathe was the first thing that I was taught, and probably the most valuable.

 

[BruceLeeMMA]

After getting super gassed in a recent tournament that I trained for I started to break down what was gong and on realized that my cardio was fine. I am pretty sure I hold my breath for long peroids of time while fighting in intense matches.

I spent my last practice play around with breathing techniques during sparring. My initial reaction? WOW! I rolled 3 bigger stronger opponenents that usually wear me out in one roll and had a little left in my tank at the end. We have been told to "control our breathing" before but never really stressed or trained in how to do it. It seems almost like one of those "holy grails" of grappling.

I was being overly dramatic with it, slow, drawn, long breaths, in and out. One guy asked me if I was OK! I exhailed fast when trying to push an arm or greak guard or apply pressure somewhere. It was honestly amazing.

My question is two fold:

1) Did I just have a good day or am I really on to something special and this does have "Holy Grail" potential?

2) Is breathing really not address correctly and should it be studies and trained just like other parts of your game? I dont know any school that really does.

There's a great DVD and book on Breathing. Systema Breathing by Vladimir Vasiliev. The whole key to Systema is staying relaxed so you don't waste energy/gas, freeze up and can see everything that is going around you.

Budovideos.com - Systema Breathing DVD

 

[floridalawdog]

I too have learned that breathing was the cause of my tournament problems. I would train like an animal, and torture myself for 6 months to try to be in shape for the tournament. Then 30 seconds in to my first match, gassed, dizzy, arms feeling like lead weights are hanging off of them. Then it hit me, im suffocating myself when I compete. I think its a common thing. But it sucks when it happens to you.

 

[Palomino1]

I too have learned that breathing was the cause of my tournament problems. I would train like an animal, and torture myself for 6 months to try to be in shape for the tournament. Then 30 seconds in to my first match, gassed, dizzy, arms feeling like lead weights are hanging off of them. Then it hit me, im suffocating myself when I compete. I think its a common thing. But it sucks when it happens to you.

Its's crazy, isnt it? I almost want to kick myself. I worked so much harder than I had to and even when I would win matches I would think "why is that guy calmly talking to his traininer and I am about to pass out?"

 

[-Montanha-]

Slithers posted a link to a "Breathing" thread.............

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/f12/breathing-578710/

Here is the first post; "Breathing"

I have been getting some of my guys ready for the Gracie Open and in doing so I have not been showing any new moves. The obvious focus they do in regards to conditioning and preparing for their ability to go hard for 3 to 4 matches, leaving it all on the mat. I have been focusing on the scramble and building habits of proper hand and body placement to keep their movement constant and flowing.


In this pre-tournament time, jitters abound!

One drill I like to do is when a student is tired from just going in a 6 to 8 minute roll is to put them on their back and have a practice partner then put a knee on their stomach with pressure. Sound terrible doesn't it?

The object is to practice Breathing in a Grappling situation.

The practice is to become aware of your lungs ability to meet the demand of the body's need for air.

Your control of your throat is the key to breathing. Anxiety or exertion will cause you to close your throat, a kind of like gritting your teeth so to speak,ie; holding your breath!

I like to explain that Fear and Panic are scary words that can cause Fear it self. And to start by explaining Fear is just thinking too much, by contrast, the opposite is the calm of being in the flow.

Being in the flow is the lack of thinking. Un-relaxed thinking which causes an overload, which causes hesitation, which causes anxiety, which causes panic, which causes Fear. All which can happen in a split second.

Key to demonstrate this is; your tired! then you get a knee on your stomach and it feels like torture and brings immediate panic.

How do you deal with it?

First exercise is to open your throat as big as possible so air can pass easily. Second is to relax and let the guys knee sink in.

You will be amazed! your lungs can still get the air they need.

At first try you will panic, you just got done rolling and are already gasping for breath, and you will yell, get off me. Try it again and you will begin to see that with your throat wide open so air can pass easily that there is still room in your lungs to get the air they need.

This realization will occupy your thoughts and in a moment the panic is gone! and your focus will be on how amazing the results of just opening your throat are.

Benefits are; You don't have to think about Breathing, just open your throat and the breathing happens.

Secondly; Just one thought to open your throat, breathing happens, and overload/hesitation/anxiety/panic/and fear are gone.

Thirdly; when exploding or just exerting your self in an aggressive scramble the new habit of keeping the air way open your body will respond with energy. Without this skill, you will continue to hold your breath as you exert your self, getting winded and trying to breath after. This is the key when you go hard, your muscles can be tense but your throat/air way is to stay relaxed.

When your getting air your brain will be anxiety free. The mental note to open the air way will divert your mind from the anxiety and your body will perform freely.

You will also notice walking on to the mat in front of a crowd can change your breathing causing you to tense up. Take note, open the air way, breath, and the crowd is gone, and you can pay attention and focus on the task at hand.


Lastly; You will be aware of your opponents breathing and it will tell you beforehand what he is intending. Best of all you will be able to tell when he is panicking and know when to add to his panic, just by listening. This is another distraction from your own temptation to hold your breath.

You dont need all that old gobble-de-**** martial arts meditation breathing talk or being in the moment. It is almost too basic, just keep the air way open and breath.

enjoy
______

 

[cockysprinter]

i think it very important, and i think its the number one reason ive never had a cardio problem in jiujitsu. i dont have particularly great cardio, but i came from a sprinting background where relaxation is key. calm breathing is one of the secrets to relaxation.

 

[-Montanha-]

i think it very important, and i think its the number one reason ive never had a cardio problem in jiujitsu. i dont have particularly great cardio, but i came from a sprinting background where relaxation is key. calm breathing is one of the secrets to relaxation.

I also have a Track and Field background, lots of applicable things learned there.

 

[ARH]

that was my biggest problem and still is a problem from time to time. Does anybody know any good breathing techniques? (or should I start a thread on it? )

I find the best technique is to start by breathing in, followed by breathing out, then breathe in again, then out again, repeating the process.