Punch in the guts

[sticky fingers]

How do you brace yourself to absorb an incoming punch/knee to the midsection? (not talking about blocks or evading)
and what do you do to recover from being winded after a heavy blow?

I'm especially interested in input from the internal styles, not the guys who do 10000 sit ups and crunches a day.

[fa_jing]

Breathe out slowly while pushing out your abdomen. As in reverse breathing. Try not to have too much air in you when you get hit, just enough to maintain intra-abdominal pressure.

[Former castleva]

Fa-jing´s advice is what I have got used to as "correct",which might be but the problem is that most people probably react a second after they have been hit.

[Guile]

Originally posted by sticky fingers
How do you brace yourself to absorb an incoming punch/knee to the midsection? (not talking about blocks or evading)
and what do you do to recover from being winded after a heavy blow?

Dony get hit



Fa_jing's advice sounds good

[Oso]

I was taught something called "1/3 breathing''

Breath from the abdomen but retain 1/3 of your total capacity at all times and exchanging the top 2/3 only.

When you get hit use the stored air to dissipate the blow by exhaling. By retaining the air you always have some to use vs. being caught by a blow at the bottom of your exhale.

Obviously the portions are approximate.

We used to practice by first taking back fists to the gut, then roundhouse kicks, then front kicks, then side kicks.

taking a kick was also used as a disciplinary measure too.

[fa_jing]

take up Juko-Kai

[norther practitioner]

taking a kick was also used as a disciplinary measure too.

And some people wonder why martial arts schools insurance are so high.......

[Kristoffer]

Have your gf punch you in the belly alot. You will soon feel less and less and one day you could take shots from real fighters.

I breath out the air and tense the muscles before impact. If your winded it is recomended to stretch out your back (ie keep a straight back and take a few deep breath)

[Sho Pi]

Training in what is called Iron Shirt Qigong is one of the primary methods. It varies from system to system but invovles the reverse breathing but more importantily in uses the microcosmic orbit.

One way I have found to train this is to lay on your back and lift up your feet and your head and hold while doing the orbit. After being able to do this for a while place your feet on a chair and your head/shoulders on another chair and hold and breath. (very difficult) I have seen Yang Jwing Ming describe this in one of his books I think. Another way to do this is in what I think yoga call the bridge...resting on your toes and elbows while breathing.

An important thing to keep in mind while doing internal arts is that it is not magical. It does take muscle (or a certain amount of "hardness") to still do the techniques. Remember it is about balance though...only the amount of force required and not more.

Sho Pi

[Merryprankster]

How do you brace yourself to absorb an incoming punch/knee to the midsection? (not talking about blocks or evading) and what do you do to recover from being winded after a heavy blow?

Medicine ball work on the tummy helps.

So does exhaling as you strike. Tends to tighten things up a bit and keep from getting the breath knocked out of you.

Recovery? What recovery? You gut it out as best you can.

[Shuul Vis]

Kick the guy in the nuts during the split second after you get hit. By the time he recovers you should be fine. Then its back to square one. Or you could say something that makes him not want to continue beating your ass like, "You punk, now im going to have to get my gun."

[Oso]

And some people wonder why martial arts schools insurance are so high.......

didn't say it was a school.....

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Sho Pi
place your feet on a chair and your head/shoulders on another chair and hold and breath. (very difficult)

I hate to break it to all you guys but this "Iron Bridge" or whatever you want to call it works the lower back and not the abs at all. I'm not saying it's not a good exercise, I'm just saying that the stress is placed on the lower back (among other places like glutes and neck) and since the lower back is working against an opposing force the abs will, by definition, not come into play unless the person doing the exercise actively flexes them.

For example, if you flex your biceps normally both your biceps and triceps contract. If you do barbell or dumbell curls, however, and there is an outside force acting against the biceps, the triceps will be completely relaxed. When one muscle does work, its antagonist relaxes (unless you consciously flex it as well). Try it if you don't believe me.

Note: My argument is only valid if you were trying to say that the Iron Bridge exercise works the abs, which I assume, given the nature of this thread.

If not, then nevermind But the physiological prinicples I stated above are absolutely correct.

IronFist

[NorthernMantis]

Umm it stretches the abs also don't for get that.

[[Censored]]

I'm especially interested in input from the internal styles, not the guys who do 10000 sit ups and crunches a day.

Hen and Ha. Or, counterattack their wrist with your belly.