Bak Mei Breathing?

[LingChuanPai]

I've always been interested in learning this style of CMA. However, there arent any schools in my area to learn it.
I've heard they use reverse breathing. Could someone please describe that and inform me why they use that as opposed to correct breathing? What's it for?
LCP

[Yum Cha]

I can describe it.

The purpose is to gain power from your breathing, not to loose power because of breathing. (note breathing strength from muscle, not oxygen, that is related, but different).

The skill is to breathe naturally, not to link your breathing to your techniques.

It involves holding a breath and letting it out slowly capturing the tension, and likewise while inhaling.

It takes a long time, you learn it through practice.

[mung foo]

In Bak mei breathing sometimes you would inhale and exhale depending on the technique you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish.

It is natural like what was stated. Jik bo is the foundation of bak mei. All movements are based on what is learned in that form.

In the qi gong sets breathing would follow the same path.

[fiercest tiger]

Hi,

Reverse breath is not like what has been said in anyway shape or form....Done wrongly you will end up with problems, i think you are better to breath like you normally would rather to try reverse breathing.

How can it be natural if you are breathing in and out on certain moves?

Do you rise and fall in bak mei and swallow and spit?

Chi kung is natural...

FT

[Yum Cha]

The skill is to free the breathing from the techniques and find a new power.

[Lau]

Yam Cha

You wrote:
"The skill is to free the breathing from the techniques and find a new power"

I disagree with that. One uses "tun" or "to" with a technique. Nothing in between or different. How can you use the force of the 6 powers without using tun or to?

Regards, Lau.

[fiercest tiger]

I think you are adding my Daoist and Buddhist internal arts into the BAK MEI fighting theories.......doesnt work unless you never rise and fall or swallow or spit. Therefore that isnt bak mei pai!!!

If you have FCTT you will have tension and singular breathing MOSTLY, reverse breath for chi kung if you want to try and do it.

FT

[Yum Cha]

LOL FT...I think you just discoverd the Pak Mei breathing in your daoist and buddhist martial arts training!

Lau, 6 powers, external powers. TTFC 4 internal powers. Of course the two are related, its a package deal.

I find it to be no problem to inhale and execute either of the two sets of internal power within a single breath. What I mean, is to take and hold a breath, and on the exhale, extend it across the: reach out, grab, sok sau (pull in) and strike out with cheung choi. That would require a rise, grab, fall and swallow, then spit.

or, say while inhailing to soi que (bridge across the body) and palm strike with the opposite hand, grab and cheung choi.

Now, I can only say how I'm taught by my Sifu. I can also say it has taken a long long time to relax the breathing instinct to a more natural pace. The taking of a breath and holding it, squeezing it out across several moves, TTFC regardless is the primary skill. Finding equal power while inhaling is a lot harder, and I tend to probably spend 3 times as long exhaling as I do inhailing, but I'm getting better at it. I also get a lot of Oxygen, and feel more relaxed and faster.


It comes back to the favorite question, "How many breaths does it take to do Gau Bo Twi?" 2? 4? 5...6? We certainly know there are dozens and dozens of TTFC shifts in Gau Bo Twi...

I do find that I usually inhale on the bridging and perhaps first strike, then exhale as I continue through several more attacks.

And, the breaths in or out are punctuated by muscular exertions, but not linked to them. At least till I get puffed out, then it all goes to sh1t.


PS I've never heard this refered to as "Reverse breathing" only as Daoist breathing or "Natural breathing". But it is a Pak Mei skill uncommon in other southern styles. Perhaps Reverse breathing is something different, but the question's essence was about Pak Mei breathing.

[fiercest tiger]

You lost your mind..hahhaha god love you mate! ACTUALLY reverse breathing is not like natural and the belly/diaphram does the opposite to what you would naturally.

Bak Mei principles for fighting in the "FORMS" are not done reverse breathing for what i was taught.

As for teh natural way yes you can do that but you will lose the Bak Mei body and power generation...Due the explosive breathing and body connecting. Is you do it just relaxed and no snapping or jerking then yeah go ahead but you will not have the bak mei geng jak ging.

FT

Good chatting about stuff again...

[Lama Pai Sifu]

Who is everyone's Bak Mei Sifu's? It would be a good starting point to clarify before the discussions go further....

[fiercest tiger]

Who is yours Lama?

FT

[kung fu fighter]

Hi,

I remember reading an article about Bak mei's reverse breathing in the legends of kung fu column in black belt magazine by mark cheng. I remember the article explaining how bak mei practioners inhale to create compression like inflating a balloon upon impact of their strikes where everone else exhale.

Can you explain how this is done and the details involved, as well as why it works?

Thanks
kung fu Fighter

[Lama Pai Sifu]

My Lama Pai, Choy Lay Fut and Bok Mei Sifu was Grandmaster Chan Tai-San.

[Yum Cha]

Gee FT, I keep telling you we're different, and you keep thinking we're not...I'd say this is pretty cornerstone when it comes to the difference. And of course, I've never said THAT before...

But, fair enough, I'm backing away from this "Reverse Breathing" name, because I'm not sure that's what I'm talking about, Somebody else may own that term....I'm just talking about Pak Mei breathing....Natural "daoist" breathing, and the fact that sometimes, you are doing the opposite of what most people assume, sharp exhale on the strike, inhale on the in-between....

Take a breath, hold it, and exhale across a number of movements. Then, learn how to inhale and exert as well. Soon the two become more natural in their cycle. Diaphram becomes more relaxed, Body core generates strength through tension, some people also call it part of Iron shirt, golden bell, whatever, whatever, that's just what I read, never heard that from Sifu. Its pretty simple. I haven't seen many people that can do it though. Its one of those "usless" by-products of 25 years of form training LOL. And, you're wondering, but can you use it in a fight??

Of course not, its just for fun! Keeps an old pot-bellied guy like me from getting tired training with all them young hot shots!

Welcome to the soiree Lama Pie Guy! My lineage is on the website in my profile mate. I also studied Yau Kung Mun 4 years with FT's late Master, Cheung Leung - until he retired. The styles are close, but not exact.

What is your take on this kind of breathing?

How much Pak Mei did you learn from Chan Tai San? Ross said he studied a bit with CLC and CLC had strange ways, I'd be interested to hear more...was CTS Hakka?

Remember Bruce Lee squeeling like a cat in his movies? Back when I did Tae Kwon Do and Karate, I couldn't conscieve how he was breathing, but now days, its totally obvious, that's the sound, granted, not so **** squeelie, that I listen for when the lads are training to see if they are gettting it.


Lau, is this sounding familiar to you at all, or is it different. Feel free to PM me if you want to go off board.

[fiercest tiger]

Reverse breathing is done to help direct chi to the extremities for fighting as well healing, buit without a proper teacher you can do it wrong. Natural breathing IMHO is far better for health and NATURAL.

Buddhist use natural breathing too...

Hi Lama,

How far did your sifu go within Bak Mei , i saw the clip of pole form i havent seen any hands though?! You have clips of your sifu doing bak mei hands?

Regards
FT