Breathe Through Your Hands

choukyla

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Please can someone help me understand what is meant by 'Breathe Through Your Hands' ?
I've heard this term used in Tai Chi, but it is also used in Kung Fu too. My Si Fu would say to me 'When he punch or palm someone, he would breath through his hands'.

I've been doing Kung Fu with my Si Fu for 15 years. Everytime he say that, I would ask the same question again and again. What he meant by that...off course he doesn't mean you have holes in your hands and you can breathe through it.

I am worried that if I ask him anymore, he would start to get pissed off.
But he do speak in riddle, so it's difficult to understand...hence I am trying to find a different way of saying it...might finally sink into my dumb head.

What is the bio-mechanical action you do to achieve this ?
If one were to do this, assuming they follow the instruction to the letter 110% correctly, what feeling or sensation do you get to knowledge that you have done it correctly ?

To give an example, when you punch a bag. When you punch it hard as you can, the bag will swing badly. But if you punch using an internal hit, you punch hard, you put a dent in the bag. But the bag hardly move...you've know you have cause an internal damaged to your opponent. So physically, you can see the difference.

Thanks in advance for any help.
If you have any opinion, however small. Please please share.
This is driving me up the wall for the last 10 years or so :-(
 

JowGaWolf

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I have never heard of that expression before. My Sifu has always told us to center our breathing and focus it in the abdomen below the navel.
But he do speak in riddle, so it's difficult to understand
Kung Fu and especially Tai Chi is difficult enough without the riddles.

The only thing that I can think of relates to the flowing of energy. When I do Tai Chi I visualize myself moving energy with my hands similar to how water moves around the hands. Sometimes it flows around and sometimes it pushes against. When I strike I visualize pushing energy out, when I move my hands inward I visualize collecting energy or drawing energy into myself. In a real world application, breathing in draws energy in, breathing out projects energy (hence breath out when you punch). Breathing in naturally tenses us. Breathing out naturally relaxes us, which is why people are told to take a deep breath and exhale to relax. The bigger the exhale the more relax one becomes. In Kung Fu it's an explosive exhale in Tai chi it's a slower exhale with the purpose of trying to unify the body and it's actions as much as possible. In both cases it's the breathing out.

This is about the best assumption I can make based on what I know and how I train.

If one were to do this, assuming they follow the instruction to the letter 110% correctly, what feeling or sensation do you get to knowledge that you have done it correctly ?
For me the power of my punches increase greatly without the feeling that I'm trying to "muscle a punch." I don't burn out a quickly because I'm breathing. A deep breath out is usually followed by a good inhale of air and oxygen which is good for muscles and endurance. Most of the time, my punches don't feel powerful when generating the energy to deliver it, but the sound of the pads or the indentation of a bag says other wise.

To give an example, when you punch a bag. When you punch it hard as you can, the bag will swing badly. But if you punch using an internal hit, you punch hard, you put a dent in the bag. But the bag hardly move...you've know you have cause an internal damaged to your opponent. So physically, you can see the difference.
Very few people believe this or even understand this. I remember seeing my friend get excited about punching a 30 pound bag and watching it swing. Visually it looks impressive, but much of the power is lost which is why the bag swings. Then I punched the bag and told my friend to look for the dent when I punch. He was surprised to see the bag cave in so much but barely move. He tried to do the same but had trouble in creating a large dent. I was able to do it with ease because it was an ole skool Everlast canvas punching bag that would tear the skin off the knuckles if you punch it with a swiping punch. Those bags are great for training because it trains the punch to be straight in, straight out.
 

Bill Mattocks

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Please can someone help me understand what is meant by 'Breathe Through Your Hands' ?
I've heard this term used in Tai Chi, but it is also used in Kung Fu too. My Si Fu would say to me 'When he punch or palm someone, he would breath through his hands'.

I've been doing Kung Fu with my Si Fu for 15 years. Everytime he say that, I would ask the same question again and again. What he meant by that...off course he doesn't mean you have holes in your hands and you can breathe through it.

I am worried that if I ask him anymore, he would start to get pissed off.
But he do speak in riddle, so it's difficult to understand...hence I am trying to find a different way of saying it...might finally sink into my dumb head.

What is the bio-mechanical action you do to achieve this ?
If one were to do this, assuming they follow the instruction to the letter 110% correctly, what feeling or sensation do you get to knowledge that you have done it correctly ?

It's visualization. When you can mentally visualize it happening, you will feel the air literally exiting your fingertips. As I understand it (and I do not understand it well), the mental condition of feeling the air going in and out of your fingertips allows the chi or ki to flow in a way that is desirable.
 

franklinstower

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Please can someone help me understand what is meant by 'Breathe Through Your Hands' ?
I've heard this term used in Tai Chi, but it is also used in Kung Fu too. My Si Fu would say to me 'When he punch or palm someone, he would breath through his hands'.

I've been doing Kung Fu with my Si Fu for 15 years. Everytime he say that, I would ask the same question again and again. What he meant by that...off course he doesn't mean you have holes in your hands and you can breathe through it.

I am worried that if I ask him anymore, he would start to get pissed off.
But he do speak in riddle, so it's difficult to understand...hence I am trying to find a different way of saying it...might finally sink into my dumb head.

What is the bio-mechanical action you do to achieve this ?
If one were to do this, assuming they follow the instruction to the letter 110% correctly, what feeling or sensation do you get to knowledge that you have done it correctly ?

To give an example, when you punch a bag. When you punch it hard as you can, the bag will swing badly. But if you punch using an internal hit, you punch hard, you put a dent in the bag. But the bag hardly move...you've know you have cause an internal damaged to your opponent. So physically, you can see the difference.

Thanks in advance for any help.
If you have any opinion, however small. Please please share.
This is driving me up the wall for the last 10 years or so :-(


Its a visualization and an intent thing IME. When you can do it you can literally feel the energy (spiritual energy) coming in and out of your hands. In certain meditation training I have undertaken you are taught to breath through not just hands but the chakras, eyes head etc. It is a certain level of attainment when you can actually feel it happen rather than just imagine it and intend it.

I teach meditation for a living and IME some people can feel energy almost immediately, some awaken to being able to feel it after a short while and some people begin feeling it after years of practice. Generally speaking I think there are just certain personality types that are disposed to feeling it more than others. I don't see this as a sign of them being advanced or anything-- it is just a temperament.
 

Buka

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I'm not familiar with breathing through the hands. Might be part of a cool yodel.

Yodeling.jpeg


Kind of an Alpine kiai thing. Gotta' love a good Alpine kiai.
 

jobo

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Please can someone help me understand what is meant by 'Breathe Through Your Hands' ?
I've heard this term used in Tai Chi, but it is also used in Kung Fu too. My Si Fu would say to me 'When he punch or palm someone, he would breath through his hands'.

I've been doing Kung Fu with my Si Fu for 15 years. Everytime he say that, I would ask the same question again and again. What he meant by that...off course he doesn't mean you have holes in your hands and you can breathe through it.

I am worried that if I ask him anymore, he would start to get pissed off.
But he do speak in riddle, so it's difficult to understand...hence I am trying to find a different way of saying it...might finally sink into my dumb head.

What is the bio-mechanical action you do to achieve this ?
If one were to do this, assuming they follow the instruction to the letter 110% correctly, what feeling or sensation do you get to knowledge that you have done it correctly ?

To give an example, when you punch a bag. When you punch it hard as you can, the bag will swing badly. But if you punch using an internal hit, you punch hard, you put a dent in the bag. But the bag hardly move...you've know you have cause an internal damaged to your opponent. So physically, you can see the difference.

Thanks in advance for any help.
If you have any opinion, however small. Please please share.
This is driving me up the wall for the last 10 years or so :-(
it's just martial arts woo, there a lot of it about, even people who are clearly intelligent to know a bit about biology, and anatomy come out with the most amazing level of nonsense, its like their convinced they have a super power,,
what biomechanical mechanism does it use ???? non at all its complete nonsence
 

jobo

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Its a visualization and an intent thing IME. When you can do it you can literally feel the energy (spiritual energy) coming in and out of your hands. In certain meditation training I have undertaken you are taught to breath through not just hands but the chakras, eyes head etc. It is a certain level of attainment when you can actually feel it happen rather than just imagine it and intend it.

I teach meditation for a living and IME some people can feel energy almost immediately, some awaken to being able to feel it after a short while and some people begin feeling it after years of practice. Generally speaking I think there are just certain personality types that are disposed to feeling it more than others. I don't see this as a sign of them being advanced or anything-- it is just a temperament.
those maybe the ones who are very sugestable, people who beilve you've trained them to breath through their eyes are certainly certainly that
 

franklinstower

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those maybe the ones who are very sugestable, people who beilve you've trained them to breath through their eyes are certainly certainly that


It is the ability to notice subtle energies and enter into relationship with them. Sensitive is the word for it. Some people are just more sensitive than others in this way. Being sensitive has strengths and weaknesses. The strength is that you can notice these energies and over time deepen your connection with them.

You have to understand that NO ONE thinks they are breathing "air" in through their eyes or hands. The breath is just a way to activate will and intent which is how you interact with these subtle energies. It seems like the breath naturally harnesses will and intent. It is subtle energy that you are bringing into your body through the practice.
 

jobo

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It is the ability to notice subtle energies and enter into relationship with them. Sensitive is the word for it. Some people are just more sensitive than others in this way. Being sensitive has strengths and weaknesses. The strength is that you can notice these energies and over time deepen your connection with them.

You have to understand that NO ONE thinks they are breathing "air" in through their eyes or hands. The breath is just a way to activate will and intent which is how you interact with these subtle energies. It seems like the breath naturally harnesses will and intent. It is subtle energy that you are bringing into your body through the practice.
your not bringing energy into your body, except by food and oxygen, the energy is already in your body, not only electrical and chemical energy, but your whole mass ismade of constrained energy e = mc2 and all that, none of there could be considered subtle
 

franklinstower

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your not bringing energy into your body, except by food and oxygen, the energy is already in your body, not only electrical and chemical energy, but your whole mass ismade of constrained energy e = mc2 and all that, none of there could be considered subtle


You might just as well have begun our interaction by stating you don't believe in subtle energies, the Tao or God and saved us a lot of time. I have no interest or need to convince anyone of anything like this. I don't even care weather someone does or not. Some of us have experiences with it and interaction with it and so we explore the ways in which you can deepen those interactions and relationships. For those who don't or don't want to-- that's fine too.

Live and let live.
 

jobo

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You might just as well have begun our interaction by stating you don't believe in subtle energies, the Tao or God and saved us a lot of time. I have no interest or need to convince anyone of anything like this. I don't even care weather someone does or not. Some of us have experiences with it and interaction with it and so we explore the ways in which you can deepen those interactions and relationships. For those who don't or don't want to-- that's fine too.

Live and let live.
so just woo then, which you cant back up with any science at all,at bit like God. you did start this conversation by stating it as a fact, if it's your believe that's fine, but you seem to be teaching it to sugestable people (for money ?) and that's not really fair
 

franklinstower

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so just woo then, which you cant back up with any science at all,at bit like God. you did start this conversation by stating it as a fact, if it's your believe that's fine, but you seem to be teaching it to sugestable people (for money ?) and that's not really fair


I don't live in a time where scientific advancement has STOPPED advancing. I don't live in a time where everything that science will ever discover or uncover has already happened. Because of this if I have direct experience with things that our present level of technological advancement is unable to discern or analyze, this does not trouble me at all. The scientific community has nothing to say about this, as it is presently outside the reach of its development.

Meanwhile I and many others have direct experience with (whatever this stuff is) and the only place where we can get useful information on how to deepen that is religion and/or certain spiritual practices which have been divorced from religion but still used to deepen connection with it.

It sounds like you don't have this kind of experience. Good for you, in the big picture I doubt that matters much at all. I do though. I am 100% OK with you not having the experience and not believing in it. That doesn't bother me at all.

It is a fact of my experience that these energies exist, are discrete and useful for many things, spiritual growth/transformation the first among them.
 
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franklinstower

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I have never heard of that expression before. My Sifu has always told us to center our breathing and focus it in the abdomen below the navel.

Kung Fu and especially Tai Chi is difficult enough without the riddles.

The only thing that I can think of relates to the flowing of energy. When I do Tai Chi I visualize myself moving energy with my hands similar to how water moves around the hands. Sometimes it flows around and sometimes it pushes against. When I strike I visualize pushing energy out, when I move my hands inward I visualize collecting energy or drawing energy into myself. In a real world application, breathing in draws energy in, breathing out projects energy (hence breath out when you punch). Breathing in naturally tenses us. Breathing out naturally relaxes us, which is why people are told to take a deep breath and exhale to relax. The bigger the exhale the more relax one becomes. In Kung Fu it's an explosive exhale in Tai chi it's a slower exhale with the purpose of trying to unify the body and it's actions as much as possible. In both cases it's the breathing out.

This is about the best assumption I can make based on what I know and how I train.

For me the power of my punches increase greatly without the feeling that I'm trying to "muscle a punch." I don't burn out a quickly because I'm breathing. A deep breath out is usually followed by a good inhale of air and oxygen which is good for muscles and endurance. Most of the time, my punches don't feel powerful when generating the energy to deliver it, but the sound of the pads or the indentation of a bag says other wise.

Very few people believe this or even understand this. I remember seeing my friend get excited about punching a 30 pound bag and watching it swing. Visually it looks impressive, but much of the power is lost which is why the bag swings. Then I punched the bag and told my friend to look for the dent when I punch. He was surprised to see the bag cave in so much but barely move. He tried to do the same but had trouble in creating a large dent. I was able to do it with ease because it was an ole skool Everlast canvas punching bag that would tear the skin off the knuckles if you punch it with a swiping punch. Those bags are great for training because it trains the punch to be straight in, straight out.


I have thought a lot about this last paragraph over the years. This topic is very interesting to me. Do you happen to have experience with using it on a person in actual combat that you could share? Also have you had or heard of anyone trying this on a punching pad that measures force?

Also just anything you might add to what you have already said would be appreciated.
 

jobo

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I don't live in a time where scientific advancement has STOPPED advancing. I don't live in a time where everything that science will ever discover or uncover has already happened. Because of this if I have direct experience with things that our present level of technological advancement is unable to discern or analyze, this does not trouble me at all. The scientific community has nothing to say about this, as it is presently outside the reach of its development.

Meanwhile I and many others have direct experience with (whatever this stuff is) and the only place where we can get useful information on how to deepen that is religion and/or certain spiritual practices which have been divorced from religion but still used to deepen connection with it.

It sounds like you don't have this kind of experience. Good for you, in the big picture I doubt that matters much at all. I do though. I am 100% OK with you not having the experience and not believing in it. That doesn't bother me at all.

It is a fact of my experience that these energies exist, are discrete and useful for many things, spiritual growth/transformation the first among them.
science has quiet a good understanding of people who experience things that aren't real, and people who convince themselves that they have special powers that strangely can't be tested as they are to advanced for science. if you have energies science can measure them, if they can't be measured they don't exist outside of your imagination science can measure the energy of a single electron, but not your energy it seems !

how do you know it isn't auto suggestion and or a quirk in your nervous system ?
 
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franklinstower

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science has quiet a good understanding of people who experience things that aren't real, and people who convince themselves that they have special powers that strangely can't be tested as they are to advanced for science. if you have energies science can measure them, if they can't be measured they don't exist outside of your imagination science can measure the energy of a single electron, but not your energy it seems !

how do you know it isn't auto suggestion and or a quirk in your nervous system ?


Science has no official position on this at all actually. I know many research scientists and it is interesting that many of them do not have the same take as you....... I think that it boils down to having experience with it or not having it.

I get it man. You are a vocal outspoken atheist. Good for you. I wish you the very best in life. I am very comfortable with the position you hold. I would maybe have the same position with a different set of life experiences.
 

Gweilo

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The problem with science is, it does not exist until a scientist says so, for many years western science stated that meridian lines and pressure points were falicy, in fact I remember reading once it was claimed that eastern internal philosophy was hocus pocus. Internal and external skills have to be honed, and I am not talking about no touch jet mind stuff. If we are talking evidence, then look at your own experience, have you ever had a bad feeling about a place or a person that was warrented, if so you had an internal moment. It is a skill that can be perfected, or ignored, but it is not actually breathing through a finger or eyeball.
 

jobo

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Science has no official position on this at all actually. I know many research scientists and it is interesting that many of them do not have the same take as you....... I think that it boils down to having experience with it or not having it.

I get it man. You are a vocal outspoken atheist. Good for you. I wish you the very best in life. I am very comfortable with the position you hold. I would maybe have the same position with a different set of life experiences.
science has no official position on the existence of fairys, or any other superticous nonsence as far as I know, it only has an official position on things that can be observed, calculated and or measured in someway, but there have been many many studies on people claiming " Magic powers" of some sort, which have all failed to manifest in a controlled enviroment,,
science has established that meditation of various sorts are good for you for clearly understood reasons, but none of these reasons are secret energy entering the body ?

so the same question as above, if we except you are experiencing sensations during meditation, how have you arrived as a logical conclusion that it's energy entering your body, rather than a product of your own nervous system
 
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jobo

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The problem with science is, it does not exist until a scientist says so, for many years western science stated that meridian lines and pressure points were falicy, in fact I remember reading once it was claimed that eastern internal philosophy was hocus pocus. Internal and external skills have to be honed, and I am not talking about no touch jet mind stuff. If we are talking evidence, then look at your own experience, have you ever had a bad feeling about a place or a person that was warrented, if so you had an internal moment. It is a skill that can be perfected, or ignored, but it is not actually breathing through a finger or eyeball.
well no, science is quite happy to accept the existence of unexplained phenomena, provide that the phonomia can be reliably observed and or measured, the raise of science is based on taking unexlained phenomena and finding the explanation for it. explanation that can themselves be tested and measured.

what scieniance doesn't do, is take a set of circumstances it can't explain and immediately jump to the conclusion that it's god or some other supernatural explination, this approach lead to a marked reduction in the burning of witches
 

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