Question

[rabbithole]

I am not a freediver but I am intrested in how free divers use pranayama to improve their freediving.

I know you guys hold your breath for a long time. Do you do that under water? Can you do it out on land?

From what I understand you try to manipulate Oxygen and CO2 levels during pranayama? Is this correct?

If I followed a pranayama rotuine like your do you think it would help my martial arts?

Thanks.
I think you guys might use breathing exercises better than martial artist.

 

[Spaniard]

Hi there. Use the search function at top of page to see past discussions. I'm no expert on breathing exercises but there are a lot of synergies between martial arts and freediving when it comes to learning how to breathe 'correctly'. Good luck.

PS - what martial art do you study?

 

[rabbithole]

Hi there. Use the search function at top of page to see past discussions. I'm no expert on breathing exercises but there are a lot of synergies between martial arts and freediving when it comes to learning how to breathe 'correctly'. Good luck.

PS - what martial art do you study?

Tae kwon do

 

[Spaniard]

ITF or WTF? Great martial art if you are a good kicker.

 

[rabbithole]

American Taekwondo Association here in america
Songham Taekwondo Ferderation in south america
and World Traditional Taekwondo Union in the rest of the world.
The WTTU is what they might have in the UK

They all practice Songham Taekwondo under one grandmaster


When free divers hold their breathe are they taking a deep breath and holding it? or Do they induce a state where it seems almost like your not breathing?

Do they progressively try to increase the time they suspend their breath so they can free dive longer?

 

[Spaniard]

I'm not an expert in the breathing sciences but very 'generally' freedivers learn to breathe so as to maximize their underwater experience within safe boundaries. There are 'tables' you can practice on dry land which exercise the lungs and make you more effecient in holding your breath safely; i.e. not hyperventilating. Use the search function to check tables. The yoga side of breathing is as useful to freedivers as it is to any athelete looking to improve performance. Freediving covers many different uses i.e. spearfishing, snorkelling, competitions in depth, competitions in breath-hold etc. etc. You can learn about all these different disciplines here on DB.

 

[trux]

Check out this thread: http://forums.deeperblue.net/freediving-training-techniques/51362-free-diving-martial-arts.html
Also try pinging Fondueset - he is a martial art (and freediving) guru

 

[Fondueset]

Very kind Trux - but I am a dilettante - more interested in being underwater than fighting. I do think martial intent is part of bringing the mind fully into the practices (taiji, bagua etc.) - in this respect I regard it as a yogic method for bringing about fully integrated attention/awareness. Eric F practices Qigong and I think did have some things to say about it's relevance for freediving. It would certainly be relevant to your martial practice, rabbithole, and is the foundation for the Chinese internal arts. For improvement in TKD I would suggest Qigong over pranayama.

 

[azapa]

1. When free divers hold their breathe are they taking a deep breath and holding it? or Do they induce a state where it seems almost like your not breathing?

2. Do they progressively try to increase the time they suspend their breath so they can free dive longer?

1. The emphasis is on the preparation and metal state (as well as externall or previous baggage such as good/bad diet, too much to drink the night before). But it is very conscious, and the medium (being under water, new sights, little sound, no gravity) make it hard to forget that you are not breathing. But I will say, that with practice, the first (arbitrary figure) 75% of a dive is pure joy, without even an urge to breathe. The last 25% (arbitrary) becomes a struggle: I want to breathe, but can't, and I know I can resist more. The last part, defeat, or reason, is surfacing.

2. Look up mammalian dive reflex. We are helped along, in a session of diving (lets say, 2 to 4 hours) our dive in the first hour may suck time wise, the mid two hours, improve, the last, roll off as we get tired/cold. At some point (peak of mammalian dive reflex) the dives will be longest. But, in short, "yes" to that one. Practice, tolerance, makes things easier.

I am very far from an expert, but have learned the above over a year of regular training.

Cheers