March 2007 Newsletter

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the people who earned promotions since our last newsletter.

•  Junior Yellow Belt – Morgan Bell
•  Junior Green Belt #1 – Colton Seals
•  Senior Yellow Belt – Mark Bell

Students from our dojo attended the Tournament February 11th at Warren Hills High School and did quite well. Ryan Ammerman , Natalie Montone, Aistin Pidoto, Justin Pidoto, Russell Uhrig, Kyle Wheeler, Marcus Pullman, Eddie Ascolese, Howard Karten, Gwen Cakerri, Don Dixon

We find out things when students return to the dojo. Congratulations to Joseph Marotta on his wedding to his wife Betty.

As the world championships is approaching and Master Shimabuku will be here for a short time before and after the event, he will present IWKA Certificates to those student who wish to get them at this time. The cost is $40.00 for a life time membership. My letter to him will be mailed by March 9th - - so if you are interested see Kyoshi before that date.

Breathing

Coordinating breathing enhances the karate student’s ability to relax and focus maximum power into each technique. Proper breathing is necessary in every exercise activity and in daily life. Breathing techniques must change with the situation. Proper inhaling fills the lungs completely; proper exhaling leaves the lungs about 20 to 40 percent full. Exhaling completely makes the martial art’s student vulnerable to even a weak attack. Improper breathing will also adversely affect the athlete and people who exercise in fitness institutions. The principle of breathing is a form or internal cleansing, getting rid of that which is old, worn out, and exchanging it for what is new, fresh, and energized. During exhalation we are expelling carbon dioxide, other toxins and poisons that we produce or collect in our daily lives. During inhalation we are bringing in fresh oxygen, nutrients, and vital energy. Breathing properly is so vital to decreasing stress and promoting proper physical stamina and development, that you would think that more people would practice it. It is simple knowledge like this that can keep you fit and healthy for a long time.

Advanced training is high anxiety. Enhanced performance and stress reduction may be accomplished by proper breathing principles and techniques. The first step to improve breathing ability is to simply concentrate on each breath. This simple technique requires the individual to focus on each breath, learning to listen to what it is relating about the body. Proper breathing starts with inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. The more air that gets to all parts of the lung, the more oxygen can to be absorbed in the alveoli. Maintain proper breathing techniques when practicing martial arts to avoid injury—breathing out during the contraction portion of any stretching movement, and breathing in during the extension portion of any stretching movement. "Breath" or "Qi" is an integral part of sequence practice. By breathing deeply to the lower abdomen we can change our stamina and delay or avoid the onset of breathlessness. " As an example, let your breath "come up" (fill your lungs) when you are rising from a lower posture to a higher one. From a higher posture to a lower one, "sink the breath" (let out air, keep the pelvis tucked). When generating explosive force, focus the breath by explosively exhaling and allowing the contracting muscles to add to your other focused strength. The development of power in martial arts is different from the strength in weight lifting. Karate is a rigorous activity. Students of karate must do constant exercises and stretching routines to loosen and strengthen the muscles of the body. Deep-breathing exercises are also useful because exhalation and sudden shouts, kiai, accompany the directed blows. Such breathing and cries help the rhythm of the karate attack, focus more force in each blow or block, and psychologically invigorate a person while disconcerting the opponent. Low impact moderate exercise is beneficial and is practiced by most people. Exercising with unbalanced breathing probably may cause a significant degree of unbalanced breathing throughout life. Proper practice makes skills learned permanent but not necessarily perfect. Breath should be the foundation for exertion. Many champion athletes make a part of their exercise routine the development of effective breathing techniques. They use these techniques to guide them in their exertions and pacing.

We are conditioned to believe breathing is an involuntary action. Most of us simply don’t breathe deeply enough. Breathing using all four stages: inhaling, full pause, exhaling, and empty pause helps increase oxygen in the blood. The more oxygen in your blood, the less fatigued and more mentally alert you are. There is a strong connection between respiration and one’s mental state, so it is obviously beneficial for everyone to start working with their breathing. Shallow breathing does not exercise the diaphragm and lungs enough and most people only use a small portion of their lung capacity. Many athletes and people who exercise breathe by expanding their chest, which is sometimes referred to as “high breathing.” This kind of breathing isn’t as effective as relaxed diaphragmatic breathing. When inhaling fully, you should relax your belly so that it can move outward on the in-breath and your diaphragm can expand and move through more of its full range of motion. When exhaling fully, you should allow your belly to retract toward your spine, which supports the diaphragm’s upward movement, to help empty the lungs. This is sometimes called "low breathing."

Learning and practicing the principles of good health is not an easy process. In fact, it is a process that is overlooked by many people who find themselves in poor health or with indications of poor health, like that migraine you get every now and then. Staying well is a "process". Even if you are in totally good health right now, it is important to gain the necessary knowledge and live in such as way as to ensure, as much as possible, continued good health throughout your life. Today's society places emphasis on healthy living by exercising three times a week and eating three good meals a day. However we probably don't realize that to achieve this, correct breathing habits must be involved as the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. As well as commencing and ending our lives, breathing is the single largest component of our daily processes. We breathe on average 30,000 times a day, and how we breathe determines how healthy we are or will be. Warming-up is the key. Warming-up can be done simply by jogging and doing exercises to prepare the body for our formal exercise or activity. Warming-up the muscles is vital; you can have a successful warm-up just by breathing well, walking, and jogging. Breath comes into play because by breathing deeply and using relevant breathing techniques our cells are oxygenated. Nothing is more important than oxygenating the cells before a workout, or, for that matter, before and during a stressful situation. It is a very powerful and simple concept. Knowledge about health issues and creating good health is a journey and a process. With determination daily exercise and competitive performance will be enhanced causing growth in ability and improved performance.

Mark your calendars. Kumite (sparring) Tournament on Sunday, March 11, 2007 at Newton High School, sponsored by King’s Isshinryu Karate Club. See Kyoshi for more information.

OUR 21st annual benefit tournament at Hackettstown High School is April 29th. We will need the help of the students, parents and friends for the event to be a success. The event is a learning experience. It is fun and WE WILL TRAIN YOU.

WE NEED YOU ALSO TO HELP AT OUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN JUNE - - SEE ME TODAY!