BREATHING WHILE BEING CRUSHED

When someone puts their weight down on my chest while grappling, I can hardly breathe. Are there any conditioning techniques to develop breathing strength? Thanks in Advance, Amberlyn

Well, here is 2hat I do.

1. concentrate on breathing out

2. Breath to the middle of you belly( a couple inces below my xiphoid process)

3.Then, I start getting big deep breaths if the opponent is laying on top of me tryin to shove pone of my own limbs down my throat. Why? It will create enough space to help me gradually escape( Or instantly if they give me a big enough hole)


Jason

I would also like to add that my ribs are being crushed. Sometimes I feel that they are at the breaking point, especially when I'm thrown and my opponents weight comes down on top of me. Most of the men I grapple with are nearly twice my weight and size. So I would also like to know how to protect my ribs as well as increase my ability to breathe while under direct pressure.
Thanks,
Amberlyn

Amberlyn, I have Scott's breathing tape (the original one). I got it when it was not very well known. I e-mailed Scott and told him I intended to take him at his word and JUST USE BREATH TRAINING to prepare for a couple of tournaments I was about to compete in. I have been training for apprx. 25 years, and I typically did sprints, b.w. training for reps, lots of muay thai training (for the wind) and of course mat training to prepare previously. Scott graciously answered any questions I had and provided lots of support. I especially had the problem you wrote about...I would lose my wind when pinned hard. I would have to fight the paniced feeling of being pinned, but I burned valuable energy doing it. I deliberately dropped ALL cardio (I'd normally do 4-5 cardio/anaerobic sessions per week)and just did breathing drills, every day. I found within 2 weeks my mat lungs were far more efficient and to my surprise I didn't feel winded or paniced in pinned positions. I used the methods Scott teaches to win several bjj tournaments and taught them to my team mates. They are NOT magic, but when combined with efficient training methods I think you'll see marked improvement in you game...you certainly will notice a change in your respiratory patterns when being pinned under a body. Hope this helps. Please note, I don't work for ROSS or study with Scott. I just found his product to deliver what it said it would and more. I certainly helped me.

Thanks you for all the input. I can only afford one video right now. Which one should I start with?
Thanks in Advance,
Amberlyn

Does the shock-ability tape require a partner? Do the IOUF tapes require a partner as well?
TIA,
Amberlyn

Scott,
Thanks for all your help. I bit the bullet and got the GTB trilogy and the Dykhaniye tape.
Thanks,
Amberlyn

Wow! What you are saying relates to exactly what I'm discovering. I started analyzing why I freak out when someone's weight is on top of me. It's a fear reaction to a perceived threat of suffocation- so I panic, which disrupts my breathing further. I had my husband lay on my chest for about five minutes last night while I stayed calm and breathed where I felt space-i.e. deep when weight was on chest, in chest when weight on stomach. I relaxed and it worked. I could stay there indefinitely if I had to. Because I moved beyond this fear, I wasn't even concerned about it when I went to class tonight.

When I first started grappling I was grunting and straining a lot. But, I see myself evolving. Once I've got my hold on someone, I'm relaxing more until I sense the right time to cinch it. Likewise, I've started relaxing more when I'm being choked. I used to panic and it made it worse. Tonight someone got a rear choke on me and I held their arm and just relaxed. He couldn't figure out why I wasn't tapping out. When I got the giggles, he realized that his hold wasn't tight enough. I guess I started laughing because it was an epiphany for me and I was so happy.

I never realized how much grappling can be a journey into yourself, where you face fears you didn't realize you had. As you face these fears, you find that it was just an illusion. Relax, breathe, be aware. It's all starting to make sense.

Thanks so much for the drill. I can see that whatever position I'm uncomfortable with I need to explore. You've given me so much to meditate on. Thanks for your wisdom.

Amberlyn

Amberlyn,


Very good. A lot of times, like Scott stated, when people "think" they have you, if you are bluffing, they only realize it when it is too late that they do not.

Amberlyn,
It is great to hear that you have conquered this feeling. It's also inspirational to hear someone talk about it openly on a thread like this. I thought I might be the only one. I got hit with it a year or so ago, out of the blue, when I started rolling hard with people who were better than me consistently. Whenever I got pinned, I would work my escapes and try to get out. When I couldn't get out, I would start to panic. I still haven't gotten over it completely, it's a work in progress. Relaxing and focusing on my breathing have helped a great deal, but occasionally, I still get hit with it. After reading these posts, I just ordered the Respiratory Enhancement video - hopefully it will help rid this monkey from my back once and for all. I hope one day soon to feel that sensation of epiphany as well. If it's convenient, shoot me an email and tell me how you're training is going, and how the video helps you once you get it. jeffrockwell@hotmail.com
Thanks, train hard!

Rock

Jeff,

What I've gotten from reading Mr. Sonnon's threads on this forum has been a big help. Taking time to analyze exactly what is causing my fear and and exploring it through drills has worked for me. I've also had to let go of my drive to win. I've spent so much effort in the fact that I hate to lose, that I'm not as open and aware of what is happening in the present that I can flow with, feel and learn from.

Mr. Blauer on the Mental Edge forum is awesome too. He deals with the psychology of fighting including various fears that hinder the fighter. I've ordered his women's self-defense series and think it's great!

I'm not comfortable with e-mailing privately, but initiating discussions on the underground or otherground may generate some interesting banter.

Hope this helps,

Amberlyn

great thread!

Thanks everyone for sharing experiences.

Amberlyn ... please let us know your thoughts about the tapes when you receive them. Thanks.

Surfer Joe