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Old 03-12-2002, 04:29 PM   #1
tedehara
 
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Dojo: Evanston Ki-Aikido
Location: Evanston IL
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Ki Breathing Assistant

Quote:
originally posted on the ki-info group

After the recent seminar in Lawrence with Kashiwaya Sensei several of us were joking around that we needed a metronome for KI breathing at home.

So we put together a small program to help with Ki breathing. Basically you can set the length of time in seconds for each breath,
and the length of time in minutes to breath. Also you can set an option to delay the first breath for a few seconds so you can get set. Also it comes with a recorded version of the breathing sticks clacking, but you can set your own sound. You need a sound card and
speakers to use it.

This is the first beta release so try it out and let me know what you think. I've tested it on Windows ME only. You can find it on
http://www.kckiaikido.com articles web page, this is the Midland Ki Society web site in Shawnee KS.

Orie
If you're doing ki breathing, or any type of breathing exercise that normally uses clappers to time the breath length, this free download might be for you.

I've downloaded it to Windows 98 and it seems to work fine. This is sent in a zipped file, so you can use WinZip to install the program. If you need it, there is a link to WinZip on the download page.

Last edited by tedehara : 03-12-2002 at 04:31 PM.

It is not practice that makes perfect, it is correct practice that makes perfect.
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Old 03-12-2002, 08:45 PM   #2
Arianah
Dojo: Aikido of Norwalk
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The download worked for you? I've downloaded it twice, and when I try to open it, winzip says that it is not a valid archive. Any of you computer savy folks have any suggestions about how to make this work? Because gods know I have no idea.

Sarah
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Old 03-12-2002, 10:36 PM   #3
tedehara
 
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Freaky! KBA Download

Quote:
Originally posted by Arianah
The download worked for you? I've downloaded it twice, and when I try to open it, winzip says that it is not a valid archive. Any of you computer savy folks have any suggestions about how to make this work? Because gods know I have no idea.

Sarah
Hi Sarah,

I figured this could happen. This is from the Instructions for Installing Ki Breathing Assistant:

"...Next use the Install on the WinZip toolbar or just double click on setup.exe in the WinZip window. this will start the installation process. Follow the prompts it will take about 2 minutes to install."

Don't try and open the file, remember this is an executable. Double click on the file and get WinZip running. When WinZip starts up there should be three files, Ki Breathing Assistant (zipped), setup.exe and Setup.lst. You can install the program two different ways.[list=1][*]Double click on setup.exe and begin installation.[*]Click the Install button on the WinZip toolbar and follow the prompts.[/list=1]

Clear as Mud?

It is not practice that makes perfect, it is correct practice that makes perfect.
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Old 03-13-2002, 06:39 AM   #4
Arianah
Dojo: Aikido of Norwalk
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Quote:
Double click on the file and get WinZip running. When WinZip starts up there should be three files, Ki Breathing Assistant (zipped), setup.exe and Setup.lst.
That's what I did, but for some reason the file won't even open to display the three files in the winzip window. If I double click the file from windows explorer, winzip will start up, then give a message: Not a valid archive. Sigh . . . I hate this machine!
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Old 03-14-2002, 04:02 AM   #5
tedehara
 
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KBA Downloading

Quote:
Originally posted by Arianah
That's what I did, but for some reason the file won't even open to display the three files in the winzip window. If I double click the file from windows explorer, winzip will start up, then give a message: Not a valid archive. Sigh . . . I hate this machine!
Right click on the zipped file. The pop-up menu should show properties on the bottom of the menu. Select properties and take a look at what you've got. It should show a size of 1.94 MB and at the bottom there should be an attributes section. Make sure Archive has a check mark next to it.

The other thing is to check WinZip itself with another file, to make sure it is working properly. Also, this file was used on ME and Win98, can't guarantee it will work on all OS.

Hope this helps.

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Old 03-14-2002, 05:03 AM   #6
Arianah
Dojo: Aikido of Norwalk
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I see the problem--it only downloaded 1.58 mb of the file. Thanks for your help. I'll try to download it again.
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Old 03-26-2002, 10:34 AM   #7
Bruce Baker
Dojo: LBI Aikikai/LBI ,NJ
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KI breathing

Is that anything like learning to breath with yoga, or trancendental meditation, and can I eat meat while practicing .... or should I eat vegetables until I say 'YES, GREAT MUSTARD..."

Yeah, I have a dark sense of humor, but that is because I have been a lot of places, tried a lot of things, and used some of them to overcome health concerns while others have worsened health...

Why don't you just admit that you are trying to increase your capacity for holding energy gained by taking longer more efficient breaths? Funny, that has been around since the dawn of time and increasing physical stamina and fitness? You can do that by learning to breath properly during any part of work, excercise, or play?

If a metronome helps you, go ahead, but it is much easier to use a variety of other breathing techniques for running, fighting, and meditating as each requires different amounts of oxygen to keep the body efficently supplied? What are they?

For the curious, you may Email BrucBaker@aol.com, otherwise ... you will find the answer in studies of Yoga, meditation, martial arts, and continued studies of physical endeavors. Or, get someone who actually knows why we use certain exercises in Aikido to breath and you will have most answers, but I have yet to meet one ... I guess I have to travel a bit more?
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Old 03-26-2002, 01:32 PM   #8
tedehara
 
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Re: KI breathing

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Baker
...Why don't you just admit that you are trying to increase your capacity for holding energy gained by taking longer more efficient breaths? Funny, that has been around since the dawn of time and increasing physical stamina and fitness? You can do that by learning to breath properly during any part of work, excercise, or play?...
Actually, I'm not trying to increase my capacity for holding energy(?) Ki breathing is done to deepen relaxation. You can do Ki breathing throughout most of the day without a formal breathing session. In fact, this is how Koichi Tohei Sensei trains daily.

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Baker
...If a metronome helps you, go ahead, but it is much easier to use a variety of other breathing techniques for running, fighting, and meditating as each requires different amounts of oxygen to keep the body efficently supplied? What are they?...
Personally I like to use the metronome as a gauge to measure my progress. However to actually practice, I just do Ki breathing on my own without worries of time.

If you look at a variety of breathing techniques, you'll see many variations on a theme. Some breathing will be done through the mouth rather than the nose. Time periods will vary, visualizations will/will not be used. However the theme is always abdominal breathing.

Almost all serious breathing exercises promote breathing from the stomach rather than the chest. I find Ki breathing to be a simple, direct approach to abdominal breathing.

When you're doing something, you should do that thing completely! Don't worry about breathing, just relax and perform with confidence. That's why you were training your breath. When you need to perform, you can just put your breathing on autopilot and get on with the show!

Quote:
Originally posted by Bruce Baker
...Or, get someone who actually knows why we use certain exercises in Aikido to breath and you will have most answers, but I have yet to meet one ... I guess I have to travel a bit more?
It seems to me that this is an area of thought rather than travel.

Last edited by tedehara : 03-27-2002 at 12:31 AM.

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Old 03-27-2002, 03:57 AM   #9
Bronson
 
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Quote:
However the theme is always abdominal breathing.
I once had a girlfriend get all freaked out while we were sleeping because my chest doesn't move when I breath. She had layed her arm across my chest and thought I had stopped breathing or died during the night.

My tai chi instructor never warned us about that kind of stuff happening when he taught us abdominal breathing


Bronson

"A pacifist is not really a pacifist if he is unable to make a choice between violence and non-violence. A true pacifist is able to kill or maim in the blink of an eye, but at the moment of impending destruction of the enemy he chooses non-violence."
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Old 03-27-2002, 04:22 AM   #10
Reuben
 
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Just a question, it seems when i do abdominal breathing, my stomach seems to swell and it remains big. I went to the doctor and they said u have a lot of air in your stomach....HRMMMM...

i think i must be missing something or have i a leak in my diaphragm.
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Old 03-27-2002, 07:16 AM   #11
Ghost Fox
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Quote:
Originally posted by Reuben
Just a question, it seems when i do abdominal breathing, my stomach seems to swell and it remains big. I went to the doctor and they said u have a lot of air in your stomach....HRMMMM...

i think i must be missing something or have i a leak in my diaphragm.
Just a thought, are you exhaling properly. I mean when you inhale you form a small potbelly. There should be tension in the belly but not too much and it shouldn't be painful. When you exhale you should pull in you belly until its in a "normal" position, not so much that your belly is concaved (I know some yogic practices do this with Bandas) . Pulling in the belly helps to massage the inner organs (and expel air from your stomach and instestine ) and strengthen the abdominal muscles.

You might be trying to breathe too deeply and are accidently swallowing some air.

*****

On another note. I agree with Bruce. Whether you know it or not you are infusing your organs with ki when you are doing ki breathing. Ki breathing seems similar to the 5 element breathing that they do in Taoist Chi Kung. There are other types of meditation that are used to achieve a state of peace, or program autosuggestion.

IMHO
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Old 04-05-2002, 06:06 AM   #12
Bruce Baker
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Ki breathing

Guys,

Be careful in totally infusing the Ki stomach breathing without the proper training and time for the body to automatically respond without thinking about breathing ... you could get some very painful intestinal gas cramps, muscle spasms ... let alone an instant brown racing stripe that runs down to your socks?

(Sorry, couldn't help visualizing when my kids became " my kids " because they pooped down to their socks, when they were 2-3 months old.)

Anyway, I am forced to use different types of breathing because of lung damage and deficiency, but there are also dangers of breathing too slow with a fast heart beat. Did you cover that too?

Can you slow your heartbeat to match your breathing? It can be as important as getting the proper amount of oxygen per heartbeat. That is the key to maintaining proper chi/ki energy generated from the intestinaltract, or tan tien. Learning how to adjust your energy level, feel the need to balance oxygen intake verses energy output, and using physical/mental contol of your bodily functions is essential to the entire body to maintain proper essence.

Simply breathing through your stomach without lungs depletes the lungs, heart, and other organs dependant upon oxygen. So even if my effort were to write a thirty page essay, it still wouldn't cover this subject?

As you grow older, the body holds less and less reserve for that second wind. I find with my illness, I have only one wind. When I exceed the limits of that wind, I must sit, slow my heartbeat, and wait for the body to recharge. Don't worry, it doesn't happen till the magic forty years old, or illnesses after forty. Your reaction of a second and third wind will be quite natural until then.

My concern was that you did not have a teacher present to instruct you, monitor you skin color, bodily funtions, or correct your practice should it become damaging instead of helpful? I had enough of the instant yogi's in the seventies screwing up peoples health and minds, we don't need a rerun of it these days.

Don't overdue it, and practice with a teacher, please? Have fun.
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