Breathing and Leverage

In the latter weeks of Cun Tao training, we tend to pick up the pace at which the self defense holds are done. This helps prepare students to react to a dangerous situation instead of thinking it out. It also helps prepare students for controlling the rush of adrenalin and learning to conserve their energy in a tense situation.

One of the important aspects of successfully completing Cun Tao is learning control; controlling breathing is both one of the most, and one of the least important aspects. Most students, once they start having the holds thrown at them faster and faster, tend to try and hyper-ventilate, matching each breath to each move that they do, and when they can't get air, become panicky and less focused on their self defense. Hyperventilation by it's very nature is self correcting; once a person passes out, their breathing will return to normal. This is not what we are aiming for however.

Students should learn to breath slower than normal, taking deeper breaths and trying to remain calm, "finding their center" if you will. This will help them get through the increasing demands of Cun Tao, and later, if they encounter a situation on the street, will help them defend themselves without becoming as panicky and distraught due to lack of air.

A second aspect of learning control in Cun Tao is learning to use leverage. If a student relies too heavily on their ability to muscle an opponent over, they risk tiring themselves needlessly which can affect their ability to breath easily and they risk running into someone bigger than them who cannot be muscled over. In addition there are more mundane hazards to worry about such as pulled muscles and sore backs.

The very basis of Poekoelan, as taught in Cun Tao, is how to use leverage. Poekoelan was created for small people, to use against larger people, but that does not mean a larger person can't learn how to do it; they just have to work harder at it.

Learning to make use of leverage in the end means a lot less effort needs to be put into each situation, allowing the student to conserve their energy in order to face whatever may be coming next. If partnered with calm, slow breathing, this should help the student succeed in Cun Tao and it's increasing demands.