When Fighters Fight?

Question

Why is it when a fighter (either Boxing or UFC) seems to exhale when he throws a punch (or kick).

I could be wrong they may not be exhaling but they do make a distinct noise before they punch, kick or shoot.

Answer 1

i have found out from experience that if you don't breath when throwing a strike, then you tend to tense up and the quicker you lose energy and gas out. if you get in a situation where you're throwing a lot of kicks and punches and not breathing, you'll be a lot easier to knock out.

Answer 2

You are most likely correct that they do indeed breath out or grunt. Within the martial arts we teach this specific technique for a number of reasons:

1) Exhaling on execution of a technique expels air from your lungs and tightens the abdomen muscles at the same time. This helps protect you at the point where you are close enough to strike your opponent - as they are obviously also therefore close enough to hit you back. The tightening of the abdomen muscles helps prevent you from being winded by a counter-strike to the solar plexus. This could be a deadly mistake in a serious situation.

2) Exhaling actually reduces tension in the body and allows you to generate more speed and Free movement. More speed, if you understand the theory of power, will allow you to apply more force to the target.

3) Generating a noise in a defensive situation can surprise, confuse, or startle your opponent, and this can give you an invaluable opening, or it can attract attention and help to your defensive situation.

You see this in almost any sporting activity which has moments with bursts of sudden energy, such as tennis, baseball, hurdling, etc.


Ken C
9th Dan HapMoosaKi-Do
8th Dan TaeKwon-Do
7th Dan YongChul-Do

Answer 3

Because that is how most martial artist are taught to do when throughing an attack.

Two reasons:

1. The attack is more powerful when you grunt/exhale. I don't know exactly why, but you wouldn't see other sports people do this if it didn't have an effect. Think: Serena Williams in a tenis match.

2. This is most important. When you exhale, you are also suppose to tighten up the stomach muscles. This is incase you miss and get hit in return. The air won't get knocked out of your lungs as easily this way.

Answer 4

many people wont put it this way but it circulates ur chi. also, try punching something while breathing in or holding your breath. it will feel uncomfortable and it will also cause internal chi damage. u will also get a lot more power and wont tense up as much. as soon as u tense u become weaker. the only time u ever tense up is when ur punch contacts the opponent.

this is the reason one in most martial arts there is a yell in a punch or kick.

What is chi?
chi is the air u breathe and there are many ways to increase it like excercising. when you breathe better you have more energy so chi is energy.

chi is steam, gas, smoke, oxygen...
this is why people call chi your life force. meditation increases energy by focusing your breathing and chi

therefore when punching the more energy coming out of your body will hurt the opponent more.

what u see in the movies where the person attacks and goes whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! is fake.

the quickest way to let out energy is by a quick exhale like ha!

You may have not heard of this but there is a system called chi kung for qigong that is used to apply to chinese martial arts where they teach meditation and other breathing excersises. when the person does something wrong, it will internally damage them. (things like not breathing correctly or holding the breath)

same thing for holding your breath when punching. it will cause long term insomia, headaches, and other mental and breathing problems.

Answer 5

They are exhaling because if you get counter punched you wont get the wind knocked out of you(since your lungs are not full) and this is also got breathing in a fight. Inhale as you recover with steady rhythmic breathes exhale when you strike.

Answer 6

Yes, they do exhale. In many of the martial arts, there is even a type of shout which goes with punching or striking. That's the way it's done, exhale with the out-thrust and inhale as you return your fist. It goes along with putting the whole motion of your body behind the punch.

Answer 7

Physically speaking it allows you to throw a punch or kick harder or with more power by breathing out since your body is more relaxed. Also if you are close enough to hit or kick someone they are close enough to hit or kick you and by breathing out there is less chance of you getting the wind knocked out of you. A noise is also made in martial arts and they call it a Kai. Besides making your techniques stronger and helping to protect you from getting the wind knocked out it is also one of the ways that martial artists believe your internal system and strength or energy (Ki) is harnessed with your external so that the strongest technique can be generated. That noise you are hearing is their grunting or breathing as they force the air out in boxing or yelling in martial arts. It also serves to intimadate or scare your opponent. While you may not believe in Ki or internal energy just try holding your breath the next time you are at the gym and lifting that weight bar overhead and then try the same weight again and breath out while lifting it. I highly recommend that you do it with a moderate weight so that you don't hurt yourself.

Answer 8

same principle behind the exhaling/shout when serving in tennis(oh yea those women tennis players make some sexy noises but thats a different story), exhaling when lifting weights, etc...

when you are exerting force you need to breathe out to prevent building up too much pressure(could result in a hernia), also makes you relax as tensing up while attacking makes your attacks slower and weaker, and keeps the proper rhythm of supplying your body with oxygen which also helps prevent fatigue

some other martial arts uses kiais to help promote breathing out while attacking which also helps 'hype' them up therefore putting more power into their attacks

Answer 9

It's because you get more oxygen in your body so it could go to you blood stream and increase the power of the strike! It circulates more blood in your body system. More blood better performance of the muscle movement! When you get hit it's good to do that so you wont get a loss of breath which you could lose quickly to an opponent in a fight! Runners do to and also some weight lifters too!

Answer 10

You are supposed to exhale when throwing a strike (punch,kick), and when you are receiving a blow, it also helps breathe, as you have to wear a mouthpiece.