Hey Guys... I was thinking of practicing this but I'm kinda scared... Is this really pranayama / qigong. I've never done it before and it sounds like I might pop a lung or something! LOL! http://www.youtube.com/taekkyun#p/a/u/0/x6tDp0auzFs

Hello

I can tell you from personal experience Qi Gong that I have studied has definitely strengthen my respiratory system. My inhalations and exhalations are both much more prolonged and "deeper", for want of a better word. Work within your limits and don't try and breath in or out longer than what is natural for you. It stregthens and builds up over time.

BKS Iyengar has been doing yoga for 75 years, and has built a high level of strength up over that time:

Ditto prizewinner, the style of karate im practicing, breathing is one of the most important concepts we do. You inhale till you cant anymore (through the nose) and then exhale as till you cant anymore (through your mouth), it sounds horrific tbh, but it works, you feel less pain when you get body conditioning, you recover from being winded in 5 - 10 seconds, you tolerate cold temperature and bring your body temp back up to normal again in no time.

I think this all has to do with how quickly, and how much oxygen you get into your body/blood when doing this, but no matter how silly it looks and sounds, i know it works

Hello Nicoli:

What little I saw, seemed incorrect on all kinds of levels. But not having watched the entire thing, not being a student of the man, I certainly might misperceive things.

Holding the breath is completely dead wrong IME and a bad idea, Have to catch this when more time is available. What I saw was RED FLAG material.

Looked similar in some ways to the Yogic locks (bandhi?), though from a standing position. Holding you breath seems a big mistake to me...

But maybe watching all the way through will help?
Jeff