Keep breathing at close range

Keep breathing at close range: how to do it

1. Breathe out with a short "shh" as you throw the punch.
2. At the moment your fist lands, hold your breath briefly on a "thud."
3. Right after it lands, release the held breath and breathe out again with the next punch.

Keep breathing at close range: key points

• Match the "shh" as you breathe out and the "thud" as you hold on impact with every punch.
• You hold only at the moment of impact. That's different from holding your breath through the whole exchange.
• When your breathing stops, your body tightens up and your next move comes late. Keep the exhale sound going even in the middle of a flurry.

Keep breathing at close range: common mistakes

• Getting caught up in the exchange and throwing a flurry while holding your breath. Your body tightens and your next punch or defense comes late.
• Letting the exhale sound and the punch fall out of sync. Your body doesn't tighten at the moment of impact and the punch lands light.

Keep breathing at close range: how to practice

• In shadowboxing, throw short flurries at close range and breathe out loud with a "shh" on every punch.
• Stand so close to the heavy bag that you're almost touching it, and throw short punches one after another. Check that the breath you hold on the "thud" goes straight into the next "shh."

Related techniques

• Switch between relaxed and set
  Relax
• On the inside, push with your legs, not your arms
  Push with legs
• Don't turn the fist over at close range
  Don't turn fist
• Stick to the basics when tired
  When tired
• Short right hook to right body uppercut
  46b