Internal Wing Chun Breathing

At The Dragon Institute, we practice an "internal" method of martial arts and qigong. This approach focuses upon relaxation and posture to achieve its goals. Whether these goals are self-defense oriented or for healthy living, the approach remains the same.

Since breathing is the basic root of life and it has so much control over our ability to relax, it is what we focus upon before anything else. When we are relaxed, our mind and body can function at their highest potentials.

"In fact, when you 
practice lower dan tien 
breathing you bring 
ten times the amount 
of air into your lungs 
than when you breathe 
only with your chest."

The key to our internal Wing Chun breathing is learning how to breath from your lower dan tien. The lower dan tien is located about three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel. It's considered to be the foundation of standing, breathing, and body awareness.

Lower Dan Tien Breathing
Start by standing with you feet shoulder width apart. Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen while you inhale slowly allowing your abdomen to expand outward. It is helpful to imagine your lower belly expanding like a balloon as you breathe in.

Start your practice by spending 5-10 minutes a day breathing this way. We include this in our practice of Siu Nim Tau form. The goal is to gradually increase the time you practice up to at least 20 minutes or more a day. Once you can maintain abdominal breathing for that period of time you will notice how much easier it is for you to become relaxed when needed.


The diaphragm moves downward when you inhale, so the stomach muscles naturally move outward. The diaphragm relaxes and moves upward when you exhale, so you don't have to force the air out, it just happens automatically.

Slowing Down your Breathing
The other element of lower dan tien breathing is to breathe slowly. Normal breathing is somewhere between 12 and 16 breaths per minute. Hyperventilation can be 25 or even 40 breaths per minute. When practicing abdominal breathing your goal is to decrease your breathing rate to 2 or 3 breaths per minute. When you start, just focus on slowing your breathing down to about 6 breaths per minute.

In the beginning some people feel like they're not getting enough air and take deeper upper chest breathes. If this is the case, it is an indication your normal mode of breathing may approximate hyperventilation. As best you can, resist the temptation to do this. In time, with practice, this feeling will pass. Just know that you are getting plenty of air. In fact, when you practice lower dan tien breathing you bring ten times the amount of air into your lungs than when you breathe only with your chest.

This is a completely different type of breathing for your body. So give yourself some time to get used to it.

Sifu Adam Williss is the founder of Dragon Family Wing Chun and Program Director at The Dragon Institute. He was a 2010 inductee into the US Martial Arts Hall of Fame. 

© The Dragon Institute | Orange County | Wing Chun Kung Fu | 34241 Pacific Coast Highway | Dana Point, CA 92673 | ocwingchun.com

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At The Dragon Institute, we practice an "internal" method of martial arts and qigong. This approach focuses upon relaxation and posture to achieve its goals. Whether these goals are self-defense oriented or for healthy living, the approach remains the same. Since breathing is the basic root of life and it has so much control over our ability to relax, it is what we focus upon before anything else. When we are relaxed, our mind and body can function at their highest potentials. "In fact, when you  practice lower dan tien  breathing you bring  ten times the amount  of air into your lungs  than when you breathe  only with your chest." The key to our internal Wing Chun breathing is learning how to breath from your lower dan tien. The lower dan tien is located about three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel. It's considered to be the foundation of standing, breathing, and body awareness. Lower Dan Tien Breathing Start by standing with you feet shoulder width apart. Put one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen while you inhale slowly allowing your abdomen to expand outward. It is helpful to imagine your lower belly expanding like a balloon as you breathe in. Start your practice by spending 5-10 minutes a day breathing this way. We include this in our practice of Siu Nim Tau form. The goal is to gradually increase the time you practice up to at least 20 minutes or more a day. Once you can maintain abdominal breathing for that period of time you will notice how much easier it is for you to become relaxed when needed. The diaphragm moves downward when you inhale, so the stomach muscles naturally move outward. The diaphragm relaxes and moves upward when you exhale, so you don't have to force the air out, it just happens automatically. Slowing Down your Breathing The other element of lower dan tien breathing is to breathe slowly. Normal breathing is somewhere between 12 and 16 breaths per minute. Hyperventilation can be 25 or even 40 breaths per minute. When practicing abdominal breathing your goal is to decrease your breathing rate to 2 or 3 breaths per minute. When you start, just focus on slowing your breathing down to about 6 breaths per minute. In the beginning some people feel like they're not getting enough air and take deeper upper chest breathes. If this is the case, it is an indication your normal mode of breathing may approximate hyperventilation. As best you can, resist the temptation to do this. In time, with practice, this feeling will pass. Just know that you are getting plenty of air. In fact, when you practice lower dan tien breathing you bring ten times the amount of air into your lungs than when you breathe only with your chest. This is a completely different type of breathing for your body. So give yourself some time to get used to it. Sifu Adam Williss is the founder of Dragon Family Wing Chun and Program Director at The Dragon Institute. He was a 2010 inductee into the US Martial Arts Hall of Fame.  © The Dragon Institute | Orange County | Wing Chun Kung Fu | 34241 Pacific Coast Highway | Dana Point, CA 92673 | ocwingchun.com