It’s been widely observed that training in the martial arts is ultimately limited by human physiology. As Bruce Lee said, as long as we all have two arms and two legs, there can be only one way of fighting. Success is determined not so much by the nuances of technique as by how technique is taught and practiced.

It’s precisely this search for a superior approach that’s garnered the Russian martial art of Systema so much attention. With roots stretching back to the fighting traditions of the ancient Cossacks, Systema was born and nurtured in a climate of diversity and adversity.

The expansiveness of Russia required a style that was adaptable and functional.

A history of invasion and occupation solidified this mindset, forging a martial tradition that contrasts sharply with the rote memorization and specificity of techniques found in some arts. In the 20th century, the Soviet government re-engineered those Slavic folk traditions into a hybrid that emphasizes a scientific approach to biomechanics, psychology, and performance enhancement.

This article focuses on a critical portion of Systema’s performance-enhancement arsenal: breathwork. To grasp it, there are six principles you need to consider.

1) Control of Intake

In principle: As with many other martial arts and health practices, Systema advocates inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. It teaches that many people suffer from over-breathing. In other words, they attempt to inhale more air before they’ve fully processed the oxygen they just breathed in and the carbon dioxide they have yet to breathe out.

To better understand this, consider: Over-breathing is like trying to take a bite of food before you swallow what you just put in your mouth. Hyperventilation during a crisis is an exaggeration of this state of physical confusion, with fresh air attempting to enter already full lungs. Many people routinely operate in a milder version of this state, sabotaging not only their performance but also their long-term health.

Inhaling through the nose permits greater control of the breathing process by limiting the intake of fresh air. Similarly, exhaling through the mouth allows a fuller and quicker expulsion of air, which makes room for subsequent breaths.

In practice: Begin by simply breathing. Focus your awareness on inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth. Feel the path of the air, making a conscious effort to breathe deep into your abdomen. Avoid chest breathing, which induces tension in the upper body. If your shoulders rise and fall as you breathe, you’re doing it wrong.

In practice: Most people think breathing has two phases: inhalation and exhalation. In reality, it’s composed of four equally important phases: inhalation, fullness, exhalation, and emptiness. You need to practice them.

To prepare your body for peak performance, do sets of “square breaths.” Take three seconds to inhale, hold your lungs full for three seconds, exhale for three seconds, and keep your lungs empty for three seconds.

It’s essential to breathe in continuously for all three seconds at an even rate, without triggering panic or building tension in your body. Similarly, holding your lungs full and empty should be comfortable. Exhaling should occur naturally.

Forceful inhalation will bring pressure to your body and face, and it will make holding your breath more difficult. Forceful exhalation will bring pressure to your sternum, heart, lungs, and throat, and it will make keeping your lungs empty more difficult. In general, three to four full cycles, spanning 36 to 48 seconds, will be sufficient to calm your body and improve your awareness.

After a few repetitions, you will take ownership of your breathing pattern, customizing each “side” to a comfortable length. Your square may transition into more of a rectangle, with longer inhalations and exhalations and shorter holds—or even an inverted triangle, with a three- to four-second inhalation, full hold and exhalation, and only a very brief empty hold.

The key is to identify what shape works best for you.

2) Independence

In principle: A look around most fitness clubs will reveal plenty of incorrect breathing. The signs are obvious: bloated cheeks, temples and eyes; bulging veins; reddened skin; and lots of grunting. People often imagine that correct breathing means exhaling when they exert themselves. Although this certainly can be a component of correct breathing, as a combat athlete, you need to develop a greater degree of independence and freedom.

Consider this example: You’re engaged in a casual sparring match.

You and your training partner move in and out of stances, stalking each other as you search for openings. You start getting tense, so you consciously perform a long, slow exhale.

Seeing this, your opponent charges. You find yourself inhaling suddenly out of fear, but there’s no room for the air (see principle no. 1). For an instant, you freeze, and the opening is all he needs to take you down.

Here’s another scenario: you’re on the bottom in a grappling match, and you feel crushed under your opponent’s weight. Every time you try to sit up or slip out, he pushes you back down and re-establishes the pin.

You realize you’re quickly running out of breath and losing the will to fight.

The reason for both responses is the same: you’re suffering from a habit that has you exert yourself only while exhaling.

Yes, it can be argued that exhalation better prepares the body for exertion—or steels the body against impact. The difficulty, however, is that within a dynamic as complex as combat, more factors are involved than simply delivering and receiving force.

In both examples, your opponent has observed your breathing pattern and intercepted it. In the stand-up engagement, he closed the gap the moment you completed your long exhalation. A skilled fighter will use sighs and tired exhalations, along with gestures like shaking or dropping the hands, to “infect” you with the reflex to mimic them. (Yawning is an example of how contagious gestures can be.) An experienced martial artist may use such a reflex to bait an enemy into breathing, after which he intercepts the opponent during that moment of distraction.

In the second example, the fighter on top is simply using your breathing pattern to predict when you’ll attempt your escape. This allows him to resist precisely when necessary and conserve his energy until you exhaust yourself.

In practice: Select any throw, then perform the movement slowly and smoothly. For the first 10 reps, inhale as you enter and exhale as you execute the throw. For your second set, exhale as you enter and inhale as you execute.

For your third set, begin inhaling while standing still. In the middle of your inhalation, shoot in and attempt to finish the throw. This type of work, called “stretching the breath,” also can be performed on the exhale, on fullness and on emptiness. It can be reinforced while doing push-ups, passing the guard, or striking.

3) Breath Length

In principle: Systema emphasizes two types of breathing. Long breaths are comfortable and deep, ordinarily associated with relaxation. You’re probably long-breathing right now. Burst breaths are short and focused, used to rejuvenate fatigued muscles or regain control of the mind and body when tension and panic are rising.

A burst breath is effected by sniffing the air—as if you had a runny nose—and then exhaling through your mouth with your lips pursed. The exhalation should generate a sharp, almost whistling sound, the kind you might make after swallowing something spicy.

In most circumstances, you should strive to maintain long, even, controlled breaths. Naturally, there will be exceptions—perhaps because of exhaustion, injury, impact, or panic. In such situations, use a quick succession of burst breaths to regain control and return to long breathing. Simply put, long-breathe when you can and burst-breathe when you must.

In practice: Assume a static push-up position or a 90-degree wall squat. Concentrate on maintaining long, controlled breaths. When exhaustion creeps into your mind, use burst breaths to reassert control. Try to visualize yourself grabbing the discomfort at its point of origin and then exhaling it out of your body.

In practice: While grappling, vow not to stop or rest. Constantly move and slide, adjust and escape. Do this for five to 10 minutes, and you’ll find yourself exhausted—and liberated. Not only will your body be purged of tension, but you’ll also have a better understanding of the value of long breathing while holding in reserve burst breathing for times when you need to restore your vitality.

4) Compression and Compartmentalization

In principle: A major weapon in combat is the compression of your opponent’s body under your weight or via your muscles. Even for a well-trained practitioner, particularly when injured or caught off-guard, this can cause panic, tension, and hesitation. A key to countering the effects of compression is educating yourself so you can “compartmentalize” your respiration into different sections of your body.

In practice: From a push-up position, drop your hips to the ground into the position known as the “cobra.”

To minimize strain, avoid bending your wrists sharply by keeping your elbows slightly bent and placed behind your wrists. Fan out your fingers and screw your hands outward as if you’re trying to open (or close) a large jar. Roll your shoulders backward to release the pressure on them.

From this position, become aware of the stretch in your abdomen. By breathing deeply and naturally, you’ll feel your stomach stretch. Don’t try to keep your abs contracted.

Feel how this position creates a line of tension along the center of your stomach area, “rerouting” breath to your lower back. It should feel as if you’re breathing in and out directly from the kidneys.

In practice: Assume the same position with a partner, which puts you in a cross-body pin. Try to match your partner’s breathing pattern.

One way is to breathe in a complementary fashion, inhaling as he exhales and vice versa. As he expands his stomach to inhale, you make room for it by exhaling and collapsing your own stomach.

Another way is to breathe antagonistically, inhaling at the same time as your partner so your stomach presses against his. This teaches you how to breathe under stress and shows you how to reroute your breath to other areas of your body.

Variations of these drills also can be practiced. One method is to mirror your partner’s breath, then suddenly change your rhythm to see if he follows suit. Or create a delay, which in a conflict would give you an opening to attack.

Pay attention to how he reacts.

5) Pain and Discomfort

In principle: We’ve seen that compression can cause discomfort. Elongations and contortions similarly can lead to discomfort. It’s crucial to be able to distinguish between such superficial pain, which is largely a byproduct of panic and unfamiliarity, and true pain, which alerts you to impending injury.

In practice: Lie on your back and breathe naturally. Have a partner “walk” the length of your body on his fists. Those fists should be cautiously placed on muscle tissue rather than joints or vital areas. The partner should proceed slowly to allow you time to adjust to the weight.

The goal is to learn how to relax under added weight and dissipate the discomfort of compression while you breathe.

You’ll find the skill useful the next time you’re pinned under a knee or elbow.

In practice: Again, lie down. Have your partner slowly roll over the length of your body. This exercise provides a more general compression, but it can be overwhelming to some people. Concentrate on relaxing and breathing as the human rolling pin moves over your body.

In practice: Have a partner slowly twist, elongate, and compress your joints. To ensure safety, constantly communicate what you’re feeling. It’s better to ask for more pressure than to have to tell your partner he’s gone too far.

An example of tolerable pain would be an Achilles lock. Generally, the pain delivered by this joint lock can be endured and won’t lead to serious injury.

In contrast, a heel hook is dangerous because it targets ligaments and tendons on the inside of the knee. It’s never advisable to endure this type of pain for training purposes.

This practical exercise lets you work on selectively contracting segments of your body to insulate and support an area that’s being targeted. Returning to the Achilles lock: you can curl your toes back to make the tendon more resistant to the pressure while focusing on relaxing the remainder of your body and breathing.

6) Leading

In principle: Often in grappling, you need to perform sudden movements against resistance. Systema teaches you how to power up for such explosive moves by beginning your breath slightly before your movement. It’s like a rocket taking off: the engine fires, sending up plumes of smoke and flame as it builds power. Finally, it lifts off the launch pad.

In practice: Select virtually any exercise— for example, the push-up. Begin by taking in about 10 to 15 percent of a normal breath, then slowly lower your body. Complete your inhalation when you arrive at the ground.

Next, let out 10 to 15 percent of the air in your lungs before you push up. This gives your body time to activate all the involved muscles while allowing your mind to focus on a clear objective.

In practice: Have a partner assume the mount. At first, he just uses his weight as a weapon and tries to hold on while you move. Inhale 10 to 15 percent of the air you need and start maneuvering. You also should try exhaling the same amount and maneuvering.

Remember the principle of independence described earlier and perform the drills with long inhalations and long exhalations. Naturally, this can apply to any counter, throw, or sweep that involves a prolonged period of exertion.

In practice: Assume a seated or standing position with your partner holding you in a rear waist clinch. The clinch need not be tight. Begin breathing before you begin moving, then scramble to take your partner’s back.

Another way in which you can lead your motion with breathing entails consciously exploding into a chain of burst breaths until you take your opponent's back. Then immediately return to long breathing.

This can be repeated as one continuous flow set. Maintaining conscious control of your breath in this way helps you stay ahead of your body’s breathing pattern. Staying ahead is far better than lagging behind, trying to catch your breath.

While Systema is a total method of health, conditioning, and defense, it’s not necessary to practice it exclusively. This introduction to the art's breathwork outlines numerous benefits that can be integrated into any self-defense system.

Remember that when you practice breathing, you’re retraining your reflexes. It’s therefore essential to proceed slowly so you ingrain the correct habits through repetition and awareness.