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#1 2006-10-23 12:53:59

Alex
Member
From: Barcelona - Spain
Registered: 2005-10-17
Posts: 138

Japanese Breathing Method

Hola a todos,

As I was checking past emails I read the following:

"Arts of Japan Celebrations"
Shakuhachi Virtuoso, Akikazu Nakamura, performs at the Kennedy Center
in Washington DC along with his dymanic group, Kokoo and gives a master
class on the traditional Japanese Breathing Method, which enables you to
breath in instantly without moving your body!

Does anybody know what is this "Japanese Breathing Method" about? Did anybody attend that seminar?

Mil gracias


"An artist has got to be careful never really to arrive at a place where he thinks he's "at" somewhere. You always have to realise that you are constantly in the state of becoming. And as long as you can stay in that realm, you'll sort of be all right"
Bob Dylan

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#2 2006-10-23 14:42:23

gmiller
Member
From: Ozello Trail, Fla
Registered: 2005-10-10
Posts: 109

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Hola Alex -

I believe this is called "circular breathing" and allows for an uninterrupted flow of air from the mouth while quickly inhaling through the nose. if you try this you will find there is a certain amount of air that can be expelled using just the throat and mouth cavity that will give you time for the quick nasal inhale to the lungs. With pratice you can become quite proficient

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#3 2006-10-23 16:01:40

philthefluter
Member
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: 2006-06-02
Posts: 190
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

A former colleague and pupil of mine did a masters thesis on shakuhachi breathing. She interviewed Nakamura sensei who demonstrated a special type of breathing technique (not circular breathing).  I don't remember the details but it involved old-fashioned seiza (the hips are quite sunk and the overall posture relaxed rather than too upright).  Breathing is done with minimal movement of the abdominal muscles. The result is quite a 'punchy', controlled but free out breath.  You can hear this 'rustic' (wabi sabi?) quality in Nakamura's playing. I do try to recreate it in some pieces but it is hard to explain and learn without practical demonstration and a lot of practice.


"The bamboo and Zen are One!" Kurosawa Kinko
http://www.shakuhachizen.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shakuhachizen

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#4 2006-10-23 19:16:13

rpowers
Member
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 285

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

philthefluter wrote:

I don't remember the details but it involved old-fashioned seiza (the hips are quite sunk and the overall posture relaxed rather than too upright).  Breathing is done with minimal movement of the abdominal muscles.

Nakamura sensei did a presentation on breathing at the 2004 New York festival. I didn't follow it well enough to actually apply it, but I recall that the belly was to be pushed out all the time, during both inhalation and exhalation, the advantage being that you can fill your lungs much more quickly if you don't have to move the abdominal muscles in and out.

Can't say that I remember it being presented as a traditional technique, though.


"Shut up 'n' play . . . " -- Frank Zappa
"Gonna blow some . . ." -- Junior Walker
"It's not the flute." -- Riley Lee

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#5 2006-10-23 20:25:53

Josh
PhD
From: Grand Island, NY/Nara, Japan
Registered: 2005-11-14
Posts: 305
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Nakamura has recently written a whole book, in Japanese, about this. He calls it Missoku, or secret breathing. It was described well above, although it's difficult. He says that it's not chest breathing and it's not abdomen breathing, it's an inherently unique Japanese thing. Unfortunately this point about how great and unique the Japanese are is brought up too often throughout the book.  Anyways, this breathing style comes from the fact that in the past Japanese people sat in seiza more and especially they wore traditional clothing like kimono or yukata. This type of restricting belt, obi, which is often pushed low on the hips, caused them to sink their pelvis more than westerners, ultimately making more room for natural, deeper breathing. He says that good training for this is to practice shakuhachi and wear an obi. 
But he doesn't take credit for creating this breathing technique, unlike his circular breathing. He says that because of the customs in the old times, everyone breathed more naturally like this in Japan. He said that this is the way that Watazumi breathed and he wanted to rediscover this way of breathing.
Josh

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#6 2006-10-24 08:07:21

Alex
Member
From: Barcelona - Spain
Registered: 2005-10-17
Posts: 138

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Hello everybody,

Wow, that was informative! Thanks a lot for the replies!

After playing for several years guitar I find fascinating to use something as basic and physical as breath to play an intrument (nothing new for many of you I'm sure) so I'm really interested on this aspect of Shakuhachi.

Phil, is there any chance to get a copy of your pupil/colleague thesis?

Thanks again to all


"An artist has got to be careful never really to arrive at a place where he thinks he's "at" somewhere. You always have to realise that you are constantly in the state of becoming. And as long as you can stay in that realm, you'll sort of be all right"
Bob Dylan

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#7 2006-10-24 09:25:05

JF Lagrost
Shihan/Tozan Ryu
From: Paris (France)
Registered: 2006-10-19
Posts: 73
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Josh wrote:

Nakamura has recently written a whole book, in Japanese, about this. He calls it Missoku, or secret breathing. It was described well above, although it's difficult. He says that it's not chest breathing and it's not abdomen breathing, it's an inherently unique Japanese thing. Unfortunately this point about how great and unique the Japanese are is brought up too often throughout the book.  Anyways, this breathing style comes from the fact that in the past Japanese people sat in seiza more and especially they wore traditional clothing like kimono or yukata. This type of restricting belt, obi, which is often pushed low on the hips, caused them to sink their pelvis more than westerners, ultimately making more room for natural, deeper breathing. He says that good training for this is to practice shakuhachi and wear an obi. 
But he doesn't take credit for creating this breathing technique, unlike his circular breathing. He says that because of the customs in the old times, everyone breathed more naturally like this in Japan. He said that this is the way that Watazumi breathed and he wanted to rediscover this way of breathing.
Josh

This is very interesting. Maybe I'm wrong but I think there isn't any "japanese secret". Your description corresponds to what I do while playing, and what I try to teach to my students : we could call it the transverse breathing. You're right, it's not the abdomen breathing practiced by the most wind musicians, using the oblique muscles (those we use to make our belly hard). It's something lower, using the transverse muscle : this muscle is like a kimono belt, but under the obliques, attached to the spinal column. You cannot command it, it's a muscle like iris or heart, so it's quite difficult to explain as a "technique".
You can find the feeling of this breathing by the yoga, but it's not enough : you have to make this musculature work, and the best way is practicing your instrument. The impression is to sit on your pelvis, it's very comfortable to play.
I agree for the minimal movements of the abdomen : the belly has to be solid while playing (just before and just after too). That's exactly what I call soutenir in French. It's particularly important for flute and shakuhachi, where the mouthpiece doesn't furnish any resistance to the air (the lips musn't be used as resistance).

Concerning circular breathing, of course it's not an invention of Nakamura. It's not an invention of anyone and this technique doesn't come from Asia, Europe or anywhere. Many people in the world have "invented" it without any reference.

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#8 2006-10-24 09:26:02

indigo
Member
From: Brooklyn, New York
Registered: 2005-10-19
Posts: 52

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Hello Everybody

Many people from many different traditions have thought about the essential nature of breath in relation to sound especially wind players, singers, actors and meditators to just name a few categories.

One book I found interesting is "Body Mapping for Flutists" by Lea Pearson,D.M.A. 3085 Kenlawn St. Columbus, Ohio 43224
email: leapearson@core.com

The book was published by Andover Educators www.bodymap.org

This information is in the realm of "Alexander Technique" etc.

found this book logical and informative and very much in sync with the lecture on breath that Mr. Nakamura gave at the 2004 NY Shakuhachi Festival.

all the best

indigo

Last edited by indigo (2006-10-24 09:28:59)

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#9 2006-10-24 16:33:00

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

JF Lagrost wrote:

This is very interesting. Maybe I'm wrong but I think there isn't any "japanese secret".

Concerning circular breathing, of course it's not an invention of Nakamura. It's not an invention of anyone and this technique doesn't come from Asia, Europe or anywhere. Many people in the world have "invented" it without any reference.

Japanese secrets are plentiful. For example my wife's koto teacher told her "do re mi fa etc." are the Japanese names for notes.

Regarding circular breathing. Anybody can do it, but Nakamura claims his technique is different than the techniques other people use.

I took a lesson with him and he never produced a pure tone. It was always colored by muraiki or some other kind of noise. I wonder if this is part of his breathing theory or if it's just his personal choice. His posture was very strange, to my mind. He kind of hunches over the flute. I wonder how he knows Watazumi's breathing methods. Did he study with Watazumi? I would be very interested in anything that Watazumi did, but I assume Watazumi did what was natural.


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#10 2006-10-24 16:46:03

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Hello,

indigo wrote:

Hello Everybody

Many people from many different traditions have thought about the essential nature of breath in relation to sound especially wind players, singers, actors and meditators to just name a few categories.

all the best

indigo

I was studying the Martha Graham technique of movenment for many years in New York City. Ms. Graham is known for her Contraction and Release Method of movent that became a staple for many modern dancers and some stage actors. She developed it from just sitting in her studio and listening to her body while breathing. She found that her body "contracted" (by rounding the curve of the back) when exhaling and "released"  (upright) when inhaling. Through this polarity, she developed her unique impetus for movement.

Why I am I writing this? Well, I studied with Akikazu for six months in Tokyo in 2002 - 2003. Back then, he called it Contra Breathing. It was basically the opposite of everything I did with the Graham technique. I found his system a shock at first. Opera singers and actors usually maintain their posture when inhaling deep breaths. Akikazu's techniques required relaxing the pelvis when inhaling. This meant the the person sinks a bit when inhaling, which is a big no no for the stage performer.

After a few months, I was able to apply Contra Breathing without thinking about it too much.  It actually made a lot of sense when applied to the music. The idea is that the abdomen is not held with any muscles and therefore can intake air quicker. I found that  when the Contra Breathing really kicked in, I was able to play the longer passgaes without an extra breath . Some of those Dokyoku pieces have two or three super long passages that are broken with only one quick breath in between. If you don't get enough air in at that split second, you can't play the music as taught. Interestingly enough, I've never noticed myself using it when playing Myoan or Kinko Honkyoku pieces.

Aki asked if I wanted to help him translate it back then but my Japanese was not very good so I wouldn't have been able to do it justice. I was also focused on playing and making shakuhachi and unfortunately, there's only 24 hours in one day smile

Breath deeply my friends,
Perry

Last edited by Yungflutes (2006-10-24 21:40:52)


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

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#11 2006-10-24 17:00:17

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Thanks Perry,

How do the nose and mouth work in Contra Breathing? I ask because my nose does not work properly due to deviated septum. I mainly use my mouth to breath which is not usually recommended.

And do you think Nakamura produces pure tones? How does his breathing method influence that?

Ciao,

BR


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#12 2006-10-24 20:39:21

Josh
PhD
From: Grand Island, NY/Nara, Japan
Registered: 2005-11-14
Posts: 305
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Hey Tairaku,
   No, Nakamura never personally met Watazumi and only says that he was his teacher Yokoyama sensei's teacher. In his book he says that, like a komuso, he travelled around Japan to various komuso and Zen temples learnig that particular areas songs and techniques (which he is now forming into an 8 vol. cd set of various areas). But it was when he travelled to Hakata, where Watazumi was from, that he was taught his style of breathing style. He said the Zen priest there had told him that this was the 'secret' way Watazumi breathed, which was very close to a Zen breathing style. So it is second hand info, and like JF Lagrost pointed out, this is a very sensitive area that is not easily describable. But I have to wonder, why haven't Yokoyama sensei, or Watazumi's other student whose name I can't remember, the people who have come in direct contact with and studied under Watazumi never made an issue out of this Missoku secret breathing?

On the topic of a clear tone, I think Nakamura plays very well when he is just playing, crystal clear with his jinashi. But when he includes his circular breathing there is definately loud, disturbing muraiki sounds coming from his throat. For me personally, it is too distracting and I feel it takes away from the music. JMHO

Josh

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#13 2006-10-24 21:38:40

Yungflutes
Flutemaker/Performer
From: New York City
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 1061
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

G'day Taikaku,

Tairaku wrote:

Thanks Perry,

How do the nose and mouth work in Contra Breathing? I ask because my nose does not work properly due to deviated septum. I mainly use my mouth to breath which is not usually recommended.

As I remember it, you use both your mouth and nose to inhale as much air as quickly as possible..

And do you think Nakamura produces pure tones? How does his breathing method influence that?

It depends upon the kind of flute he's playing. I've seen him play super short flutes like a Jiari 1.3 to a super long Jinashi, like a 3.0 or 3.2. He sounds different on each one.

I think the Contra Breathing affects his tone in the sense that he gets a great amount of air with each breath. This would support the diaphram in controling the air velocity which, when combined with the embouchure shape, affects the tone.

Akikazu also taught a very specific technique on how to develope what he believes to be the ideal embrouchure. He used a visualization method of finding a tiny millet in your mouth and bringing it to the area just beyond your front teeth at the wet fleshy part of your lips. Then carefully balance the millet and "pop" it out just past your lips. When I tried this the first time, he said, "Ooh, that's a big millet! Try to find a smaller one." When you are popping out a small millet, aim for a spot on the wall in front of you.  The idea is to blow a small, direct and focused air stream. Akikazu's embouchure is a little closer to the inside of the lips (towards the teeth). Kinya's embouchure was a little towards the front.  I have a suspicion that where the exact openning location is does influence tone color.


Ciao,

BR

Throw some shrimp on the barbie for me! Perry


"A hot dog is not an animal." - Jet Yung

My Blog/Website on the art of shakuhachi...and parenting.
How to make an Urban Shakuhachi (PVC)

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#14 2006-10-25 06:41:25

JF Lagrost
Shihan/Tozan Ryu
From: Paris (France)
Registered: 2006-10-19
Posts: 73
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Tairaku wrote:

Regarding circular breathing. Anybody can do it, but Nakamura claims his technique is different than the techniques other people use.

I took a lesson with him and he never produced a pure tone. It was always colored by muraiki or some other kind of noise.

I know two sorts of circular breathing, one "long" and one "short". The first one allows to maintain a sound as long as you want without any interruption. The second one allows to play staccato and quickly without breaking the tempo because of the breathing (so you can play Paganini's Moto Perpetuo without listening any breathing or tempo break). For twice you musn't breath with the diaphragm but use only the air held within the mouth. For the "long" one you keep the air in the mouth with the lips (what you ordinarilly musn't do with the lips but with the absominal muscles), so you can breath slowly with the nose while maintaining the sound. For the "short" one the tongue is thrust towards the palate and then towards the front of the mouth, while breathing very quickly by the nose. I practice only the first on shakuhachi.

Regarding production of pure tone, I can speak only about flute because I don't practice it enough on shakuhachi. The timbre can be pure and the sound well tuned, but I think it cannot sing, because it's not sustained by the abdominal musculature. That's why I use this technique only when obligatory, most often in contemporary music. I think that using it in honkyoku because of air lack is a mistake.

Youngflutes wrote:

Akikazu also taught a very specific technique on how to develope what he believes to be the ideal embrouchure. He used a visualization method of finding a tiny millet in your mouth and bringing it to the area just beyond your front teeth at the wet fleshy part of your lips. Then carefully balance the millet and "pop" it out just past your lips. (...) When you are popping out a small millet, aim for a spot on the wall in front of you.  The idea is to blow a small, direct and focused air stream.

You can practice it by maintaining a sheet of cigarette paper on a wall only thanks to your air spot. The risk is to squeeze the air while playing (the lips musn't be crisped).

I'm sorry, my English is quite strange...

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#15 2006-10-25 09:08:57

edosan
Edomologist
From: Salt Lake City
Registered: 2005-10-09
Posts: 2185

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

JF Lagrost wrote:

I'm sorry, my English is quite strange...

But not so strange that it cannot be perfectly understood... smile

eB


Zen is not easy.
It takes effort to attain nothingness.
And then what do you have?
Bupkes.

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#16 2006-10-25 14:36:37

philthefluter
Member
From: Dublin, Ireland
Registered: 2006-06-02
Posts: 190
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

In response to an earlier request for a thesis: my friend's thesis covered many areas of breathing of which Nakamura was only a part. I think there is as much detail in recent posts than in the thesis on this topic.


"The bamboo and Zen are One!" Kurosawa Kinko
http://www.shakuhachizen.com/
http://www.myspace.com/shakuhachizen

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#17 2006-10-25 17:44:29

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
Website

Re: Japanese Breathing Method

Josh wrote:

Hey Tairaku,
   No, Nakamura never personally met Watazumi and only says that he was his teacher Yokoyama sensei's teacher. In his book he says that, like a komuso, he travelled around Japan to various komuso and Zen temples learnig that particular areas songs and techniques (which he is now forming into an 8 vol. cd set of various areas). But it was when he travelled to Hakata, where Watazumi was from, that he was taught his style of breathing style. He said the Zen priest there had told him that this was the 'secret' way Watazumi breathed, which was very close to a Zen breathing style. So it is second hand info, and like JF Lagrost pointed out, this is a very sensitive area that is not easily describable. But I have to wonder, why haven't Yokoyama sensei, or Watazumi's other student whose name I can't remember, the people who have come in direct contact with and studied under Watazumi never made an issue out of this Missoku secret breathing?

On the topic of a clear tone, I think Nakamura plays very well when he is just playing, crystal clear with his jinashi. But when he includes his circular breathing there is definately loud, disturbing muraiki sounds coming from his throat. For me personally, it is too distracting and I feel it takes away from the music. JMHO

Josh

I read an interview with Watazumi (granted, in English and subject to distortion) where he said it took him 50 years to learn how to breathe. When you watch him in that video "Sukiyaki and Chips" it doesn't really seem like he's doing anything very mysterious. Maybe all the action is on the inside.

Nakamura already has 3 (or 4?) CD's out of the regional honkyoku styles. They are excellent recordings. I personally like the violence and intensity of his playing. I think he's one of the only "Dokyoku" players who is really emphasising that aspect of Watazumi's playing. He has also strayed further away from Yokoyama's style than most. He's cultivating his own individuality. My comments about Nakamura's tone reflect what I heard coming out of his flute at close range but I have not spent extensive time around him. The times I heard him perform in public it sounded like a cyclone.

Regarding Yokoyama and the "Dokyoku" players. Maybe he didn't learn that style of breathing from Watazumi. Yokoyama was already an accomplished player before studying with Watazumi. His style, rather than being a direct continuation of the Watazumi style, is a blend of Kinko, Fukuda Rando and the stuff he learned from Watazumi. Watazumi taught about 60-70 pieces as we can see from his notation in the archives of the ISS, but Yokoyama and gang only play about 15 of them.

About circular breathing, I can do it but I don't when playing honkyoku because I never thought it added anything. I really never ran into a note or phrase I couldn't sustain long enough using conventional breathing. And of course if you're playing a note for several minutes that doesn't leave a lot of room for "ma". Nevertheless John Neptune and Aki Nakamura seem to have fun with it.


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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