SURGICAL JIU-JITSU

PLATE VI

Breathing Under Pressure

Engraved plate illustrating Breathing Under Pressure
Plate rendered by AI in the manner of the old engravers, drawn from reference. We are refining every figure toward anatomical exactness; some plates are near perfect and a few still carry small errors.
Difficulty V of X
  1. 01

    When the opponent settles his full weight upon your chest, resist the impulse to fight the position with the arms alone. The lungs, not the limbs, are what must first be freed.

  2. 02

    Turn the head slightly to the side nearest the ceiling, opening the trachea and preventing the jaw from pressing into the sternum.

  3. 03

    Slide one forearm across the opponent's collarbone, not to push him away, but to create a narrow channel through which the upper chest may still rise.

  4. 04Precision point

    Rotate the trapped hip a hand's width toward the mat beneath you, opening the lower ribs on that side so the diaphragm may draw breath laterally rather than vertically.

  5. 05

    Exhale in short, controlled measures rather than long sighs. A long exhalation invites the opponent to sink his weight further into the vacancy it creates.

  6. 06

    Time all struggle, all escape, all bridging, to the inhalation, when the ribcage is naturally more rigid and less easily collapsed.

  7. 07

    Once breath is secured, the mind follows it. Only then attempt the frame, the shrimp, or the recovery of guard.