When our arms become fully extended our breath has already begun to draw inward, leading our arms to do the same. In most martial arts a great deal of attention is placed on the out-breath in order to manifest a sudden burst of power. In practicing all the techniques and movements of Aikido, the importance of the breath and the process of movement and rest should be taken into careful consideration. This must further combine with the turning of the arms and wrists. Inspiration means to be filled with the ki of creation.
Expiration means to die or to become exhausted.
We should never let out a great deal of breath with the expiration but rather release it slowly and gently. Even in the case of a powerful ki-ai , it is proper to swallow the breath first so that only a small amount of air is released with the shout. In this way our ki is preserved. Many Aikido practitioners today believe that expending a great deal of energy through hard physical training will lead to the highest level of progress. It is true that this kind of training is essential in the beginning in order to remove physical rigidity and create balance and agility, yet high-level practice does not even require the breaking of sweat.