Breathing Styles

**Breathing Styles** (呼吸法, *Kokyū Hō*?) are swordsmanship styles that utilize Total Concentration Breathing which are practiced and taught by members of the Demon Slayer Corps.

## Overview

   Breathing Styles are swordsmanship styles that makes use of an esoteric breathing technique known as Total Concentration Breathing practiced and taught by members of the Demon Slayer Corps and are used in combat by Demon Slayers (later passed on as traditional dances during the Reiwa era).

All known Breathing Styles currently taught within the Demon Slayer Corps are derived from Sun Breathing, the first one ever created. The majority of known Breathing Styles mimic a certain element of nature (i.e. flame, water and wind) and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques and abilities. The weapon attacks of Demon Slayers who use Breathing Styles are also longer ranged, possibly due to shockwaves or air pressure generated from their weapon itself when swinging and striking.

New Breathing Styles are always being created to suit a Demon Slayer's combat needs, which results in new weapons being utilized in demon hunting (i.e. flails and whips). Such Breathing Styles embody a bigger variety of concepts, like animals, plants and emotions (i.e. serpents, flowers and love). When utilizing a Breathing Style, users automatically visualize themselves manipulating the subject behind their style, making it *seem* as if they were using magic, though those that are less apt and proficient in their style will visualize less of it than one who is.

It is possible to mix different Breathing Styles if the user cannot master one particular Breathing Style alone in order to use the stronger aspects of different styles to compensate. This has been displayed in several occasions throughout the anthology:

* Tanjiro, realizing that he could not master Water Breathing like Giyu Tomioka nor could he handle the strain of Hinokami Kagura, showed to be able to combine the two techniques together in order to have stronger strikes than when he used Water Breathing alone and move for longer periods of time than if he used Hinokami Kagura alone. He did this to save Hinatsuru from Gyutaro, and later used it once again during the Infinity Castle Arc to slay dozens of demons.

## List of Breathing Styles and their Users

The five fundamental Breathing Styles, Flame, Water, Wind, Stone and Thunder, originate from Sun Breathing, the first Breathing Style. Subsequently, numerous other Breathing Styles evolved as branches from these five core styles.

## Trivia

* The names of Breathing Styles are very strict. For example, the **Flame Breathing** (炎の呼吸, *Honō no Kokyū*?) should never be referred to as **Fire Breathing** (火の呼吸, *Hi no Kokyū*?)*.*
* Breathing Styles were not entirely lost to history after the demons were wiped out. Instead, they eventually became traditional dances.
* Breathing Styles don't produce their elemental effects; they are just there for visual effects, however, there are a few exceptions. For example, the Thunder Breathing users mimic lightning with such high fidelity that they cause the air to vibrate when poised to unleash a technique and create immensely loud sounds akin to thunder with their mere footsteps, so it feels like they are producing thunder to others. Additionally, Wind Breathing can produce a small amount of wind from the momentum of a sword swing.