rowuk

The problem is that we are creatures of habit and all those BAD habits will haunt us. Quitting choking is as hard as quitting smoking! Patience and dedication are required!

I don't think that I EVER had a student without this problem. We have always cured it in the same way: Think of breathing as a big circle - inhale from bottom to top, exhale from top to bottom. In a circle you have NO corners, your breathing transition from in to exhale should also be without corners.
Practice breathing deeply without the horn. Stand up straight, feet parallel and about shoulders width apart. Put your hand on top of your head and straighten your neck out to "push" against the hand. Your head should stay in this position for all of these exercizes!
Always exhale completely first, inhale deeply then exhale, inhale, exhale - several repetitions! Do this "in- and exhaling through the mouth" AND "inhale through the nose/exhale through the mouth". Do not gasp for air or try to speed the process up - you want a circle, not an ellipse. Keep practicing this until you are comfortable with it (could take 30-45 minutes!)

Once you have a feel for the circle, replace exhale with play. NO TONGUE!!!!!!!!! This will take a while until the coordination is optimal. Just use long tones - inhale-play-inhale-play....... I avoid the word breath attack, because you just need to let the air flow into the horn-there is no attack with a circle! Spend at least a week without using the tongue!!!

Once this works you add the tongue. Tonguing must be with short swift movements to keep the tongue out of the way. the first couple pages of Arban are good for this!
Consider this "basic training". You should make relaxed breathing a part of your daily routine. When you start choking - get back to the basics - a circle - the most perfect shape in the universe!

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.