Karate Breathing Exercises
- Karate classes begin with warm-up stretching exercises called jumbi undo, and a series of supplementary technique exercises called the hojo undo. These exercises, which may be performed individually or with a partner, emphasize proper breath control. During the jumbi undo, students must breathe in time to the count, and during hojo undo, students must breathe appropriately to the count--either in a 1-1 ratio, or one breath to two counts during fast-count exercises.
- Karate includes a series of stylized moves called kata. Each school has its own list of kata, but each emphasizes proper breath control during the moves. During formal testing, in fact, students are often kicked or punched in the chest or upper abdomen to check the quality of their breath control. In general, during kata, each move is performed on a count by an instructor, and each count contains one full breath. For example, the sanchin kata features arm strikes; on each count, there is one arm strike performed on one full inhale-exhale cycle.
- In Okinawan-style karate, one of the hojo undo exercises is called "shin kokyu." It is a deep-breathing exercise performed while standing with legs shoulder-width apart. During a deep inhale, the arms move in a circular motion from waist level to above the head. After a two-second pause, there is a slow exhale while the arms return to the waist. The exercise is often performed on a two-count, with the count continuing to 10 or higher and a beat happening at each inhale and exhale.
- All karate breathing exercises are geared toward helping students understand the need to regulate breath control. During high-stress conflicts, people have a tendency to hold their breath, but during a sparring match or unexpected physical conflict, breath-holding can result in slower reactions and less energy. Therefore, breathing exercises are ingrained in all aspects of karate training, from the basic stretching exercises to full-body-contact sparring sessions.
