Osu!
So for many years we have done tidal breathing, to put it simple "belly Breathing". We have Ibuki, we have nogare, hard breathing, soft breathing, Kokyu, deep breathing from the "hara" diaphragm which sets Ki in motion. It involves perfect synchronization of breathing and movement. Plain English deep abdominal breathing.
So we mediate before training and then after training. But over the years something was imbued inside me, Sanchin kata, I still love this kata, but my indocrination to Sanchin was by Kancho Tadashi Nakamura and Soshu Shigeru Oyama striking me with a shinai 40 years ago. This dynamic tension form is beneficial in many ways to developing the three ares of the body. Sanchin means three phases or three points.
1. The mind, the body, and the techniques
2. The internal organs, the blood circulation and th nervous system
3. And the three Ki located in the top of the head tento, the diaphragm hara, ands the lower abdomen tanden.
But I digress, the other point of this kata is to endure a strike while under dynamic tension, you say well easy enough while standing there doing the Sanchin kata. But when fighting, a whole new world opens and now when fighting Kokyu becomes ever more important. Your opponent watches your breathing and tell tale signs of caving is gasping, running out of gas, cardio and conditioning another subject. But we advocate leaning forward five degree's with your body, compressed the rib cage, rib cage muscles tight to avoid powerful body shots.
If you understand the various Kokyu the Ibuki short breath when sparring or competition is essential to avoid the impact by compressing the body on short bursts of energy. This can be done while being hit and returning the favor. I have done it for years, one reason Willie Williams did not break any of my ribs when we clashed. So listen up:
"The double breath method is a breathing method in which the entire body is trained to have an elastic strength allowing your body to rebound from an opponent's kick or punch. If a normal person using only the single breath method receives ten attacks from an opponent, he will feel the shock of those ten attacks. Similarly, if he receives eight attacks, he will feel the shock of eight attacks. However, if the whole body is forged using the double breath method, if he receives ten attacks from an opponent, he will feel the shock of only five attacks. This is a secret only found when you practice long enough and forge your Kokyu while fighting"
P.S Toyama Oyadomari from Karate-do Encyclopedia published 1960