Breathing is crucial for all types of exercise and sports, and it’s especially critical in Karate. Proper breathing provides practitioners with physical, mental, and emotional benefits. Since breathing involves both voluntary and involuntary control, mastering it is essential in activities that demand strength, agility, and extensive body movement.
In Karate, scientific breathing methods enhance performance in elite martial arts practices. These exercises focus on diaphragmatic breathing to help you relax, thereby increasing your stamina for kata or kumite. They also positively influence the performance of your vagus nerve and central nervous system.
Jesse Enkamo’s video, “The Karate Nerd,” instructs viewers on the role of breath in Karate. It emphasizes using the diaphragm instead of the chest for breathing. Unlike stressful chest breathing, belly breathing promotes relaxation.
