Nogare
Nogare is karate’s “soft” breathing method. Nogare breathing is alternately called combat breathing by some karateka, because it conceals your breathing motion, so opponents cannot time their attacks to impact while you are inhaling. In practice, fighting mostly consists of short ibuki breaths, but nogare breathing should be used when there is a break in the action to calm nerves and aid prevent fatigue.
Nogare is much like normal breathing, with a quick, silent, and deep inhalation through the nose, and a gradual silent exhalation through the mouth. The abdominal muscles are slightly tensed to hide the rise-and-fall of your chest, which telegraphs your breathing.
Nogare breathing prevents fatigue by encouraging air absorption. The “huffing and puffing” of a fatigued person comes from a craving for more oxygen; but this craving causes people to illogically push the air out of the lungs before it can be fully absorbed. Slowing down the breathing rates allows the oxygen to soak into the lungs, and to draw more benefit from each breath.
Nogare breathing also has a calming effect, which is essential because adrenaline bursts can cause unwanted tension and a degradation of fine motor skills, which can prove to be a liability.
