Breathing – Ibuki and Nogare

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In Gōjū-Ryū, breathing is the link between body and mind. The style unites hard (gō, 剛) and soft (jū, 柔) elements, and this duality shows in the breath too: Ōkami Dō distinguishes the powerful, audible breathing Ibuki and the soft, calm breathing Nogare. Both are practised above all in the Heishu kata Sanchin and Tenshō.

The role of breathing in karate

In karate, breathing should match movement: as a rule, exhale when executing a technique and inhale during preparation or withdrawal. Controlled exhalation stabilises the trunk at the moment of hitting or being hit and is connected with the battle cry (Kiai, 気合). A calm, even breath also helps to stay composed in stressful situations (cf. States of mind).

Tanden and Hara

The centre of breathing and bodily power is the Tanden (丹田, also Seika Tanden, 臍下丹田, “Tanden below the navel”), a point about two to three finger-widths below the navel, inside the lower abdomen. The term comes from Chinese teaching (dāntián, “cinnabar field”) and is closely tied to the idea of Ki (気). Hara (腹, “belly”) in Japanese refers to the centre of the abdomen as the physical and mental centre of gravity. In practice this means: breathe deep into the belly instead of shallowly into the chest, and let movements start from the centre of the body.

Ibuki (息吹) – the hard breathing

Ibuki means roughly “breath, puff”. It refers to a powerful, audible breathing under body tension. It corresponds to the hard side (Gō) of the style and is the hallmark of Sanchin (三戦, “three battles” or “three conflicts”), in which body, breath and mind are trained together. Ibuki is also used in Tenshō (転掌, “rotating hands”), there alternating with softer phases.

Brief description of the execution

  • Starting position: upright, stable stance (e.g. Sanchin-Dachi), shoulders low, gaze straight ahead.
  • Inhalation: calmly through the nose, deep into the lower abdomen (Tanden); the chest barely rises.
  • Exhalation: powerful and audible through the slightly open mouth or from the throat, even and complete; the muscles of the abdomen, trunk and legs are tensed.
  • Tension in the Tanden is held throughout the entire breathing cycle – on the inhale as on the exhale.
  • Transition: after the complete exhalation, the tension in the Tanden remains while the rest of the body tension is released; then the next inhalation follows.
  • The breath follows the movement of the kata; tempo and intensity are increased step by step under guidance.

Nogare – the soft breathing

Nogare refers to the soft, calm breathing (Jū). It is quiet, flowing and without strong muscle tension, and serves to release, gather and recover – for instance after a powerful sequence, in kumite or in meditation (Mokusō). The name and exact execution of Nogare vary by lineage and teacher; many sources mention it only briefly.

In and Yō – hard and soft

Ibuki and Nogare are understood as a pair, corresponding to the pair of opposites In and Yō (陰陽, Chinese Yin and Yang): tension and relaxation, exhaling and inhaling, hardness and yielding depend on each other. See Dao and Five elements. In the Meibukan tradition, the breath sounds “A” and “Un” are also linked to exhaling and inhaling (see Meibukan philosophy).

Sanchin – breathing as the core of the kata

In Gōjū-Ryū, Sanchin is the fundamental kata (see Sanchin and Heishu kata (Tanren)). Slow movements, a firm stance and Ibuki breathing are combined. Traditionally the posture is tested in Shime (締め) by the teacher tapping or pressing on shoulders, back and abdomen. The goal: a stable, rooted posture in which breathing and tension work together.

Origins in the breathing teachings of yoga

Conscious breathing techniques are far older than karate. In Indian yoga they are grouped under the term Prāṇāyāma (Sanskrit, roughly “control/extension of the breath or of the life energy Prāṇa”); Prāṇāyāma is one of the eight limbs in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra. A well-known technique is Ujjāyī (“the victorious”), in which a slight narrowing of the glottis produces an even, rushing sound; in German it is often called “ocean breathing”. Whether and how India’s breathing teachings influenced the martial arts of China and Okinawa via Buddhism and Chinese practices (e.g. Qigong) is not clearly documented; what has been handed down is mainly the legend of Bodhidharma and the Shaolin monastery.

At Ōkami Dō, water breathing (formerly ocean breathing) is still used.

Pop culture: breathing techniques in “Demon Slayer”

Japanese breathing techniques have reached a wide audience through the manga and anime Demon Slayer – Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃) by Koyoharu Gotōge (manga 2016–2020). The demon slayers use “breathing techniques” (Kokyū, 呼吸) such as Water Breathing (水の呼吸, Mizu no Kokyū), Flame Breathing or Thunder Breathing. The basis is Zen-Shūchū (全集中, “total concentration”), and in its advanced form Zen-Shūchū Jōchū as constant concentration breathing. The depiction is fictional and supernaturally exaggerated, but it picks up real ideas: breathing, concentration and movement form a unity.

Health aspects

Calm, deep abdominal breathing is often associated with relaxation and stress reduction, and controlled breathing can support body awareness and trunk stability. Many of these effects, however, have only been partly studied scientifically; claims from martial arts tradition about strengthening the internal organs or the Ki are not medical evidence.*

* Safety note: Ibuki involves strong pressing and increased pressure in the chest and abdomen (similar to the Valsalva manoeuvre). With high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, eye conditions such as glaucoma, hernias (inguinal/abdominal), during pregnancy or after surgery, forceful pressing should be avoided and medical advice sought beforehand. The breath is not held; in case of dizziness, headache or discomfort, stop the exercise immediately. Ibuki is learned under guidance.

Sources

  • Sanchin kata. Black Belt (Magazin), S. 39–40 (Deutung des Namens).
  • George E. Mattson: The Way of Uechi-Ryū Karate. Peabody Publishing, 2010, ISBN 978-0-930559-38-0 (Shime).
  • Jwing-Ming Yang: The Root of Chinese Chi Kung. YMAA, 1989, ISBN 0-940871-07-6.
  • Kenneth S. Cohen: The Way of Qigong. Random House, 1999, ISBN 0-345-42109-4.
  • I. K. Taimni: The Science of Yoga. Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar 1993 (1961), S. 205, ISBN 81-7059-212-7.
  • Alistair Shearer: The Story of Yoga. From Ancient India to the Modern West. Hurst, London 2020, S. 156, ISBN 978-1-78738-192-6 (Ujjayi).
  • further reading: Wikipedia, article “Demon Slayer”
  • Morio Higaonna: Traditional Karatedo – Okinawa Goju Ryu, Vol. 1: Fundamental Techniques. Japan Publications, Tokio 1985.
  • Patrick McCarthy: Bubishi. The Classic Manual of Combat. Tuttle Publishing, Tokio 1995.

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