Reading Breathing

[DKKC]

Yes, another thread about breathing in kumite! I have done a search and couldn't find a thread that covers what I'm interested in. If this has been discussed before, please point me to the right thread.

I have heard a lot the concept of reading yuor opponent's breathing pattern in order to improve the efficiency of your strikes as striking at right time (on your opponent's in breathing) encreases the effect of your strikes. many years ago we've even worked on hiding our breathing pattern and working on confusing our opponent. However, I can't really read my opponent's breathing unless it's really obvious, heavy breathing when they are tired. And at that point in time I don't need to be able to read the breathing as there are a lot other more obvious clues that tell me what he/she is about to do. Shigeru Oyama talks about this breathing and timing in his book 'Perfect Karate' and even suggest an exercise to help develop this skill - exercise that I have done before but I can't say it helped me much. But even he says that 'in the end it is from practice and experience that yuo will come to know his breathing'.

Can you do this easily? Have you met people who could read your breathing when you fought? I can't say I have met any. I've very rearely been winded - always during training and it was always an accident (i.e. I wasn't paying attention or my partner missed the bag!!). I was wondering if there are any exercises you do to help develop this ability. Any ideas and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks

[Dent]

Osu! DKKC,

I've also heard about it, and even been lucky enough to catch the odd guy at the right time, but I'm in agreement with you, in that there are other bits that beg for action before he really starts to make enough breathing noise to count.

Also, given my hearing loss over the last few years, I'd look pretty funny, leaning in to hear him breathe.

Osu!

[Gar23]

I remember one fight in particular that one guy made me look like an idiot in front of everyone. Back a few years ago, when i was testing for orange belt, Shihan was also testing one of our fifth dan blackbelts by shipping in other 2nd + degree blackbelts from other kyokushin dojo. Well after sensei's fight most of them wanted to fight a few more of us and since I was up next I ended up fighting a batch of people waaaaay out of my league. A few fights into it (i'm not sure if its the same with all dojo's but we do gang fighting with 3 min. rounds as part of our tests) I started feeling a bit cocky since they were going easy on me. Half way through this one fight, i realized i was unable to get any breath in at all, my lungs seemed to be almost paralyzed. Once I managed to get some space to draw air, i'd get slammed right near the sternum. Kinda felt like I was drowning in a sea of punches and yelling kohai. Later I realized how effective getting into your opponents breathing pattern was.
Still hurts every time I think about it... Nothing quite like getting put in your place right?

-Gar

[supergroup7]

I guess that it is a little easier to read your opponent's breathing if he/she is tired, and breathless. If you can visually, or audibly "hear" their breathing changes.. that would be quite helpful.

My former Sensei would look for the flare of nostrils that indicated that the person was breathing in, and take advantage of that... but I have to admit that he was a very experienced fighter, and was able to see "everything".

I do know that we are taught to breath out on our strikes, so one could try to anticipate someone's attack and strike just as they are breathing in before the opponent commits to the strike. It's not that you are "seeing" the intake of breath, but that you know that chances are that they will do so before they go to kick, or punch in preparation.