Does anyone know any techniques to control your breathing while doing randori or newaza? I find myself taking a big breath before an attack, which tends to telegraph my intentions to a better player, and as a side effect i tend to hold it too long, gassing myself pretty quickly. Ive tried to consciously breath correctly, but if I do that i get tossed pretty quick as my focus is elsewhere. Any thoughts on training my breathing patterns?
2 things.
#1. relax. newaza is about position. when your in good position then the effort you exert will be more efficient and you won't be sucking wind.
#2. breathe out. don't worry about breathing in. breathe out hard right now. your body automatically breaths in. concentrate on breathing out and you're guaranteed to be getting enough air.