“Smile and relax. You can’t demonstrate great power unless you are relaxed.” – Yoshimi Inoue Soke – Inoue-ha Shito-ryu (1946-2015)
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“Smile!” When Inoue sensei thinks you are tense, he never says “relax!“. Instead, he says “smile!” – which is a psychological trick to make you relax. It’s hard to be tense when you’re smiling! Plus, you perform better when you’re happy. (End quote) – Jesse Enkamp
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Breathing? Easy right. Breathing is one of the basic functions of our body, part of an autonomous system. We do not have to learn how to do it, we are born with this ability. However, the way we breathe can make a significant difference to how we perform, either when relaxing, training in the dojo, or having to use our self-defense skills to get us out of trouble.
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Learning how to control your breathing is a skill that must be learned alongside the other techniques of karate. Most of the time our breathing is shallow and quick. We tend to breathe with the upper parts of the body only. This type of breathing is called intercostal breathing. You can tell when you are doing this as your chest and shoulders rise and fall with each breath. This way of breathing is not only inefficient and eventually can become exhausting, it also creates tension in the neck and shoulders preventing us from being relaxed.
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START WITH THE BREATH:
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One of the most attainable ways of creating relaxation is through the breath. In meditation, the breath is a common tool for stilling the mind and connecting to the present moment.
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In moments of stress, the breath tends to be shallow, rapid or even non-existent. Fear and panic often causes us to hold our breath and create even more tension. In a relaxed state, the breath is deep, full, and slow.
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Under stress, TRYING to relax is just another form of tension. Instead, become aware of your body and NOTICE your breathing.
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Don’t build tension in your mind. This will be reflected in your body and your techniques.
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Stop TRYING to relax………. LET IT GO…… Smile….. Breathe…… Relax. 
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