Kihap! Getting the beast out

[Fall of Titan]

Hi there,

As my instructor and another student have pointed out, my kihap is rather weak. In general, I've always been a shy, timid, soft-spoken person. In loud social gatherings, I can barely make my voice heard. I also lack confidence, which may factor into my quiet kihap. Any advice on raising my voice and getting the beast out? Right now it's just a kitty cat.

Thanks.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Hi there,

As my instructor and another student have pointed out, my kihap is rather weak. In general, I've always been a shy, timid, soft-spoken person. In loud social gatherings, I can barely make my voice heard. I also lack confidence, which may factor into my quiet kihap. Any advice on raising my voice and getting the beast out? Right now it's just a kitty cat.

Thanks.

Understand the purpose of it. If it's like most martial art sounds then the purpose is related to breathing. The purpose isn't to just make noise unless you do extreme martial arts.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Hi there,

As my instructor and another student have pointed out, my kihap is rather weak. In general, I've always been a shy, timid, soft-spoken person. In loud social gatherings, I can barely make my voice heard. I also lack confidence, which may factor into my quiet kihap. Any advice on raising my voice and getting the beast out? Right now it's just a kitty cat.

Thanks.

Understand the purpose of it. If it's like most martial art sounds then the purpose is related to breathing. The purpose isn't to just make noise unless you do extreme martial arts.

 

[drop bear]

Hi there,

As my instructor and another student have pointed out, my kihap is rather weak. In general, I've always been a shy, timid, soft-spoken person. In loud social gatherings, I can barely make my voice heard. I also lack confidence, which may factor into my quiet kihap. Any advice on raising my voice and getting the beast out? Right now it's just a kitty cat.

Thanks.

Learn to sing.

Same process.

 

[skribs]

Hi there,

As my instructor and another student have pointed out, my kihap is rather weak. In general, I've always been a shy, timid, soft-spoken person. In loud social gatherings, I can barely make my voice heard. I also lack confidence, which may factor into my quiet kihap. Any advice on raising my voice and getting the beast out? Right now it's just a kitty cat.

Thanks.

Practice it, just like any other skill. Force yourself to break out of your shell.

I struggled with anxiety in public speaking. In college, I took Public Speaking 110, 111, and 112. By the end of that, I had no problem being in front of people and giving a speech. I think I did around 9-12 speeches across those classes.

But you have to do it. If you do it and get used to it, then it's easier to break out when you need to.

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Hi there,

As my instructor and another student have pointed out, my kihap is rather weak. In general, I've always been a shy, timid, soft-spoken person. In loud social gatherings, I can barely make my voice heard. I also lack confidence, which may factor into my quiet kihap. Any advice on raising my voice and getting the beast out? Right now it's just a kitty cat.

Thanks.

Just yell, I guess.

With that said, I personally think the yelling is overdone and overrating. It think the exhale in boxing and ITF TKD makes more sense.

I.e., your yelling is weak, but how is your punch or kick? That's what matters.

 

[marvin8]

Jesse Enkamp
Sep 1, 2016

Learn how to "KIAI!" correctly in this new video by Jesse Enkamp - The Karate Nerd.

Karate Dojo waKu
Jan 18, 2021

00:00 Introduction
00:13 Why Shouting Out "Kiai" Is Wrong
01:59 But Boxers Don't Shout...
02:18 1 Rule Needed To Master Kiai
02:55 Step by Step Tutorial

 

[auntlisa1103]

I agree with “remember the purpose”. It’s not ONLY about being assertive or aggressive.

Partly, it is. Your voice can be a self-defense weapon in and of itself. It can intimidate, and it can draw much needed attention. Bad guys want their victims weak, easy and quiet. Put up a fight and make noise. Make yourself not worth it. One of my instructors once talked about how, some people don’t like to think about the fact that a double block, done properly, can break the bad guy’s arm. To quote him, “it’s better than getting thrown into the back of a van”.

It’s also about keeping you breathing. When you shout, you exhale. This forces you to inhale. Not only does holding your breath kill your stamina, but it also keeps tension in your lungs. Think of your lungs like an air filled balloon. If it’s tied off and you smash (i.e., get punched in) it, it pops. If it’s not tied off and you smash it, the air blows out faster but the rubber doesn’t break.

It also engages your core. Involving your entire body into your strikes gives them more power. Think about a board break where a board is set up on two cinder blocks, and you are doing a palm strike. You set up in back stance, on your back foot, then step forward as you strike down into the board. That step puts your whole body momentum behind that strike.

The reason we do it in practice, and at my school we get graded on it, is because everything we do in class gets tighter, smaller, weaker and shorter in a real world situation, because we are scared. So everything you do in class, do it big and bold and strong and loud, so it has room to shrink and still be effective if you ever have to actually USE it.

 

[auntlisa1103]

I will also say….my husband told me two months into TKD that our then-puppy listened to me better when I corrected him, because there was now more authority in my voice. We attribute that directly to the kihap. Even though I’m still not very aggressive in the sparring ring, I have absoLUTEly gained confidence in not only TKD, but in life.

Training this assertiveness into yourself will enrich you FAR beyond the walls of the dojang, I promise you.

 

[Earl Weiss]

I agree with “remember the purpose”. It’s not ONLY about being assertive or aggressive.

............................

The reason we do it in practice, and at my school we get graded on it, is because everything we do in class gets tighter, smaller, weaker and shorter in a real world situation, because we are scared. .

Lots of good stuff in this post.

1. Trigger startle reflex in opponent / enemy.
2. Tighten core to withstand a blow
3. Contract core along with other muscles being used - Muscles "Work" only by contraction.

Last item refers to adrenal stress effects. Went to RMCAT where operator says they don't teach MA - only SD and then proceeds to explain how they teach / train various movements in an exaggerated large fashion so they will still be large and powerful enough under stress and I am thinking sounds like patterns to me.

 

[nipper219]

Hi there,

As my instructor and another student have pointed out, my kihap is rather weak. In general, I've always been a shy, timid, soft-spoken person. In loud social gatherings, I can barely make my voice heard. I also lack confidence, which may factor into my quiet kihap. Any advice on raising my voice and getting the beast out? Right now it's just a kitty cat.

Thanks.

I used to struggle with the same problem when I started. It honestly just takes practice, the more you do it the more you just get used to doing it around other people. I know I felt shy about it because I was worried about what other people think but then I realized that literally everybody else does it so it's nothing to worry about or be shy about. So, it just takes practice, and time. You'll get it out, I know you will.