How do you kiai?

[purplekenposkunk]

In my school, we typically say "ights" when one strikes. Is this common? Does anyone use the "haiya!" That is often shown on tv/movies?




I saw a rerun of Karate kid on tv a couple weeks ago, and the "bad" kids training in the mean-guys dojo were saying "kill" as a kiai. It was just too funny.:lol





That must be a pretty bad kiai, cuz it usually leads a student to fall for slow and obvious crane kicks

 

[ProfessorKenpo]

Originally posted by purplekenposkunk
In my school, we typically say "ights" when one strikes. Is this common? Does anyone use the "haiya!" That is often shown on tv/movies?
I saw a rerun of Karate kid on tv a couple weeks ago, and the "bad" kids training in the mean-guys dojo were saying "kill" as a kiai. It was just too funny.:lol
That must be a pretty bad kiai, cuz it usually leads a student to fall for slow and obvious crane kicks

After the side kick I took Wednesday nite it came out as OOOWWWWW, very loud, and very fast.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

 

[jeffkyle]

Originally posted by ProfessorKenpo
After the side kick I took Wednesday nite it came out as OOOWWWWW, very loud, and very fast.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

Or how about SSSHHHHIIIII-------!!!!!!
I have taken a few of those side kicks too!

 

[purplekenposkunk]

 

[Touch Of Death]

Actualy I was taught to say "suh!" and not "ights" (camera... action). Does any one know why one might be better than the other?

 

[tshadowchaser]

almost any explosive exhale of air from the lower abdomin and the sound chages with direction of attack and defence

 

[Turner]

I've heard people kiai (kihap) in many different ways, from Ki-aiii! to Shi-aiii! to HIT! to Ossss! to Yaaaaaah! to Hiii-saaaahhh! or even BOOM and BANG as a student made sound effects for the strike. This is one of those times when it doesn't matter what you say, it's how you say it. The ki-ai is a loud explosive shout meant to focus your force onto the target.

I believe this has been described in other threads here at Martial Talk, but I'll say it again. Go to different schools and you will hear the sounds as they pertain to other arts. Striking arts tend to shout with a very sharp sound with the cut off being when the target is struck. Others have two short sharp sounds (ki-ai) for both the outward and the inward motion. Soft arts tend to have a very long shout that starts low and gradually develops in a ferocious roar as the technique progresses.

I personally don't have a specific sound. Most of the time I give a quiet ki-ai because I tend to make other people jerk around to look at me or get startled because of my volume.

Doug

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by purplekenposkunk
In my school, we typically say "ights" when one strikes. Is this common? Does anyone use the "haiya!" That is often shown on tv/movies?




I saw a rerun of Karate kid on tv a couple weeks ago, and the "bad" kids training in the mean-guys dojo were saying "kill" as a kiai. It was just too funny.:lol





That must be a pretty bad kiai, cuz it usually leads a student to fall for slow and obvious crane kicks

I pretty much do the same as you!:asian:

 

[phlux]

Originally posted by Touch'O'Death
Actualy I was taught to say "suh!" and not "ights" (camera... action). Does any one know why one might be better than the other?

Usually my Kiai is "SIGGHHHH"

The reason for this is the "IIIIGGGHHH" sound, when said properly firms up your internal organs and abdomin.

Kiai is very important when taking hits - as the whole pupose is to equalise the pressure within your body with the force of the hit.

For example - when breaking concrete over your chest, it is an excercise of both the Kiai - and of your awareness. What you do is lie down - place the concrete slab (we use pieces of old sidewalk that is *not* re-inforced with rebar) on you chest - and cover your face with a small cloth - like a bandana. (this keeps the dust and debris out of your face, but it also makes it so that you cannot see when the hammer will strike the concrete.

When the strike comes - you need to feel it coming - and Kiai appropriately. equalizing your internal pressure with the force of the hammer hitting the conrete - this is what allows the concrete to actually break. otherwise your body just absorbs the force of the blow and you get hurt.

Its just like an earthquake - the shockwaves are what cause the damage.

 

[ProfessorKenpo]

Originally posted by phlux
Usually my Kiai is "SIGGHHHH"

The reason for this is the "IIIIGGGHHH" sound, when said properly firms up your internal organs and abdomin.

Kiai is very important when taking hits - as the whole pupose is to equalise the pressure within your body with the force of the hit.

For example - when breaking concrete over your chest, it is an excercise of both the Kiai - and of your awareness. What you do is lie down - place the concrete slab (we use pieces of old sidewalk that is *not* re-inforced with rebar) on you chest - and cover your face with a small cloth - like a bandana. (this keeps the dust and debris out of your face, but it also makes it so that you cannot see when the hammer will strike the concrete.

When the strike comes - you need to feel it coming - and Kiai appropriately. equalizing your internal pressure with the force of the hammer hitting the conrete - this is what allows the concrete to actually break. otherwise your body just absorbs the force of the blow and you get hurt.

Its just like an earthquake - the shockwaves are what cause the damage.

Breaking concrete on your chest is a parlor trick, easy to disperse the impact of the sledgehammer in the density and area of the block. Truer test would be to just hit them with the sledgehammer with nothing in between, and it won't matter what sound you make.

Have a great kenpo day

Clyde

 

[phlux]

Originally posted by ProfessorKenpo
Breaking concrete on your chest is a parlor trick, easy to disperse the impact of the sledgehammer in the density and area of the block. Truer test would be to just hit them with the sledgehammer with nothing in between, and it won't matter what sound you make.

Have a great kenpo day

Clyde

as I said - it was just an example... hitting someone in the chest with a sledge hammer would be retarded. The point here is not to show how tough you can be - but to practice and understand how to Kiai and why you do it.

Regardless of whatever example you choose to use for kiai - I was just showing that the whole reason for it was to "disperse the impact"

 

[Guiseppe Betri]

The word kiai literally means "energy union." The kiai is utilized when striking or taking a strike ( or fall). I believe the kiai is an outward expression of one's spirit. I also feel that the kiai will ultimately make a strike more powerful as it is the release of energy from within. There is a good article on the kiai on Sigung LaBounty's site: www.thesigung.com.

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Originally posted by Touch'O'Death
Actualy I was taught to say "suh!" and not "ights" (camera... action). Does any one know why one might be better than the other?

I don't know if this is the reason why you were taught it, but it's easier to say "suh!" with your teeth clenched (thereby lessening the chance of a broken jaw).

Trying to avoid life's potholes,
Randy Strausbaugh

 

[Shodan]

I notice a lot of different variations in our studio- but I think most everyone says "ight"..........I tend to vary between that and "aye-awwwwwwwww". I had a instructor for awhile that used to make me laugh when he sparred cuz he made these high-pitched sounds when you hit him.........kinda like Bruce Lee. I think he did it to be funny though.

There is a friend of mine who, when doing a technique will vary all over the place and say "Bip, Bap, Boom, Bang, etc.":asian: :karate:

 

[D.Cobb]

At our school, we pretty much do it any way we like, until we get to advanced classes. Once we acheive advanced rank we are taught to kiai with two distinct sounds.
When striking it sounds a little like 'SAY' but kind of clipped at the end.
When defending we say 'SO' also clipped, almost like you'd see on one of those old movies with someone Oriental in it.

I tell you what, it is a lot harder than you'd think to make a conscious change to what you say, when you are trying to pound someones head and they are doing the same for you. Also when you are saying "SO" and your partner is saying "SAY", and vice versa.

--Dave
:asian:

 

[Sigung86]

Clyde is leading you on! He really kiais with "Antidisestablishmentarianism", or occasionally, "Damn! I didn't see that one coming"!!! :lol:

Actually, any type of yell that firms your muscles, and aligns your internal organs, as you expell air (chi/ki for some folks) and strike or kick, is pretty good.

Have it on relatively good authority that SGM Parker used to use "Pock", or "Pawk" as his sound when he struck.

Hope no one has a mediocre Kenpo day (They suck)

Dan

 

[KenpoTess]

I have a deep from within 'Uhn' that comes naturally for me.. Primal grunt maybe it's called
Exhaling from the diaphragm on impact either when being hit or upon striking.

 

[ProfessorKenpo]

These are the reasons I teach and in order of priority

1)To expel air when you get hit or when you fall so it's not involuntarily expelled from you.

2)To add power to the technique. By expelling air you become less buoyant and able to drop mass into the strike.

3)To scare or intimate your opponent. A loud, short burst of air can actually do wonders to offset your opponent's actions even momentarily.

The sound you make during a KIAI is irrelevant to me as long as you do it correctly, from the diaphram, loud, and short in duration.


Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

 

[jeffkyle]

Originally posted by ProfessorKenpo
Breaking concrete on your chest is a parlor trick, easy to disperse the impact of the sledgehammer in the density and area of the block. Truer test would be to just hit them with the sledgehammer with nothing in between, and it won't matter what sound you make.

Have a great kenpo day

Clyde

Ouch!

 

[Doc]

Some might be interested to know, the actual sound made has an impact on execution, although the general sounds of short bursts fit general rules of "combat breathing." The word "kiai" itself is Japanese in origin and carries with it cultural implications of bushido spirit etc, that do not fit within the concepts of any interpretation of American kenpo I am aware of.

Hey Cobb, ask around about the "5 elemental Sounds of execution." Ed Parker used them in his own execution but did not teach them in general.