Kenpo and Kiai!

[Wickedwayz]

The purpose of Kiai as i understand it (and you can say it anyway you like , grunts , uh- sounds , rolling growls ) is to 1)expell air from your lungs faster and in turn give you more power 2) using sound to distract and throw off your opponent (i.e. shock value ) and in shotokan at least kiai is inserted in kata at supposedly powerful points or at the climax and the end of a kata . personally I like yelling kiai (not hi-ya ) while delivering a powerful blow, i think most arts have a similarity like you say so grunt or growl , bruce lee and his WAaaaaa nosies all basically release air ( less air in yor body the more solid it is , if you have to take a hit ) and to distract , ever go over a dip or bump in your car that sounds bad and say ouch or cringe just a little , same principle , yell KIAI! as you knife hand someone on the base of the neck and not only will it hurt thier body will usually automatically "say ouch " just my 2 cents.

[parkerlineage]

You have a good point about the cover/check thing, but I've always been told (and this perhaps may differ between instructors and dojos) that a check was more of a parry, and that a cover basically was taken in context between hands and feet.

 

Of course, I could be wrong.

[delta1]

...I've always been told (and this perhaps may differ between instructors and dojos) that a check was more of a parry, and that a cover basically was taken in context between hands and feet.

 

Could be different in other schools, I suppose. But, as defined by Mr.Parker in Infinate Insights, a check is a hand/guard placement in anticipation of an opponents move. It guards a zone or quadrant, and is in battery to be used as any defensive or offensive move. A cover is a foot maneuver which takes you from facing one direction to another.

 

By the way, I just got a set of Infinate Insights about a year ago ('bout time!), so now I too can be one of those obnoxiouse jerks that goes around quoting "According to Mr. Parker in II, vol ___, pge ___, para ___... ad nauseum!

[delta1]

Back to the kiai: has many purposes, as has been discussed. But, regarding its purpose in helping take the hit- it expells a little air and tightens all the muscles of the abdomen, including the diaphragm. When we say 'someone got the air knocked out of them,' what really happened is they were hit hard in the stomache, the air in their lungs was violently compressed, and the diaphragm went into spasm. Extremely painful, and of course you can't breathe, which makes it hard to continue to fight. Tightening up, expelling a little, and pre compressing your air help you prevent going into spasm.