I can't hear you!!!!

[LiERO]

one thing that no one has mentioned (i think) is that a kiah is often used to teach the lower grades to breathe. when doing techniques, especially in sparring, lots of lower grades hold their breath or forget about it. When an instructor tells the people to kiah it opens their airways and forces them to INHALE as well as EXHALE

[Jiffy]

I'd have to disagree with that one. In my experience, most beginners do the kiai incorrectly as well. The normally and push the kiai out from the throat as opposed to pushing it out from the "Hara" (centre of energy, but in english would translate to the abdomen area)

[jaymac]

When running a sparring ring, I do encourage the younger students to kiai because they are using little force behind their strikes. When they kiai, they tend to move in quicker and strike harder and emphasize the blow. I know personally, I do not kiai much while sparring but I make sure I am not holding my breath either. I have gotten the wind knocked out of me before because I wasn't breathing properly.

[AngelaG]

I have noticed that when sparring beginners tend to Kiai on every technique (What we refer to as Chihuahua syndrome). People who are more adept at sparring will choose the technique they want to be the "killer" shot and only kiai on this. If you are going to use kiai to psyche an opponent than overuse will diminish the affect. Set up shots, fakes and long combinations do not require a kiai on every technique, and in fact you just kind of end up sounding and looking a bit foolish.

[ninjanurse]

I have noticed that when sparring beginners tend to Kiai on every technique (What we refer to as Chihuahua syndrome).

HEHE!! What a mental picture I just got!!!

[Jiffy]

I too have noticed beginners doing this and I completely agree with you. It is funny, but once you get further up in the Martial Arts, pick the one that is going to do the damage, and put everything you have into that one.

[bushido_man96]

I have had beginners who will not kihap in sparring, and then we get on them to start, and then they never stop! I have also had a student who was the opposite when he did his forms. He would hold his breath when he did his forms! We kept telling him that if he kept this up, he was going to pass out while performing!

He never did quite shake it. Had to keep telling him to breath.

[Akaratechick]

that is funny, now I just got a visual of someone turning blue and passing out while doing forms. ha ha.

[Zorbasan]

in the 4 MA schools i have been to, they all had different opionions on when to kiai (while doing basics not in kata)

1 WTF tkd school was the first of the technique. so say you are doing low block, and change to high block, there is a kiai.

2. ITF tkd school, kiai on all attacking moves, not blocks

3. shotokan karate, generally we kiai on the last technique in a set, usually the fifth. ie, moving forwards, 5 times kiai, then move back 5 times and kiai.

4. WTF school. kiai on everything. even swapping stance. CRAZYNESS.

[shotochem]

I disagree with all of you.

A mighty Kia!!! Will allmost always disable all but the bravest of my opponents.

(Did I mention I love to snack on raw oinoins and chew a few cloves of garlic before every sparring match?)