Kiai - I don't like it - do you?

[Akikazeninja]

The way i was taught is that every kiai has a different sort of meaning in japanese like instead of yelling a normal american expression when we strike we yell ta kia because its a different language means different things

[isshinryu5toforever]

The way i was taught is that every kiai has a different sort of meaning in japanese like instead of yelling a normal american expression when we strike we yell ta kia because its a different language means different things

No offense to your teacher, but that makes very little sense. A kiai/kihap is just a forced exhalation of breath. It's mostly to help you get more power out of a technique, like the way power lifters or tennis players grunt. I don't think a loud grunt or yell is different in each language. Maybe you could elaborate a little bit more.

[tallgeese]

I'm not a fan.

It's the forced exhalation that's important for stabilizing the interthecal pressure and thus preparing you for a potential counter strike. No vocalization is needed.

Personally, I don't think it scares your opponent any to add vocal components. What it does is telegraph action and destroy any surprise actions you might have intended to make.

It also makes you look more aggressive in the eyes of bystanders. You'd be surprised what non-ma folks perceive when they are outside a conflict looking in.

[Akikazeninja]

The way i was taught is that every kiai has a different sort of meaning in japanese like instead of yelling a normal american expression when we strike we yell ta kia because its a different language means different things

No offense to your teacher, but that makes very little sense. A kiai/kihap is just a forced exhalation of breath. It's mostly to help you get more power out of a technique, like the way power lifters or tennis players grunt. I don't think a loud grunt or yell is different in each language. Maybe you could elaborate a little bit more.

I am not totally clear on what he told me i will check but the way i see it is that it is tradition so i do it, just cuz we do it in a dojo doesnt mean we will do it in a real fight and srry for not being more specific haha

[ninjanurse]

The way i was taught is that every kiai has a different sort of meaning in japanese like instead of yelling a normal american expression when we strike we yell ta kia because its a different language means different things

No offense to your teacher, but that makes very little sense. A kiai/kihap is just a forced exhalation of breath. It's mostly to help you get more power out of a technique, like the way power lifters or tennis players grunt. I don't think a loud grunt or yell is different in each language. Maybe you could elaborate a little bit more.

I am not totally clear on what he told me i will check but the way i see it is that it is tradition so i do it, just cuz we do it in a dojo doesnt mean we will do it in a real fight and srry for not being more specific haha

There are different ways to kiai in certain Japanese forms that are meant to change the expression of energy but I don't recall them having any literal meaning.

[CTTKDKing]

Instructors push yelling or shouting out during forceful movements so that one expels all the air from their lungs so as to not get the wind knocked out of them when taking a hit. My instructor doesn't enforce the work "kihap" which is the Korean word for yell. Some people take it literally when they see kihap, or kia in a form description and think that, that's what they are supposed to yell, when in actuality the word literally means to yell, not yell this. It's irrelevant what you yell as long as you expel all the air from your lungs at those moments in a form. Both of my teachers explained it to me this way, "it's just the fastest method of getting new students to do it. If you gain some experience and feel that yelling is pointless for you when throwing a heavy strike or kick, then as long as you exhale fully when doing so it doesn't matter if you do".

[StrangeBacon]

We usually tell students in the middle of a grading "Show us how much you want this, i want to feel your energy fill the room" the kiai is, 9 times out of ten, the easiest way to express how much you want the next grade while you're performing a kata, when performed at specific points however, just kiai'ing randomly shows me that a student doesnt understand what the kata was designed for i.e number of attackers, sections ect.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Those points are right on, but he had mentioned what sounded like specific words. I understand ki flow theories, well as well as I can for not being a Chinese medicine student, but I don't know what he meant about different meanings IN Japanese.

[Oni Kudaki]

Kiai is important but the way you pronounce it is not. Hell, mine sounds sometheing like "tseyah!"