Problem with my kiai - Help!

[gunner]

A long time ago, my Buddhist TKD/Kung FU Master explained the Kia to us this way.

Your life energy flows through your body and that is your Chi. With practice, you can learn to focus your Chi to a strike point. The Kia is how you release this energy and will dramatically increase your power and protect you from injury.

I must say, I've never seen anyone his size hit with so much force. I saw him fold a 80 lbs heavy bag in half with a spinning back kick.

[Nidan Melbourne]

Personally Kiai'ing should be done with intent. I've seen many students; both children and adults kiai without that intent and I just stood there laughing because to me they didn't show or startle me with their technique or effort level.

For our Kihon (Combinations portion) we don't necessarily tell you where to kiai, because it should feel right to you. For instance if the combination is Mae Geri - Sanchin Dachi - Jodan Uke (Upper Block) - Chudan Seiken Tsuki - Chudan Uke (Middle Block; yoko uke to some) - Jodan Teisho Ate (Upper Palm Heel Smash) - Chudan Teisho Ate - Mawashi Uke. Often you'd kiai on that last technique, but since it was a block you'd more likely kiai on any of the strikes.

Kata dependent on style you would have usually 2 or 3 kiai's in a predetermined spot and is consistent across the dojos that teach that style. For Instance I know a Goju-Ryu Dojo that has 4 Kiai's in Gekesai Dai Ich instead of the usual 2.

Kumite - my dojo you do Awase Kumite (It is like continuous sparring), Point Sparring (kiai when you want to score a point), and Light Sparring (More contact allowed: Grappling, throws, chokes, joint locks, thigh kicks all allowed. Only technique barred is Kansetsu Geri or Knee Joint Kick)

In relation to getting criticism on how loud or what it sounds like is very different to each MAist that uses it. At my Dojo we only care if it is loud, short and sharp. 90% of my students or those I train with, will yell "KIAI" in comparison will yell something else. Personally I do either "HYAAA" (like Link from the legend of zelda; ocarina of time when riding Epona) or "EISCH" (I have no idea why i do it to be honest)

[gunner]

I have at least three sounds. Sometimes sounds like HITE, KIA or ICE.

Tournament judges like a variation in KIA intensity and sound at different points of the kata. but I mix it up because a kick is different from a block or spear hand.

[Nidan Melbourne]

I have at least three sounds. Sometimes sounds like HITE, KIA or ICE.

Tournament judges like a variation in KIA intensity and sound at different points of the kata. but I mix it up because a kick is different from a block or spear hand.

I believe it also depends on which Tournaments that you attend. I have spoken to a few referees/judges who do only the WKF tournaments and they hate hearing different types of Kiai, they prefer there being two.

The ISKA/NASKA Judges/Referees i've spoken to don't really care about how you do it, as long as its there.

[gunner]

You are probably right Nidan. I'm relatively new to competition Karate kata. Karate kata seems to be much more expressive than the TKD kata I learned in the 80's. Could also be that the kata world has changed a lot since then. My karate instructors are NBL State, National and World champions. I'm just starting to understand competition kata. I've been told that the judges all have different backgrounds and it's not uncommon to have to make adjustments for different regions. I know here in Texas the kias are loud and expressive.

[JR 137]

All this talk of kiai'ing reminded me of a funny situation a long time ago...

We had this group of students around 8th-6th kyu. They kept saying the word kiai when it was time to kiai. My Sensei kept telling them not to literally say kiai, but to shout haia or whatever else they wanted. They kept yelling kiai. One day, Sensei was in a horrible mood (it was at the height of his divorce and custody stuff) and he'd had enough of the kiais.

After repeating himself 10 times in about 5 minutes, he had us all line up and do single kihon techniques as a group, kiai'ing on every technique. 10 minutes into that, he said "if we're going to learn one thing today, it's going to be how to kiai properly!" We did that for an hour straight. Everyone in that class had a sore throat for a good 2 weeks.

Me and another guy kept trying to get other people to say kiai again, just to see how he'd react. We never had the guts to do it ourselves.

[gunner]

Then again there's excessive Kiaing. If this woman were in my dojo, I'd have to find another.

[bushido_man96]

Then again there's excessive Kiaing. If this woman were in my dojo, I'd have to find another.

In my opinion, TKD can get excessive with the kihaps, especially in Olympic sparring.

[Bulltahr]

Then again there's excessive Kiaing. If this woman were in my dojo, I'd have to find another.

OMG!!!!!!!

I imagine her husband has a hearing problem......

[Iskrax]

I shout Kiai because it gives me more power and force. It may also scare opponent.

You don't scream the word KIAI actually. It's the term used for energy shout. Everyone has different kiai, for someone it may be: AHH, for you: BRahhh. A lot of people confuse and they scream word kiai but it's worthless. It should come from your body at the right moment.

My kiai is the loudest in our dojo . But that is my kiai and I'm the one who controls it.

Scream, shout and fight!