The karate kiai is one of many tools in the martial artists "bag of tricks". It is obviously highly visible but probably mostly misunderstood by non-practicers of the arts. The word means to yell or holler while in battle. But it is more than just mouthing off profanities at someone while you are assaulting them. The kiai, or battle cry, is used by the martial artist at specific times and for specific reasons. The remainder of this article will discuss a few of these.
The word kia means literally "the meeting together of energy". The asians and orientals believe that the "ki" is the center of a persons energy and is located about three inches below the navel. It is their version of the soul or spirit of man. As such, the kiai to them is the projection of a portion of their soul/spirit energy, or power, into an object outside of themselves. It is much more than just hollering. The correct kiai starts down low in the abdoman, comes up the throat, and eventually out of the mouth. It will be low in tone, as opposed as high and shrill, and usually employs the use of long vowel sounds usually with a hard consonant at the end. An example would be something like: eeeeeeeeeah, or aiyaaaaup! It is controlled by your breathing. The kiai is utilized while exhaling all of your breath at the same time. So, to recap, kiai is a concentrated focusing and release of one's energy/power into a single technique at an exact moment of time.
The origins of kiai can be traced back to China where it was theorized that the vibrations of sound are the "origin of life". This idea was brought to Japan in the ninth century by a Buddist monk Kukai, who created the Shingon sect or "True work". The science became known to the Japanese as "kotodama". In the martial arts the kiai is usually linked to the inner amassing of energy released in a single, explosive focus of will.
There is also what is known as the silent kiai. It is more mental in conjunction with non-vocal breathing. It is often referred to as "kokyu power". A way to learn and develop the silent kiai is to visualize your strikes as extending beyond, even after your fist stops.
There are lots of stories about kiai masters doing seemingly magical feats with their kiai power. While it is true that some remarkable things can be accomplished with kiai, you should understand that there is nothing magical about it. So don't believe everything you hear about it. If you come across one of these kiai "masters" you should remember this simple truth: If it only works when he uses his students, it probably is a fake. Or, it could be a form of mind control he is using on his students, either consciously or unconsciously. I saw a recent clip of an example of this very thing. When the "master" tried his techniques on the reporter and her crew nothing happened. It only worked when he used his own students.
A kiai can also be applied to help an individual withstand strong blows if it is applied properly and at the same time as the blow is received. An added side effect of the kiai is that it may also startle or confuse an opponent, although that is not the true purpose of it.
I hope this article has helped to explain the karate/martial arts kiai to you. You can find much more information about it online. Some good, some not so good. I've tried to stick with what I know from personal experience.
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