ARTICLES

Kiai

By Steve Bodnar

While the ‘kiai’ or karate yell is meant to be a ‘Power Yell’, it is sometime difficult for beginners to muster much more than a little ‘squeak’.

An excerpt from the book “Martial Arts” by Peter Lewis provides some insight into this important technique:

“The kiai is a shout of power…  The kiai shout summons extra energy, a vital surge of adrenalin.  This shout is usually made when performing a karate technique, and is executed at the moment of impact.  The force behind this yell must be initiated from the very depths of the lower abdomen and, when performed with the correct control and timing, can stun an opponent.  The masters of old were even said to have been able to knock a person out with a correct application of a kiai. . . All karateka learn this shout of power right from the start of their training.  Even when practicing kata, kiais afford the

practitioner the maximum power at vital points in the solo

exercise. 

The principle behind a kiai is firstly to create a surge of energy just at the right moment.  Secondly, because the kiai occurs at the moment of exhalation, the diaphragm is empty of air and should an opponent strike at that very moment the defender is not caught with a lung full of air and consequently winded.  The added bonus of emitting a kiai during a fight is that the unsuspecting assailant will probably be frightened by this sudden scream.  It can make all the difference between winning and losing.”