Kiai - The Power And Importance

What is Kiai actually? You may often here it as “Aiyah! and Hiyah!” when someone is performing a technique. When I first heard of it, battle cry pop quickly in my mind. You know, to build up aggression and fighting spirit.

Yesterday I keep on forgeting to Kiai every after a technique we practice - that opens up a topic for our sensei. According to him, the main purpose of Kiai is for breathing. When you breath at the right time, you hit harder. But other than that, he stated that…

Kiai can

• Up the ante of your fighting spirit
• Pychological warfare here, you can look to be more powerful with Kiai
• Prepare the upper body for a blow because the air exhales

On the other hand, some people say Kiai has this, uhm… “Power”.

Quote from the video…

The body is approximately 70% water. An expression of kiai causes ripples in this water, which stills the opponent’s energy.

© Kyokushin Karate With A 13-Year Old