# What does YOUR kaia sound like?



## Whitebelt (Jul 21, 2006)

I thought it might be fun to post what your kaia sounds like and see which is most popular.

My Sifus kaia is a little strange, sort of a nasal, "EIs!" whereas I have the boring old, "Hai".


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## HKphooey (Jul 21, 2006)

My wife says I sound like I am same ***.    (Iass)


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## Sam (Jul 21, 2006)

I don't kaia.

There was a female instructor at our studio for years though who said, "Die!"

Another female instructor has a way of gloating as she says, "Is-sah!", but its usually a joke, as in, haha I got you...


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## stone_dragone (Jul 21, 2006)

Sam said:
			
		

> I don't kaia.
> 
> There was a female instructor at our studio for years though who said, "Die!"
> 
> Another female instructor has a way of gloating as she says, "Is-sah!", but its usually a joke, as in, haha I got you...


 
Mine tends to shift around from a "d-AIh" to a short "hIEGh".

My kenpo instructor prefers to teach a "smooth rolling kiai" sounding more like "B-R-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-rR-TT"


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## SFC JeffJ (Jul 21, 2006)

Mine is kind of "iggggggahhhh". Wow, looks dorky when you type it out.

JeffJ


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## bookworm_cn317 (Jul 21, 2006)

Really soft, bordering on mumbling. Which, by the way, I can't help, because I'm naturally quiet. Though, I have been known to sing loud. And sometimes, when I get REALLY excited, I get loud. Weird, huh?

I think it's a self-conscious thing!


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## Shaolinwind (Jul 22, 2006)

Whitebelt said:
			
		

> I thought it might be fun to post what your kaia sounds like and see which is most popular.
> 
> My Sifus kaia is a little strange, sort of a nasal, "EIs!" whereas I have the boring old, "Hai".


 

I tend to sorta growl "YUH".


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## mantis (Jul 22, 2006)

Shaolinwind said:
			
		

> I tend to sorta growl "YUH".


no you dont. yours sound more like "meowwww"
jk


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## Shodan (Jul 22, 2006)

My 4 year old son (who is a Little Dragon) says "Hiiii-Yaaaaahhhh!!"

  I say "Yabba Dabba Dooooooo!!"  Just kidding (but that would be fun sometime, no?!)  Mine is more like "See-uh, Suh or Eye-yah"

  An old karate buddy of mine who I don't see anymore used to go thru the vowels!!  Each time, it would change......AAAAAA, then the next time EEEEEEE, then IIIII and so on.....it was hilarious.  When he got to UUUU, he'd start all over again!!

  The last seminar I was at, Mr. Planas said none of us should be separating our teeth to yell.  He said anything you say, you should be able to say with teeth closed/clenched tightly so as not to get injured (as much) if you get hit in the mouth during conflict.  Mine doesn't pass the test!!


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## Shaolinwind (Jul 22, 2006)

JeffJ said:
			
		

> Mine is kind of "iggggggahhhh". Wow, looks dorky when you type it out.
> 
> JeffJ


 
A blackbelt I trained with when I was in TSD made a memorable and rather awesome "DOOD!!" sound.  At least equally dorky in type, lol.


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## Shaolinwind (Jul 22, 2006)

mantis said:
			
		

> no you dont. yours sound more like "meowwww"
> jk


 
Hisss! Mrreooooww!


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## BrandiJo (Jul 22, 2006)

iut ...i guess lol or maybe ight (think alright but just but the the last part)


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## theletch1 (Jul 22, 2006)

Mine is a carry over from my Marine Corps days.  Sounds alot like the bark that Marines will give back and forth to one another...kinda like saying "yes" in japanese very loudly and from deep in the hara.

When I am allowed to teach kids class kiais are one of the things that I really stress to the kids during falls.  Most of them will take the fall, pause for a second after the slap out and then say "key-eye" in a conversational tone.


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## Andy Moynihan (Jul 22, 2006)

Only thing I do close to a "kiai" is the same thing I learned back in my boxing days, a kind of "Sshh" effect which tightens your gut and adds the juice to your punch same as the shout would but without unnecessary drama.


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## John Brewer (Jul 22, 2006)

Ice! Ends up sounding more like uussss.


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## fnorfurfoot (Jul 22, 2006)

I tend to use "uusss" whenever I am getting hit.  My kiais for forms are either a loud and short "HI" or it can sound like "HissAH".


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## Andy Moynihan (Jul 22, 2006)

Andy Moynihan said:
			
		

> Only thing I do close to a "kiai" is the same thing I learned back in my boxing days, a kind of "Sshh" effect which tightens your gut and adds the juice to your punch same as the shout would but without unnecessary drama.


 
One thing I forgot to mention is that I like the fact my mouth stays closed during this as well( the jaw is easiest to break whilst the mouth is ajar).


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## ed-swckf (Jul 22, 2006)

mine goes a little like this:  "boo!"


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## soul_sword34 (Jul 22, 2006)

I have several that just come out on their own.  1) Ayahhhhh!!! 2) Dieeeesh!!!! 3) Kyohhhhh! 4) Suuuuuuuu!!!  These are hara sounds I've been developing though Kotonama practice.  I've been told in one non-traditional TKD school to be quiet as I was distracting the studio.


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## tradrockrat (Jul 22, 2006)

Well, when I'm fighting, I don't really kaia at all, just "ssst" and/or "huh" exhales when punching.

In MA forms I use an "Aiyo".  Supposedly, the Guhrkas yelled "Ghurkali Aiyo!" when attacking and then used the Aiyo repeatedly as a kaia during combat, so that's how I was taught.  But honestly - we don't use it much at all.

My teacher taught me, "While they're building indomitable will through kaia - hit 'em"


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## bookworm_cn317 (Nov 12, 2007)

bookworm_cn317 said:


> Really soft, bordering on mumbling. Which, by the way, I can't help, because I'm naturally quiet. Though, I have been known to sing loud. And sometimes, when I get REALLY excited, I get loud. Weird, huh?
> 
> I think it's a self-conscious thing!


 

UPDATED: I'm MUCH louder now! Now my kihap sounds like "Kyuh."


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## kaizasosei (Nov 12, 2007)

that's true, it is better to keep the mouth tightly shut most of the time making sure not to bite on tounge.  if punched with open mouth or teeth on tounge, one is way more likely to get messed up by a hit to the jaw.

j


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## Whitebelt (Nov 13, 2007)

Whoa!

I've just noticed my kaia has changed since I started this thread. Just yesterday during a particularly tiring sparring drill I amazed myself by near deafening my partner with a kind of "Hyarrgh!" noise through clenched teeth.

Lots of interesting posts have been made. Kaizasosei and Andy Moinihan have a good lesson for us. Opening the mouth much in a situation likely to result in getting hit in the mouth is a bad idea. Kaias then should, in my opinion be kept for dramatic effect, forms and perhaps pretending to be a ninja. I hope this thread continues to attract this amount of attention and useful information. 

Josh.


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## MA-Caver (Nov 13, 2007)

Mine hasn't changed over the years... it's still a very loud, high pitched ... *WAAAAHHHTAHHHH! *




(j/k)

I don't tend to make any sound.


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## tellner (Nov 13, 2007)

The closest I usually come is a boxer's or Thai boxer's "sssst". When I'm really raising the old qi it's a sort of snarl/yowl like my cat makes when she's about to get in a fight. It hurts the throat something fierce, but it pulls back the face, bares the teeth and generally says "We are open for business."

My wife goes for longer, more traditional and thoughtful Invocations of the Warrior Spirit. Since she's a poet they have a little more rhythm than mine. A typical one might be:



> Mother****er! *******!


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