Mauthos
2nd Black Belt
If your external kiai can match your internal one then there is no limits to how loud you can be... 
loud in class
- Thread starter donald1
- Start date
Zero
Master Black Belt
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2006
- Messages
- 1,284
- Reaction score
- 297
Funny thing this whole kiai thing.
I never needed it personally for knocking people out in tournament or the few street fights I have been in. I have not experienced it from others in full contact either. Seems pretty much a sport-karate device or for demonstrations
I have used noise to fluster less experienced fighters in sparring and this was shown to, and used on, me by my sensei when I first started sparring him. This is an entirely different thing however and is more of the psycholigical "warfare" department.
I would go so far as to say that I think from a biomechanical perspective the application of kiai, or the release of pressure through vocalisation, is actually wrong in the context of fighting and applicaiton of strikes when fighting. I have powerlifted when younger and still lift pretty heavy and acknowledge that the release of pressure via sound under extreme exertion is natural and may at times even be required for maximum lifts or exertions of strength. This may also be the case when doing high level "breaking" feats.
However, to be good, a strike fighter needs to execute his moves without effort and at ease. Exertion under strain just does not equate to a powerful, knock-out punch or kick. Obviously the correct muscles need to be engaged with execution at speed but the strike is generally of a fluid nature in a dynamic fight environment. I don't see how a kiai is beneficial or necessary to improve one's strike in a fight setting. It is rare to execute a punch, unless one is certain the opponent is shaken so badly, with the amount of exertion and strain that would naturally generate such a noise as a pressure release or pressure amplifier. In a potential five or ten round setting (in full contact tournament context) you do not fight in such a manner with such a drastic energy expenditure.
You simply do not need the kiai in anyway for the amount of power needed to generate a knock-out or damaging strike. The beauty of a knock-out punch or kick is predominantly in the technique and skill of execution.
I am not a sports doctor but have fought and competed for many years and during my early/mid twenties at high level and have had training from some very good fighters. But other views and - more importantly - reasoning behind those views would be welcome on this (as no doubt many karate and other MA practitioners will feel very wedded to the whole kiai concept). This subject may no doubt have been done to death on some other thread so apologies if that's the case. But I think my observations have some merit.
I never needed it personally for knocking people out in tournament or the few street fights I have been in. I have not experienced it from others in full contact either. Seems pretty much a sport-karate device or for demonstrations
I have used noise to fluster less experienced fighters in sparring and this was shown to, and used on, me by my sensei when I first started sparring him. This is an entirely different thing however and is more of the psycholigical "warfare" department.
I would go so far as to say that I think from a biomechanical perspective the application of kiai, or the release of pressure through vocalisation, is actually wrong in the context of fighting and applicaiton of strikes when fighting. I have powerlifted when younger and still lift pretty heavy and acknowledge that the release of pressure via sound under extreme exertion is natural and may at times even be required for maximum lifts or exertions of strength. This may also be the case when doing high level "breaking" feats.
However, to be good, a strike fighter needs to execute his moves without effort and at ease. Exertion under strain just does not equate to a powerful, knock-out punch or kick. Obviously the correct muscles need to be engaged with execution at speed but the strike is generally of a fluid nature in a dynamic fight environment. I don't see how a kiai is beneficial or necessary to improve one's strike in a fight setting. It is rare to execute a punch, unless one is certain the opponent is shaken so badly, with the amount of exertion and strain that would naturally generate such a noise as a pressure release or pressure amplifier. In a potential five or ten round setting (in full contact tournament context) you do not fight in such a manner with such a drastic energy expenditure.
You simply do not need the kiai in anyway for the amount of power needed to generate a knock-out or damaging strike. The beauty of a knock-out punch or kick is predominantly in the technique and skill of execution.
I am not a sports doctor but have fought and competed for many years and during my early/mid twenties at high level and have had training from some very good fighters. But other views and - more importantly - reasoning behind those views would be welcome on this (as no doubt many karate and other MA practitioners will feel very wedded to the whole kiai concept). This subject may no doubt have been done to death on some other thread so apologies if that's the case. But I think my observations have some merit.
A little bit of a late entry to the thread, but...from my experience, you need to be as loud as a senior student tells you to be. I get told to crank it up all the time because I forget to kiai when I am focusing on correcting something, which is always. ;-)
