Kiai
Well, it occurred to me that a couple of months ago, I said that I was going to write something about kiai, commonly known as the “karate yell”. It is a very important aspect of our training and I am remiss in not discussing it earlier, so here goes. I usually teach only a few things on the first day someone starts, these are: dojo etiquette, tsuki, age-uke, soto-ude-uke, gedan barai, zenkutsu-dachi…and kiai. I always explain that it is differentiated from regular yelling since one must learn to bypass the lips, tongue/teeth, and throat altogether to get it right. The usual sound of a good kiai, therefore, are vowel sounds: A, E, I, O or the soft U (my personal favorite is the A). Interestingly, when I started, I copied some of my sempais and used the “Toh!” or Soh!” sound. A good kiai starts with a powerful/quick contraction of the stomach muscles. This horizontal movement inward, coincides with the forceful upward move of the diafragm, which in turn, releases a short but loud and clear kiai that is projected with much vigor and strength. Again, the kiai bypasses the lips, tongue and especially the throat. Most commonly, beginners tighten [...]