Embarassed about KI?

Question

you know how in karate they sometimes use forms with POWER where you have to use KI and yell or whatever. im kinda embarassed on doing so, do i have to do it? i havent done it yet but they usually say to do it. theyll say do this kata, then with power, most people do it but i dont, i just joined and im a white belt, do i have to make these noises? its embarrassing to me. if i have to what exactly am i yelling?

Answer 1

well letss c.. to start off. i kno wht u mean, i used to be very embaresed nd exspecialy in competitions.. it is considered ur spirit breath. he chanles ur energy and also can scare an opponet away.. um to get over the embaresment.. well it is kinda hard to, so how ur are jsut going to have to suck it up nd do it.. sry to say that is wht i did... nd the ki is not so much important, the moves are the most important

Answer 2

Good answer by Mito, I just have a couple of things to add. you are never more vulnerable then when you are throwing a technique. A kiai when done properly, by tightening the abdiminal muscles and pushing the air out tightens you up and protects you when you are throwing a technique. When you throw something youleave an opening.

Breathing out also adds strength to what you are doing. Ever listened to a power lifter? When he lifts he exhales. Tennis players grunt when hitting the ball. It is the same concept.

Do not get hung up on what to say. I like to shout die, but that is just my perverse sense of humor at work. More important then volumn is the intent. I can Kiai without making hardly a sound. A kiai is total commitment to whatever you are doing, that your intent is top put everything you have into that one technique. So remember a kiai is more about intent then volume. And everybody is emberassed at first, and yes you have to do it.

Answer 3

There is no specific word to yell. Your school may have some other tradition.

When you yell you are in a way allowing the vocal chords and diaphragm muscles in your abdomen to act as a shock absorber and relief valve system. This is important to allow for the abdomen to move freely when delivering the maximum force you can with a kick or punch or whatever move you are doing. Yelling loudly in an opponents face is also very distracting to the opponent. It gives you a decided advantage over someone who does not train that way.;)

Consider your practice partner who needs to get used to being yelled at like that as well. I found it difficult to get over the self conscious feeling in the beginning to. Now I yell so loud the cymbals on the wall in the back of the school ring.

There is also the psychological release that goes with overcoming the inhibition of allowing yourself to make a laud yell on purpose.

Some schools give credence to the theory of the release of Ki energy. I'm not a big believer in that although I could be convinced, my mind is open. The other reasons I gave are good enough and solid with scientific fact to bear them up. So get over it and yell your head off. OK!!!

Good luck.

Remember a black belt is a white belt who would not give up.

Answer 4

Kia has several purposes, both practical and philosophical.

1.  Practical:  A loud yell alone might scare your apponent, they might think you are crazy and leave you alone, but after all do you really care why they leave you alone.  Kind of like the homeless person walking around the street and talking to themsevles.  Everyone avoids them.

2.  Practical:  It may draw attention and help from other people.  In this case you are better off yelling something like "FIRE" then help or kia as people will come to see a fire out of curiosity, but might be afraid to come if you yell help.  Also fire sirens scare would be attackers the same as police sirens.

3.  Philosophical/Practical:  Kia helps to concentrate all your energy into your attack or block.  Also shows spirit.

Answer 5

It's actually a form of mind assault.

Don't worry... a lot of beginners to tend to be embarassed when doing a kiai.

by the way, Kiai means shout.... You don't have to yell the word "Kiai" when punching, kicking and what not. You can shout whatever you want as long as its what you want. ^_^

Watch this video to see what I mean.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=d0kl3NBmXkk

Answer 6

If your instructor says so i would do it but if he doesn't just breath out hard it's basically the same thing and if someone hits you in the mouth your teeth won't break.

Answer 7

It may make you feel silly but to others it is normal.

Answer 8

The idea behind yelling or shouting at your opponent is that it is very startling and unnerving. Having 'KIAI' (or anything else) shouted at you just before an attack will almost definitely make you hesitate and become more vunerable.

Answer 9

Your embarrassed because your not used to doing it, the more you do it the less embarrassed you will be. In light contact or no contact karate matches when your strike reaches your opponents target and you KIA or whatever, your sure to get the point.

Answer 10

If you're told to do it, you maybe evaluated on doing it. Whether that's important to you or not is up to you. You don't have to yell, and most people don't understand the kiai well enough to be teaching it. It's not simply a shout, it doesn't come from the throat or even the lungs.

Most students do it over time simply out of "fitting in".

When you do kata, work on form. When you do it "with power", visualize yourself striking the opponent.

When you yell, yell anything early on. The three most common end up being "AH!" "TOH!" and "YA!", each with a significance you can find in a previous post on this same subject by looking back a day. Eventually, you may or may not learn to do silent kiai.

Some schools teach "KIAI!", others teach "STOP!" and others teach something along the line of "KST!"

Part of training is getting over yourself and no longer being embarrassed by what you do, keeping your emotions and mind in check. Keep going and don't worry about such an insignificant issue. Just train.

Answer 11

A lot of folks have a shy kiai, especially beginners! You are not the only one. There are reasons behind the yell (focus/power/etc) that you might not understand or feel for a while, but keep at it and it'll come along.