I just can't do it right?

Question

I have been having problems with my kihai (yell) I don't like to really do it because I feel self -conscious but I have been trying to do it more. When ever I try it comes out a squeak a weeze or a grunt. Maybe 1 in 6 will actually come out right. But it is starting to get annoying. Please some hints

Answer 1

I'm not sure about the whole kihai, but I know in the army we just scream KILL!!!!!! Its a good way to motivate yourself to follow through with your strike. You don't need to say anything specific. Scream something that will motivate you (i.e. kihai, KILL, or just a plain old yell). Practice with someone to work on your self conciousness.

KILL KILL KILL WITH COLD BLUE STEAL!!!!! RRRRRRRAAWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

The yell should not start at your vocal cords but from your lungs. Take a deep breath and feel the air coming from down low and exhaling through your mouth. A kiai displays exertion of power. You need to make sure that you develop the power behind the yell. You should feel it starting from your body's center and flowing out. If you don't, then you are just yelling.

We concentrate a lot of class time in working on kiai. Doing it right increases power in your movements. Forget about being self-conscience, you need to get beyond that. Get out of your shell and stand out.

Answer 3

There are many different forms of kiai, and they serve many different purposes. The one that's most commonly taught is kangi yaku -- the kiai of "winning". This is not the winning in the sense of the tournament, where you both shake hands and walk away, but the kiai of decided victory over the opponent before anything has been done. This is voiced as "YA!"

The second is a kiai of suki, a proclamation that you're about to strike (tsuki),  and is meant to rattle the opponent, and make him believe he has an unguarded point (suki). He becomes focused on one point, neglecting the others, and indeed offers you suki. This is voiced as "AH!"

Third is the kiai of yaku sohei, which announces your confidence that you know exactly what he's going to do, and in doing this, fluster him into exposing more weaknesses. This is voiced as "TOH!"

By combining these in the mind, they become a voiceless kiai "UM!" called mitsu kujiku. When successfully performed, you create fudo kanashibari.

Kiai should be a way for you to focus your mind. Self-consciousness is the ego finding ways to hold you back. Focus your mind, think only of your breathing, and let the kiai come naturally. Anymore, I never use voiced kiai, but the feeling is always within me, coming from my hara with each moment as intention. Allow it to be a tool, and not simply an embarrassment and feel free to use it, especially during training.

Finally, practice it. Feel it in your hara (abdomen). Let it well up and build. If one in six come out right, then only kiai one in six times. Build it up inside of you, and let the shout come from deep within you. It's not simply a throat yell, but an expression of your energy toward the opponent.

Good luck and keep going.

Answer 4

Would you feel less self-conscious if you were to breathe out hard and quick, rather than Kihai? If you stay in your school, then I think you should ask your instructor about the whole thing because he/she should help you accordingly (And if they're a good teacher, they won't slander you for not yelling), but maybe you could use to breathing out as a stepping stone? Just think of what boxers do. I don't really have a preference, but maybe you can start with just that breathing when you practice your techniques on your own, and then work your way of to Kihai/kihap.

Good luck.

Answer 5

Then try doing it like you're trying to talk to someone very far from you. Making you have to shout out loud to make them hear you.

Answer 6

A good yell comes from the abdomen. Practice exhaling from your lungs by holding your mouth open and relax and push up and out the air out of your lungs. Practice this a few times then add a yell on top of it. Gradually increase the volume of the yell until it is as loud as you can get. You should practice this in some place where you can relax and not be self conscious about it. I used to use the waste basket when there was no one around my lab. You will over time modify your yell to make it your own. I recommend a single syllable word that means something powerful  or important to you.

Sounds a little corny, but it helps.

Answer 7

The important aspects of the 'kiai' are

1. The exhalation of air. It helps to tighten and focus your muscles, as well as your mind, on the target - whether it is one you're attacking, or one you're being attacked at.

and

2. The shouting of 'kiai' is believed by some to help beginning students cultivate and focus their 'ki', which the 'kiai' derives its name from, so that it can be used for attack and defense.

Both of these can function and be adapted to and cultivated without actual shouting of the phrase 'kiai.' Many students will exhale with a whooshing sound, some come out as more of a 'ksssss.' The method is less important than the result (in this case - this is not a rule of thumb for martial arts, or for anything for that matter), so find what works for you and go with it.

However - beware of that self-conscious nature. Unchecked, it can become "i'm too self conscious to train with others' or 'i'm too self conscious to spar or practice partner drills', 'i'm too self conscious to train where others can see me.' etc. It is alright to be aware of the self, but the self must be functional to progress, not hindered and bound by unnecessary clutter of the mind (such as worry ;) )

As a side note - the 'kiai', whichver form of it you choose, should not come from the throat, chest, lungs, or upper body at all, but rather it should come from the diaphragm or 'center' of the body, which is below the lungs and just above the waistline. It is here that your ki (chi,qi, etc.) is believe to be housed, and from here is where your force of exhalation should come from to ensure good, clean flow of strength.

Answer 8

Its probably the natural anatomy of your vocal cords. Some people have different anatomy of vocal cords, which produces strong tones, while others...weak tones. Like I say, it just the way your cords was develope at birth, so there's nothing that you can't do.... Sorry!

Answer 9

I would'nt reccomend yelling kihai in a real fight (unless your doing a presentation or something) because one blow to your teeth while your  mouth is open can break a few, breathing out is basically the same thing and won't damage your teeth :) .

Answer 10

use the force...

Answer 11

whats so hard about it? just yell.