Something that
is almost never mentioned in any depth is the Kiai.
When I began we
were shown to Kiai at seeral points in kata.
Most kata 2 kaia. And for Kusanku kata 3 of them. Outside of being shown where
to kiai I can remember no discussion of them, Nor was there any discussion of
what shout to use.
I had a long
history of choir singing, in church and school, so making a loud noise was not
difficult for me, and somewhere I began using extremely long kiai when
competing with kata.
It was not a
constant thing, Often in the dojo working on kata I would not Kiai at
all.
Then, later, I
read a bit about Kiai as a ‘Spirit Shout’, the definition mainly given, and that
it could be vocalized ot performed soundless, at any time in a kata. I also
understood that the shout was referred to as a Kiai, but the sound produced was
not the word Kiai, rather something else.
I began to understand
the use of Kiai, not a fixed point or sound,
rather a focused intensity to use, at times reinforced by sound. But that
focused intensity could be done at any instant, for my understanding.
Far too soon,
right after black belt, I was teaching, and of course taught the youth I was
teaching the same Kiai points I was shown, I
explained what a Kiai was, demonstrating it, and
that the shout was referred to as a Kian, but the shout used was something
different. I used a variety of Kiai that I had
developed.
What I
discovered was that beginners would never understand what they were told, and
when I told them to Kiai, they would always
shout “Kiai” at that point. I also discovered
that for beginners, those under Dan, other uses were often beyond their
understanding.
So Kiai just remained a fixed point in Kata for them, an
introduction to be explored later.
In those years
at the Boys Club of Scranton, at the start of the school year, we would often
perform a demonstration of the students’ karate at the Boys Club for parents
and family friends.
So one year we
began with the kids performing a group Seisan Kata, and using their Kiai. Where they literally would shout Kiai at the appropriate points in the kata. And their
shouting Kiai was with very small child voices.
Then the parents
would give a small titter of laughter when the kids did this.
I could not let
the chance be missed.
In a quiet
steady voice (by intention) I asked all the parents to stand up. Then I
explained what the Kiai was, not the shout of
Kiai that the kids did, rather a very different sound was the future intention.
A shout that could strengthen their technique and also stun the opponent
setting them up for a defensive response. All the time I was speaking softly.
Then I continued
speaking, “What the Kiai should sound like is
something like this.
And then I
blasted a KIAI, with all the force I could
muster behind it.
The parents all
dropped to their seats,
No more titters,
just shocked looks on their faces, and a valuable teaching moment for the kids.
The beginning of a lesson….
Years later we
were no longer doing demonstrations, I had come around to the point that every
class possible was too important to miss. And the parents were always welcome
to watch class too.
No matter how I
taught them, new kids (all of them under black belt) would most often still
shout a weak kiai when doing group kata.
Suddenly, inexpertly I would then respond with a forceful Kata, louder than the
entire group together, and the kids would get the same startled look on their
face.
I continued to
make a point.
But I did not go
further with the kids about Kiai.
I had come to realize that Kyu training was more to
develop the power in technique and stance, that would then be utilized in Dan
training.
Developing a Dan was very important to me. It was helping
them recognize how much there was still to learn, and that they would be responsible
as adults, to chose to train of not train. To learn or to not learn, how much their
choice. For that is what we should be training everyone to be able to do, To
make responsible decisions every time.
For example almost 100% or the youth who reached black
belt, will make the responsible decision to leave karate, as their lives are
more important to them. School, work, military service, marriage, and so forth
are far more important choices for young adults to consider. A very few will
make choices that lead to their return. Those who are already in adult lives,
can decide to undergo into the depths of Dan instruction, as they have already
found a place for karate training in their lives. However in time they will all
come to a point where they face other considerations, and if you have done your
job right, you will celebrate their choice, even if is to move away from other
training.
This making choices is another step in understanding how
to use Kiai.
As I write this audible Kiai is almost an impossibility for me anymore. The weakness
in my facial muscle makes most of my speech impossible to understand. But I can
still utilize Kiai n what kata I practice.
As I have come to understand it kiai is the full use of the body, more correctly
a force enhancer with the use of correct body enhancement, another force
enhancer too.
The vocal version of Kiai, can do more than become a force enhancer. It can serve
to startle someone unexpectedly, perhaps just for an instant, but that instant
allowing an opening to be created in their defense. There are legends that Kiai alone might kill. Of course who can point to
anyone who has really killed with their Kiai. Most likely just the stuff of
legends.
But at close range, of if attacked in an enclosed space
where the sound would be magnified, remember those parents who dropped into
their seats and consider what something unexpected might do.
More likely the other use of kiai, whether vocal or
silent, as another force enhancer, strengthening the force from correct
alignment should be considered.
To develop such ability is a personal journey, working to
make the use of a Kiai when technique is
executed with same.
An instructor can but point the way. The journey is a
solitary path you choose to undertake.
A bit unconventional that all things are not used by
everyone in all karate practices. But a point of view I developed over my
decades working with skilled adepts, each choosing different ways to grow their
art.
Along my way I was shown a method of incorporating some
Aikido in our karate practice, A method where Aikido was integrated into karate
training, both arts being present.
That does not make me an Aikido-ka by any means, but
understanding Aikido a bit because I have done this.
I was shown for example the Aikido that could be found in
Heian Yon Dan,
And on my own found many aikido in Chinto kata.
I also discovered I never met an Aikido book I did not
like. At the same time even a good book would sit on my shelves for many years
before I would realize what it contained.
Back around 2000 I purchased “Total Aikido the Master
Course” by Shioda Gozo. I realized it was a good read, but it took me 18 years
before I realized how much karate was in there, and great links by me between understanding
karate principles from an aikido point of view.
One such moment is where Shioda describes ‘Atemi Striking’
and I see a relevance to Kiai too. The word Atemi meaning the strike, what we use constantly in karate.
“The moment of contact becomes the strike.
The founder, Usheiba Sensei, said, “In a real battle,
atemi is seventy percent, technique is thirty percent.” The training that we do
in the dojo is designed to teach us various sots of techniques, the correct way
to move our body, effective way of using our power, and how to create a
relationship with the other person.
In a real battle, we must use the power that we have
developed in our bodies in the dojo and use it explosively in an instant; we
must decide the outcome of the fight at that moment. In that situation atemi becomes
very important.
In aikido, we don’t use any special strength to apply
atemi, Just like in all the other techniques, we can generate power
through the use of focused energy. For example,
in the case of shomen-tsuki, if you can use the front knee to effectively
transfer off os the power of the forward movement of your body, all of the body’s
energy will be transferred to your fist. Basically, this is the same as the
principle of hiriki no yosei (elbow power movement).
In atemi timing if of course very important. When uke
comes toward you, if you can time it so that you make your strike at the moment
he is off-balance you will be able to hit with great power. Strikes as they are
used in aikido are not limited to just hitting with the fist of tegatana (side
of the hand). If you make contact with the uke with focused power, that is
atemi, si it is possible to use your shoulder, your back, or any part of your
body to make the atemi.
There is a lot to think about there,
The relationship with Atemi and our striking is but one
possibility.
But the way they talk about focused power behind the
striking, does suggest parallels to karate Kiai too. Now an Aikdo-ka mignt not
agree with me, suggesting they are very different things. I just suggest there
are similarities too. And how often do you think about striking an attacker
with your back reinforced with kiai…. Hmmm.
To think… perchance to dream…. And
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