KIAI

            A complete martial art education includes not only the basic movements like strikes, blocks, throws, holds, and escape techniques; but it also includes an education of the mind and spirit.  The Kiai is an integral part of this education.  It serves multiple purposes ranging from getting the attention of sparring judges to helping avoid injury.  The word kiai can be broken down to two parts, “ki,” meaning the energy or spirit, and “ai,” meaning “to join, unite, fuse, or harmonize with.” Thus, the derived meaning is “uniting the spirit.”  In his book The Fighting Spirit of Japan, E.J. Harrison defines kiai as “the art of perfectly concentrating all one’s energy, physical and mental, upon a given object with unremitting determination so that one achieves one’s goal.”  Proper use of the kiai involves knowing how to use it, and the purpose for using it.  First we will focus on the how, from which we can discover the purpose. Moving further we can investigate the ki energy itself.

            The proper technique for releasing a kiai involves not only making the sound, but also giving proper breath support in conjunction with proper muscle tension.  Breath support during the execution of a kiai requires the student to breathe deeply through the abdomen and exhale sharply upon the impact of the technique.  This is followed once again by normal breathing until the next kiai is to be delivered.  The muscle contraction is a simple forced stop of the airflow by the diaphragm resulting in the tensing of not only the abdomen but also the arms, legs, and neck.  This technique allows the muscles to work together to deliver a much stronger strike or block.

            Myomoto Musashi defined the three types of kiai in his The Book of Five Rings: pre-emptive, in-fight, and victory.  These categories show us when a kiai should be used.  A ‘pre-emptive’ kiai is used to scare the opponent or draw him off guard long enough to strike.  At the same time, it releases fear and doubt from the student.  An in-fight kiai is slightly more complex. It serve multiple purposes: adding a psychological attack to complement the physical; focus concentration, improve timing, breathing, movement, and power; prevent injury; and get the attention of others not involved in the actual conflict.  Adding the psychological aspect of an attack can be advantageous to any martial artist, as it can help create openings in the opponent’s guards and attacks as well as inform the opponent that there will be no easy victory.  An in-fight kiai provides additional focus and power by forcing the student to tense the proper muscles at the same time.  Simply by expelling the air in the chest and stomach, an in-fight kiai also helps prevent injury.  Muscles become firmer and provide a much needed defense from having “the wind knocked out.”  More seriously, if kicked in the chest while holding the breath, the sudden rise in pressure can actually cause the heart to fibrillate, which is, of course, very serious and potentially fatal.  By alerting others to the conflict, the in-fight kiai can have several applications.  It can raise the overall spirit and morale of a class of students.  It may deter other potential attackers, and more importantly it can simply alert bystanders to the fact that someone may need medical attention.  Finally, a ‘victory’ kiai is simply that: a kiai to signify victory.  This is yet another way to ward of potential attackers, or to simply release muscle tension and enjoy a well-earned victory.

            Ki energy is of course an integral part of the kiai, whether real or mythical.  The ki energy is simply the life-force that our body creates.  Many stories of great feats revolve around a person’s ability to manipulate ki energy of themselves or others.  The Japanese, in fact, had an entire martial art built on that very concept.  Kiai-jutsu focused on the use of ones ki energy as a weapon vocalized through the kiai.  It is rumored to have allowed its practitioners to win battles without ever coming to blows, simply by focusing their ki into one powerful kiai that paralyzed their opponents. Ki energy also plays a great role in personal healing.  Acupuncture, for example, places needles at specific points in the body to re-align and focus the ki.  This is believed to improve general health and bring about wellbeing of the body, mind, and spirit.

            Even the entertainment aspect of Japanese culture has embraced the idea of ki energy being able to be focused into a forceful weapon.  Popular Japanese anime such as the Dragonball series have the characters focusing their ki energy to accomplish superhuman feats. They are able to focus the ki into visible balls of destructive energy that can be used as projectile weapons.  By pushing their ki in a downward path, even the power of flight has become available to such characters. American pop culture also has adapted the concept of ki into its entertainment genres:  D.C. Comic’s Superman used sheer willpower to give him the ability to fly; video games allow energy generated from the body to perform certain techniques; and the vast Star Wars universe has The Force in which all creation generates energy that the Jedi draw upon for their power.

            While we still have much to learn about the energy we try to control, we have certainly seen many of its practical applications. From ancient Japanese heritage to today’s pop culture, Ki energy and its uses play a surprising role in the martial arts and in our every day lives.