Did your parents ever raise their voices at you when you were a kid? Surely not, but mine sure did. My mom had five of us to contend with and she used her voice like a ring master. As a matter of fact, she got so used to yelling at us that even when she said tender things like, “I love you” it was like she was telling us from down the street.
But when Dad yelled…holy cow. That was an entirely different scenario. My dad worked long hours and didn’t like to be disturbed with such things as shenanigans at the dinner table or the occasional arterial bleed. Most of the time, you just got the “dad stare.” Do you know what the “dad stare” is? My dad would give us one of those looks Clint Eastwood was famous for right before he shot somebody in a movie. If you got the “dad stare” in our house, something life changing was about to happen.
But when Dad raised his voice, he seemed to be able to summon demons. Even my older brother, well-known for his general lack of common sense and wisdom when it came to heeding our parents, froze when my dad yelled. A former football player and marine officer, Dad knew how to get our attention. He never had to spank us because he had mastered the “spirit shout.”
Martial artists are often known for their “spirit shout,” or kiai. Pronounced “key eye” this unique form of voice inflection has been used for centuries by warriors around the world, particularly by Asian martial artists. According to the book, Secrets Of The Samurai by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, the warrior class had developed the kiai into its own art form known as kiai jutsu.
Like any other weapon, the kiai must be honed and practiced. It is not simply shouting at your adversary. Think of it as directing a sound wave at an enemy. In my humble opinion, karate and kendo practioners generally understand how and when to use kiai better than most when delivering an attack. A well-timed kiai can momentarily stun an opponent while at the same time providing a certain “power boost” to the user. Don’t believe me? Ask any power lifter, discus thrower or football player and they will confirm my statement. The art of yelling will indeed provide one with a shot of adrenaline, but it can be misused.
Western martial arts students often struggle with kiai because they think it sounds weird and makes them look silly. Interestingly, a paradox exists between American and Japanese martial artists in the use of kiai. The Japanese are well known for their polite and quiet nature until [some] are practicing in a dojo. I vividly remember one of my aikido teachers who, also a master of kendo, scared the snot out of me with his kiai. Americans, on the other hand, can often be loud and obnoxious (not all of us) until they train in a dojo. Try to get somebody to kiai and they can’t bring themselves to do it. Most of the time, a new or even advanced student’s “spirit shout” sounds more like they are getting gut-checked.
Kiai was explained to me once as a “gathering of spirits.” Not just your spirit, but the spirits around you, around all of us. This explanation came from a friend of mine in Japan who studied several martial arts including Iaido. The idea of “spirits all around us,” does not just mean people but all living things, even the trees, plants, etc. It is a well-known concept in religions such as Shinto, and as many of us know, entrenched in American Indian culture. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could get all the spirits around you to fight on your side like Aragorn in Return Of The King?
Ok, it doesn’t work quite like that. As I said, kiai has to be honed and practiced. You have to learn to use your abdominal muscles and condition your vocal cords so as not to cause excess pain or injury. Yes, you can damage your vocal chords with kiai. It is a guttural eminence with a specific tone and pitch. And no, it is not performed by shouting, "keeeey eyeeeee!!!"
I might be a little biased, but one of the reasons I enjoy karate so much is the fact that I get to practice kiai whenever I go through my forms or kata. I think many American karate students do not understand how kiai is used, particularly in the study and practice of kata. It was not meant to be a random shout, but a well-placed, well-timed tool to confuse and bewilder an opponent while providing the user with momentary exhilaration. And, like many facets of Japanese Budo, it is often over looked or misused.
Kiai, along with a great deal of practice and conditioning, is a vital part of board-breaking, sword cutting and atemi -- precision striking. It can be used to harness anger, direct power and strike fear into the heart of an attacker while quelling your own. If you are a martial arts student, I hope you research this aspect of training thoroughly. In the dojo, don't concern yourself with how you look or sound. You are most likely wearing "white pajamas" anyway, for cryin' out loud. Let it out and be yourself. While there is a method to kiai, the sound is unique to the individual just as the arts you practice. Just like your own, individual spirit.
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
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