Kiai-jutsu

To many, even martial arts practitioners, a kiai is a loud shout used mainly by karateka and kendoka to emphasize their action, testifying also that they are not mere boxers or wrestlers but trained experts in an Oriental discipline. But to real experts this is a very simplistic or even ‘’naïve’’ approach. Kiai, an art in itself, the kiai jutsu, can be an effective tool for amplifying strength and power, capable of having physical effects on an adversary.

Kiaijutsu can be defined in two ways. Firstly, signifies the art of harmonizing with the universal force. Kiaijutsu, like Aikijutsu (Aiki and Kiai use the same kanji characters in opposite order), is a way of harmonizing oneself with another person in order to make them do what you want. Kiaijutsu can be used to find out another's intent, deceive others about your intent or to manipulate an opponent's strong points in order to gain the advantage in both sport and real combat. It may be considered that kiaijutsu is a psychophysical method to organize one's own energy and will and at the same time, a method of affecting another's inner world. Second is the art of using the shout as a weapon. Kiai can add power to your strikes and kicks, help you overcome fear and pain, and, timed properly, assist you to sustain a blow with less or no injury.

Let’s look in more details. Kiai has nothing to do with what someone sees in tournaments; karateka who scream out a senseless "ki-yah!" or other sorts of odd shouts. Kiai is different from kakegoe. A kakegoe is a simple shout, kiai is something deeper. The "ki" in kiai refers to energy, (chi or qi in Chinese) believed to be an essential force behind health and vitality, but more so, something able to be nurtured, built and stored within the body for use. "Ai" means to meet, harmonize, join or fuse. Kiai is the expression of our energy, ki, through a shout, with the intent to "meet" (-ai) "other's spiritual energy" (ki-), thus having an effect on him. 

In koryu, ancient scools of martial arts, only specific sounds, such as "ei," "toh," "yah," with certain martial meanings in esoteric mikkyo, were used as kiai. Each ryu had special kiai, for the use of spiritual energy’s expression in a vocal explosion. Kiai were like secret mantras; special words of power that should not be used lightly. With a kiai, you attack directly your opponent's spirit with words of power that would literally shock him into defeat. For example, the kiai "yah" resembles the sound and ultimately the force of a released arrow (in Japanese: ya). With this kiai you penetrate, like an arrow, the opponent's spirit.

To perform a proper kiai, one must act like the bow and arrow. Start by inhaling as one would normally do in meditation, expand the stomach and draw Ki into the the hara (or Lower Dan Tien in Chinese). This action is similar to that of an archer drawing back the bow, preparing to fire the arrow. Feel the air in the lower part of the abdomen and then exhale, by tightening the abdominal area and let the air flow out with a "Ha!" sound,  in a way similar to that of releasing the arrow. It is important to note that by tightening the abdominal area, the sound comes from the hara and is not forced out of the throat. In this way, the kiai is expression of energy and as such makes strikes and kicks stronger, assists in overcoming fear and pain and sustaining blows without injury. It is important to keep in mind that kiai is strong mental and physical power that can be discharged with a brief explosive exhalation. The intensity of kiai is determined by the degree of tension in the respiratory muscles, so everything depends on the tension in the tanden.

In koryu, different kiai may be found, however the four more commonly found kiai are presented below. Note that there is no particular word meaning behind the sound used for kiai:

Attacking Kiai: Is a fierce explosion of Ki, through a loud shout, used specifically for making the opponent drop his/her guard for a very short moment in order to open a window of opportunity, suki, for attack. The shout originates in the hara (lower Dan Tien in Chinese) and resonates through the torso with the intent of bewildering, terrifying, and overwhelming the opponent. The low, drawn-out, almost growling sound of "ehy!" would normally be used.

Reacting Kiai: This sound is very heavy, intense, and is used to create a sense of disappointment in the opponent just following a succesful defence against his or her technique. This sound hisses up through the body from the tightened  hara section. The sound "Toh!" is the most commonly used.

Victorious Kiai: A very triumphant and energetic sound used upon a succesful attack to bewilder and discourage the opponent from fighting any further. The sounds "Yah!" and "Yoh!" are commonly used.

"Shadow" Kiai: This is the most powerful Kiai; at the same time the most quiet one. In fact, the Shadow Kiai is silent,  meant to transform your state of mind by simultaneously and spontaneously combining the aspects of the three previous Kiai and bringing one to the highest level of involvement in the fight. In this state-of-mind one is in touch with opponent's Ki, therefore there is no suprise to react to. In this mind-set, the options of winning, losing, past and future are removed and the concept of action in the present is all that exists. The only sound is your breath rhythm to the events. If any sound were to be used, it would be an almost-silent "uhmm" that some use when exhaling while practicing Ki Breathing.  

 Other types of Kiai may be also found in different koryu.

 Considering that Kiaijutsu involves harmony with another's Ki, other skills come about from the practice of this art, such as sensing another's intent before physical action takes place. In a confronting situation someone may feel sakki, or "force of the killer", from an adversary. Sakki is the Ki that is projected outward when one has intent to harm or destroy someone or something. All living, when determined to act violently, naturally project this. If such a force is strong, even average people with no Ki training can feel it. If someone is properly trained, may sense this hostile intent even before the adversary acts. On the other hand, that is why one must be determined to win when enters a sport or real combat engagement. Your strong sakki, appeared very fierce to the opponent, will push him even be to the point that he backs down. With such intent being put to use with a Kiai, you can appear so demonic that you could win with pure intentions alone.

In the past kiai jutsu was a highly esoteric and secret discipline often taught to professional warriors, or senior students of martial arts. However seems that over the last century, as martial arts became popularized, practiced by non-warriors, and turned from warrior arts to philosophical disciplines, a lot of esoteric knowledge as well as technique were lost. Kiaijutsu suffered this fate as well.  Now, if the art is taught at all, it is taught only to senior students in a few ryu, which maintain esoteric teachings. This teaching must not be confused with the practice the kiai, in a basic or simplified form, in many other martial arts and styles or its most common use in competition.

As it has been said the sourse of kiai is one’s hara. To develop your hara and to learn how to use it properly requires special exercise, to include standing and sitting meditation. Since proper execution of these exercises requires good knowledge of energy channels inside the body, this will follow a future series of articles.  However it is important to remember that, when you Kiai you are sending out your intent. If you Kiai with the intent of looking cool, you you'll look cool but it is questionable if you will knock your opponent backwards. If you Kiai with the intent of knocking someone back, the outcome could be different.Its all about intent.

There are many stories about Kiaijutsu and the use of Kiai as a weapon. The teachings of Kiaijutsu say that masters of the art are actually able to freeze multiple opponents or knock people backwards or even knock people over with this skill. Many legends speak of people who could kill small birds from a distance with this shout. Donn Draeger, well known martial artist and author, has also described his experiences. He was highly ranked in many disciplines including katori shinto ryu kenjutsu, a classical school of swordsmanship with probably the oldest historical tradition in Japan. During one of his trainings with Otake Ritsuo, soke of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto ryu, in one high level paired kata he noticed that at one point the two swordsmen were too far apart to have any contact. Nevertheless he practiced as prescribed until one day he felt compelled to ask Otake Soke the meaning of this odd long distance. Although a student is not supposed to question, Draeger told Otake Soke that he didn't understand what was happening. Otake replied, "Get real swords." They began the kata and when that point of distance was reached Otake emitted a thundering shout, at which point Draeger said he was literally thrown backward onto his back. Otake Soke explained, "that part of kata is for 'ki".

How true or authentic these stories are, is not quite certain. However the existence of ki is quite certain and its development and use requires sincere, persistent and longtime practice, provided you believe in it.

By Spiros G. Drossoulakis