Kiai-Exhale, The Strong Shout By David Stainko KI ( chi ) – inner energy By observing human movement or stillness AI – uniting, joining in a short time interval, it is possible to see two basic possibilities for a person’s e kiai is the consequence of a special kind of relationship to the surroundings in which breathing. It is usually said that it is a guttural they nd or don’t nd support. sound, but the right kiai comes from the abdomen as the result of strong expiration. e complete expiration lowers the unconscious center of gravity of the body in the surroundings e real kiai is the consequence of the where we nd ourselves, while we strengthen the unconscious part of the human being and is central part of the body around which circulate not deliberately provoked. e kiai is largely peripheral attachments under the impact of the connected to proper breathing because the right force of muscle contraction. All life phenomena kiai means the proper expiration, and only the are connected to the process of oxidation or proper expiration enables the proper inhalation. reduction. Without oxygen there is no life. Moreover, the contraction of abdominal muscles while exhaling strengthens the trunk, i.e. the e supply of our cells depends on the transport pelvis as the axis around which extremities rotate. of blood and oxygen by the blood. While contracting, the muscle acquires up to ten times e technique of strong guttural expiration was more blood than when it rests, thus taking in also applied by Zen masters for explaining some more oxygen and glycogen. e input of oxygen ideas to their disciples. ey called it katsu. is just one function of the exhaling function, Dan tien is chinese name for the central point on which also covers the rejection of CO2. e the human body, which is located just below the cells become free of waste products so that navel and it is part of the body that is important they release them into the blood, and this for abdominal breathing. e Japanese name for cleansing particularly takes place in the lungs. the same point is hara. e Greek name for this point is pneuma (air ow, breath or life force). 60 July 2017 / taekwondotimes.com To sum it up, the complete expiration—the self-massage of organs. ese vibrations kiai—is the condition without which there reach to the deepest tissues and nerve cells, is no right and complete inhalation. enlarging the blood circulation in organs. e volume of air that lungs can take is called Endocrine glands that send hormones the “vital capacity.” e aim of numerous directly into blood and lymph are getting breathing techniques is to enlarge that capacity. stimulated (the pituitary, the thymus, Nevertheless, before enlarging it to the the adrenal gland etc.) as well as the maximum, we should use the amount we already sympathetic nervous system and the brain. have as the result of strong expiration (kiai). e vibromassage is particularly important for the e movements of the diaphragm and organs situated in the thorax and the abdomen. the chest speed the circulation in the Such vibrations create electromagnetic waves veins throughout the whole organism. which spread throughout the organism, thus e muscles of the diaphragm are some of the enlarging the life force. Under the impact of this strongest in the human body. e expiration kiai, internal vibration, a person gets rid of depression, which consists of AU, AI, OI or EI, makes the inferiority complex, and achieves mental balance. whole skeleton of the thorax vibrate, which proves As the air is coming from the lungs (kiai) and that vibrations are transferred to the air mass making the vocal cords vibrate, it completely closed in the lungs so that the gentle membrane occupies the consciousness, which results in of alveoli in the contact with the air vibrates, direct economy of nerve impulses or available stimulating pulmonary cells gases replacement. energy for other things. is is the best way e more recent works of western physiologists to get rid of irritability and get back stability report that this vibration has a very noticeable and peace. After all, doesn’t music provoke e ect on endocrine glands, which science various emotions by means of vibrations? Just has been paying increasing attention to. enough to understand kiai, the strong shout. It has been proven that the emission of vowels e kiai plays a unique and noted role in during the exhaling (kiai) causes a vibratory martial arts. e kiai is used in the ght while taekwondotimes.com / July 2017 61 performing strikes, is used in fata, as well as in breaking techniques (tameshiwari). e kiai is also applied in self-defense. When we want to intimidate the opponent or encourage ourselves and, therefore, prepare for the ght (spirit yell). us the strike and the defense will be more e cient. A kiai can be rather loud (scream) or, on the contrary, quite silent (breathing out), it can be longer or shorter, depending on a certain person and situation. In some martial arts the application of kiai breathing technique is highlighted in the names of these disciplines, e.g. in Tai Chi (chi), in Aikido (ai-ki-do), Iai Do (Kendo), in Hapkido (hap-ki-do), etc. erefore, kiai breathing technique is used in Karate, Judo, Kung Fu, Kendo, Jiu-Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, also in wrestling ( when He is a kick boxing and Tang Soo Do coach as throwing the opponent), boxing and kick- wll as a trainer of Karate kyokushinkai. boxing (when performing strikes), fencing He was the European champion in 1986. Jn as well as in lots of other martial arts. 1987 he became a member of the European It is interesting that the strong scream (kiai) martial arts. In 1988 he won the second place can be heard from various sportspersons not in the world championship (WMMAF). only in martial arts but in other sports too. In 1989 he won the silver glove title and the Some examples are athletes (shot putters, coaching licence for Savate-boxing, and a year javelin throwers etc.), weightlifters, as well as later the title 5th dan in kick-boxing (PKA). skiers (when leaving the start). e loud scream Mr. Stainko is one of the founders of various (kiai) can also be noticed in tennis when martial arts associations as well as a federal players hit a strong shot. e list goes on. judge for boxing, karate (WUKO), Tae All of the above demonstrates that the Kwon Do (ITF) and international judge real kiai is not the consequence of willing for kick- boxing and Savate-boxing. to act. On the other hand, it is true that He is the author of a number of articles on it can be trained and perfected. martial arts and sports, and a correspondent Now we understand kiai, the powerful shout! and counselor for several magazines in Croatia David “ Sensei“ Stainko is a Master of and abroad. In 2010 he earned the master title Kinesiology and senior organizer of kinesiological of 7th dan MMS ( Mixed Martial Scientists). recreation living in Rijeka, Croatia. He has e year 2018 will bring him the master been active in martial arts since 1973 and title of 8th dan at the age of 55+ and has advanced black belts in several styles. 45 years of practising and studying of In 1978 he founded the Youth Budokai martial arts (with published articles). Club, the rst of its kind in the former Photo of Ashton Johnson (9 years old, Yugoslavia and one of the rst in Europe. Team Fierce coached by Mackensi He is an instructor of Jeet Kune Do, as well Emory) courtesy of Melissa Johnson as Kung Fu-style Ta Chi and kickboxing. 62 July 2017 / taekwondotimes.com.