Kiai

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The Kiai [ ki.ai ] ( Japanese 気 合 and 気 合 い and 氣 合 ) is a battle cry that is used during an action in the Asian martial arts (Japanese Budō ). There are two forms of kiai: the voiceless kiai with an audible exhalation and the voiced kiai with a loud scream. As a battle cry, the word "Kiai" is not called, as is wrongly assumed by many beginners, but any syllable or syllable combo specified in the dojo . Great emphasis is also placed on correct breathing technique, in which the kiai is generated through abdominal breathing , not chest breathing .

The kiai is an essential element in many martial arts and serves several purposes:

  • Temporal and spatial coordination of physical energy and psychological attention to the executed punch, kick or throw action (Japanese kime )
  • Maintaining inner tension and aggression after a successful hit (this enables you to continue fighting without losing concentration due to joy or relief) (Japanese Zanshin or Zan-Shin)

In karate, there are two kiais in almost every kata , which are usually expelled by karateka using fast and powerful techniques. An exception (with the Shotokan Katas) is the Kata Wankan , which has only one Kiai at the end. The first battle cry occurs around the end of the first half, the second often marks the end of the kata. There are exceptions here too, such as B. Heian Shodan , Heian Yondan , Heian Godan or Bassai Sho . Of course, Kiais are also used by the Karatekas in elementary school, kumite and free fighting in karate for a variety of reasons.

For many beginners, using a loud, voiced kiai is associated with some sort of psychological inhibition. Possible reasons are that loud shouts are frowned upon in everyday life and you feel uncomfortable when you are loud alone.

In the Korean martial arts the cry is called Gihap (Kor. 기합). The Taekkyon battle cry has some special features .

Origin of name

The word comes from Japanese and is made up of the terms Ki ( Japanese氣 and 気, "inner life energy") and Ai (Japanese 合, "unity, harmony"). Kiai can therefore be translated as “being one with the inner rhythm”.

Kiai at kendō

The hit areas in Kendō have their own names ( Kote , Men , Dō ), and these must be named loud and clear for the hit to count. Even with basic techniques, the names of the hit areas are usually called out loud to convey that the hit was not a product of chance, but was achieved with full intent. At the beginning of Shiai there is also the kake-goe , loud, energetic, sometimes shrill calls or screams, mostly on the syllable "Yaaa", which serve to intimidate the opponent and build up inner tension. There are certain breathing exercises with which the kake-goe can be trained in a targeted manner.

There are also kake-goe and kiai when performing a kata . There the kake-goe takes place with certain striking techniques, which the Shidachi exclaims with “To!” And the Uchidachi with “Ya!” The kiai is more intense here than with the Shinai kendō.

The kiai coincides with the kime . A cut / hit is only valid in Kendō if it is carried out with conviction and if Kiai, the harmonious movement of the entire body and the impact of the weapon take place at the same moment. Well done, the kiai itself can be a weapon, as posture, movement and use of the voice will throw an attacker off balance; H. can be intimidated or confused (external psychological effect). Ejecting a Kiai also has a motivating effect on the performer (psychological effect inward). The Kiai is an essential component or prerequisite for learning the techniques.

literature

  • Oshima Kotaro, Kozō Andō : Kendo. Japanese sword fighting textbook. Weinmann, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-87892-037-7 .
  • Hiroshi Ozawa : Kendo - The Definitive Guide. Kodansha International, New York 1997, ISBN 4-7700-2119-4 .
  • Sasamori Junzo, Gordon Warner: This is kendo ... the Japanese art of fencing. Weinmann, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-87892-025-3 .
  • Yoshihiko Inoue: Kendo Kata. Essence and Application. Kendo World Publications, sl 2003, ISBN 4-9901694-1-7 .
  • Kōichi Tōhei: The Ki Healing Book. Self-healing through the activation and control of Ki. Goldmann, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-442-21830-1 , ( Goldmann 21830 Arkana ).
  • Kōichi Tōhei: Ki in daily life. Kristkeitz, Heidelberg 2003, ISBN 3-932337-42-5 .

See also

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ Dr. Ulrich Apel: Wadoku Jiten - Japanese-German Dictionary. Kiai  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Accessed November 26, 2009@1@ 2Template: Dead Link / www.wadoku.de  
  2. ↑ Hans-Jörg Bibiko: Japanese-German Kanji Lexicon. Ki ( Memento of the original from December 28, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Accessed November 26, 2009 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / lingweb.eva.mpg.de