Kiai, It Could Save Your Ass - I mean Life

Caveat: This post is mine and mine alone. I the author of this blog assure you, the reader, that any of the opinions expressed here are my own and are a result of the way in which my meandering mind interprets a particular situation and or concept. The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of other martial arts and/or conflict/violence professionals or authors of source materials. It should be quite obvious that the sources I used herein have not approved, endorsed, embraced, friended, liked, tweeted or authorized this post. (Everything I think and write is true, within the limits of my knowledge and understanding.)

First, what is the kiai? You would think most martial artists would already know what the kiai is but often you will find that they understand it to mean that, “shout you give at certain points within the kata” at a kata competition. Others will simply say it is a shout used to stun your opponent or adversary. Granted, these may be true but the kiai has a bit more to it.

Literally, when you research the characters/ideograms used for the term you find, “気合 means fighting spirit; yell; clamor; shout; cry; scream; bellow or roar, i.e. noun. 気 means air, atmosphere, spirit, mind, heart, will, intention, feelings, a mood, nature, a disposition, attention, care, a sign, and an indication. 合 means match, fit, suit, join, combine, unite, coincide, and agree.”

In martial arts, in general, it is believed that the kiai is a means to focus our energy into one single movement. If you stop for a moment and read the following post you can begin to get a sense of what I am trying to set up for the foundation of this post.

KIAI - Revisited, posted long ago far far away … http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2011/07/kiai-revisited-posted-long-ago-far-far.html
The Kiai in Self-defense http://isshindo.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-kiai-in-self-defense.html

This post is more of a addition to those postings/articles and is directed toward a more applicable use in a type of assault/violence where it can achieve things such as becoming a “trigger” for you to act, to get-r-done when under a surprise assault that hits you fast, hard and very close. Here is how I see it:

First, the kiai is tied closely to breathing, breathing is tied closely to that diaphragmatic abdominal breathing, the breathing is closely tied to the sub-principle of centeredness, i.e., a focus on our center two inches below the belly button and about half way toward the spine, etc., centeredness helps us to focus and to maintain that focus is the described breathing. The breathing can be forced into the form most martial artist understand from the practice and study of sanchin. Deep diaphragmatic breathing is a method to counter and control the release of the adrenal flood. The kiai, the shout, is a primal shout that requires one to take a deep, deep diaphragmatic breath and then control its exit from the body done by using a strong, loud kiai primal yell. 

That yell, in lieu of the recommended one distinct voul sound many teach, should be controlled by the exhale while creating a very loud deep down diaphragmatic sound that will continue throughout the exhale. In addition, the kiai yell, much like a scream, will attract attention and possibly cause your attacker, your adversary, to drop back into the OO part of their OODA loop, i.e., in other words back toward the observe and orient part where they are saying, “What the %$#@!” The idea is to get your body breathing in a combat mode, to create a primal yell that will control that breathing, to trip your “go” trigger, and to distract and attract, i.e., distract your attacker while attract others to bear witness and create problems for your attacker that could actually end the attack and send the adversary looking for an easier target. 

If you use this as one of your base, foundational, strategies/tactic/technique to accomplish not just one, but three or more goals, to “get-r-done” then it becomes more than just a martial arts yell. In addition, that yell also creates a trigger that focuses your mind on the present moment and allows you to, with adequate training, etc., act by implementing that set of core tactics/techniques that will discourage and dissuade your attacker from continuing and still leave you the methods to stop the attack, etc.

If you train your kiai yell, you practice it along with setting a mind-set/mind-state to get things done, to act and then you create it as a trigger point when any conflict/violence/attack starts then that yell, that kiai, will create the opening you need. 

Doesn’t this make sense. In the old days when stories abound about the martial artists who literally ended the fight before it began by freezing their opponent into immobility so they could either get distance away for avoidance or close distance to act while in the freeze and the OO bounce, wouldn’t that be a good, positive and valid strategy?

Does it also mean that kiai goes beyond merely shouting at a critical moment of application of a technique as witnessed throughout kata, to become a technique/tactic that does not require to apply a technique but proceed either an escape strategy or apply a defensive strategy, i.e., apply your martial arts self-defense?

When I walk around in my environment and when I see things that remind me of circumstances I will visualize and then practice a deep diaphragmatic breath and long controlled kiai yell (silent most times but out loud on occasion - so they won’t call the guys in the white coats).

Primary Bibliography of Self-Defense:
MacYoung, Marc. "In the Name of Self-Defense: What It Costs. When It’s Worth It." Marc MacYoung. 2014.
Miller, Rory Sgt. "Meditations of Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence" YMAA Publishing. 2008.

Secondary Bibliography of Self-Defense:
Ayoob, Massad. “Deadly Force: Understanding Your Right to Self-Defense”Gun Digest Books. Krouse Publications. Wisconsin. 2014.
Goleman, Daniel. "Emotional Intelligence: 10th Anniversary Edition [Kindle Edition]." Bantam. January 11, 2012.
Miller, Rory. "ConCom: Conflict Communications A New Paradigm in Conscious Communication." Amazon Digital Services, Inc. 2014. 
Miller, Rory and Kane, Lawrence A. "Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision-making under Threat of Violence." YMAA Publisher. New Hampshire. 2012
Miller, Rory. "Force Decisions: A Citizen's Guide." YMAA Publications. NH. 2012.
Miller, Rory Sgt. "Facing Violence: Preparing for the Unexpected." YMAA Publishing. 2011.
Elgin, Suzette Haden, Ph.D. "More on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense." Prentice Hall. New Jersey. 1983.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Last Word on the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1995
Morris, Desmond. “Manwatching: A Field Guide to Human Behavior.” Harry N. Abrams. April 1979.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense" Barnes & Noble. 1993.
Elgin, Suzette. "The Gentle Art of Written Self-Defense" MJF Books. 1997.
Maffetone, Philip Dr. “The Maffetone Method: The Holistic, Low-stress, No-Pain Way to Exceptional Fitness.” McGraw Hill, New York. 2000
Strong, Sanford. “Strong on Defense_ Survival Rules to Protect you and your Family from Crime.” Pocket Books. New York. 1996.
and more … see blog bibliography.

My Blog Bibliography

Cornered Cat (Scratching Post): http://www.corneredcat.com/scratching-post/
Kodokan Boston: http://kodokanboston.org
Mario McKenna (Kowakan): http://www.kowakan.com

Wim Demeere’s Blog: http://www.wimsblog.com
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