Sound Power

Many Americans might associate the martial art term kiai with the loud shouts commonly used in martial arts as a means of focusing energy; often just prior to the instant of impact. The Japanese term kiai ( , ) literally means concentrated spirit and is a compound of two words: ki (), like in Aikido, meaning mind, will, turn-of-mind or spirit ai (, ), like in Aikido, being the contraction of the verb awasu (), signifying to unite

What few people realize is that the loudness of the kiai sound is far less important than its other qualities. Much as the western example with a classical opera singer breaking a crystal glass; the power of the kiai is not so much a function of its loudness. More significant is that: The sound is originated by an air column that is strongly supported by the abdomen through the diaphragm. The sound has focus; both directionally and tonally (i.e. harmonically).

In martial arts a kiai can be used either to strengthen the force of a blow or to strengthen the body to receive a blow. There are many well documented cases of a kiai being used as a weapon to disable an opponent without a blow being struck at all. This should not be too surprising to us. One of the first lessons that most cadets learn in police academy is about the power of an authoritative voice . However, the use of the kiai as a stand alone weapon is a very advanced form and also heavily dependent on the specifics of the situation. A common misconception about the kiai is that it requires the pronunciation o f the sounds ki ai. This is not correct. A variety of sounds are used in martial arts, depending on the circumstances. For example, in traditional Japanese fencing, four primary kiai sounds are used:

Kiai Sound Fencing Application ei cut yaa receive iei guide toh withdraw
Consider this poem by Morihei Ueshiba (A.K.A. O-Sensei), the founder of Aikido: Ei!! Cut down the enemy Lurking inside oneself And guide all things with shouts of Yaa! And Iei! To the enemy lurking within Cut with Ei! Receive with Yaa! And guide with Iei! See things clearly, And shout Ya! And pick up the beat. Do not follow the opponents lead. Penetrate reality By mastering the Kiai Yah!
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Training for Life

Sound Power
Closely related to the kiai is the Japanese concept of kotodama (i.e. or power words or soul song). The idea behind kotodama is that the human production of certain harmonic frequencies generates physical or mental power. This idea of healing through chanting is as old as human history and found in many cultures. However, the underlying principles have seldom been scientifically studied. As a result, the advent of western medicine has tended to dismisses traditional use of chanting for health as superstition or at best, psychosomatic delusion. Yet some contemporary scientist are now going back to look at he relationship between healing and sound vibrations. Scientists have noted that exposure to the same frequencies at that same 20 and 50 Hz frequencies found in house cat purring (a kind of non-human chanting) induces increased bone density and may have other benefits. Japanese kotodama focuses on certain vowel sounds which are not stand-alone words. These kotodama vocables have open sounds that are similar in nature to the bel canto (i.e. beautiful singing) sounds used in European romance languages for classical opera.

Kotodama Vocable Pronunciation Traditional Japanese Connotation A ah, father earth, emotion O rose, old water, memory U true, smooth spirit, reflection E grey, save fire, judgment I machine, easy heaven, intuition
White many styles and schools of kotodama exist, they all have some basic principles in common. Typically these sounds would be chanted as slow tones with a low pitch that would enhance the resonance of the sound; even to the point of producing overtones (i.e. extra sounds created when sound waves of harmonious frequencies merger together - sometimes referred to as the extra voice. This phenomenon is frequent in barbershop quartets and other singing styles that specialize in tight harmony). The chants are practiced either alone or in groups and are always done with strict attention to posture and breathing. The raw physical power of these sounds can be demonstrated in old time applications like yodeling. The focused production of these pure vowel tones can create a sound which can carry for miles - very handy in the days before cell phones and something that transferred to the Swiss Alps to the American cowboys on the open range and from there to the Hollywood Tarzan movies. The emotional evocativeness of these sounds has lead to their application in diverse musical forms in Western music; ranging from early European Gregorian Chants, to Handels Alleluia Chorus . The use of these kotadama vocable sounds is also characteristic of the traditional Native American music of the plains Indians. Small wonder that American cowboys incorporated modified forms of Native American vocable music into the songs that they would use to calm cattle (e.g. get along little doggie, yippie-ki-yi-yippie-yi-yea). When it comes to martial arts; the purpose sounds can be for healing and every-day living as well as for combat.

2008 Wheatbelt Aikido, LLC

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Training for Life