Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

a is a short shout uttered when performing an assault. Traditional Japanese

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese. History The word ''d� ...

generally uses single syllables beginning with a vowel. The practice has become a part of Asian martial arts in popular culture, especially in

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expression a ...

s, in writing often rendered in variants such as ''Hi-yah!'', ''Aiyah!'', ''Eeee-yah!'' or ''Hyah!''. A ''kiai'' is usually not the word "''kiai''" itself.

Etymology

The term is a compound of '' ki'' (), meaning "energy" or "mood" and ''a(u)'' (,

infinitive Infinitive ( abbreviated ) is a linguistics term for certain verb forms existing in many languages, most often used as non-finite verbs that do not show a tense. As with many linguistic concepts, there is not a single definition applicable to all ...

''ai''), an emphatic marker. The same concept is known as ''kihap'' in many

Korean martial arts Korean martial arts ( or ) are fighting practices and methods which have their place in the history of Korea but have been adapted for use by both military and non-military personnel as a method of personal growth or recreation. The history of ...

, such as

taekwondo Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In ad ...

and

Tang Soo Do Tang Soo Do (; ) is a Korean martial arts, Korean martial art based on karate which can include fighting principles from taekkyeon, subak, as well as northern Chinese martial arts. From its beginnings in 1944 to today, Tang Soo Do is used by ...

, ''ki'' being the ''energy'' and ''hap'' meaning ''to join'', ''to harmonize'' or ''to amplify'', based on the Korean reading of the same characters; its

Hangul The Korean alphabet is the modern writing system for the Korean language. In North Korea, the alphabet is known as (), and in South Korea, it is known as (). The letters for the five basic consonants reflect the shape of the speech organs ...

spelling is 기합. In the board game '' Go'', the term describes fighting spirit.

Use in martial arts

Students of

Japanese martial arts Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usage ...

such as

aikido Aikido ( , , , ) is a gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Aikikai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practic ...

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...

, kobudo,

kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords ( shinai) as well as protective armor ( bōgu). It began as samurai warriors' customary swordsmanship ex ...

, taido or

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...

(or related arts such as

taiko are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various J ...

drumming) use ''kiai'' to startle an opponent, intimidate, express confidence or express victory. In

, for example, a point is only given by the Shinpan (referees) if the hit is accompanied by a strong, convincing ''kiai''. A ''kiai'' can also be used besides tightening the core muscles to prevent damage to the stomach. The physical aspects of a ''kiai'' are often used to teach a student proper breathing technique when executing an attack which is a common trait adopted by many other foreign martial arts and combat sports. A ''kiai'' is also sometimes used to intimidate. This is especially useful for longer series of attacks such as ''

kirikaeshi , not to be confused with the backwards throw used in sumo and jujutsu with the same name, and with a literal meaning of "cutting repeatedly", is a kendo exercise, combining the practice of attacking and receiving strikes and is meant to develop phy ...

'', ''kakari geiko'' (rapid partner exercise creating openings) and ''uchikomi geiko'' (responding fast to openings made by the partner). Mental imagery techniques are used to teach the martial artist to imagine starting a ''kiai'' in the hara or

dantian Dantian is a concept in traditional Chinese medicine loosely translated as "elixir field", "sea of '' qi''", or simply "energy center." Dantian are the "''qi'' focus flow centers," important focal points for meditative and exercise techniques s ...

; from a physiological perspective, this means the yell should start in the diaphragm, not the throat.

References

Bibliography

* Don Oberloh "The Dojo Desk Reference- Translation of "Hyaku Jiten no Bugei" by Sakiyama Akatsuki. Densho Publications Honolulu, Hi. (2006) This book is now available as an ebook through Lulu, iTunes and Barnes and Noble. * E.J. Harrison, ''The Fighting Spirit of Japan'' Overlook TP; Reprint edition (1988) * Forrest E. Morgan, ''Living the Martial Way: A Manual for the Way a Modern Warrior Should Think'', Barricade Books, 1992, {{ISBN, 0-942637-76-3 Japanese martial arts terminology Battle cries