Why Kiyup? - - Chief Instructor's Blog June 2011

The Kiyup (kiai in the Japanese arts), often referred to as the yell used in the martial arts, can have varied purposes and uses depending on the particular art form in question. There is even an entire martial art dedicated to only the development of this yell, called Kiaijutsu.

Athletes from sports such as baseball, football, and tennis have been known to yell, scream, or grunt and their rationale for doing so have similar reasons as in martial arts.

In Han Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do, kiyups are used to:
• Increase power
• Control one’s breath and to focus energy when executing a technique
• Signify a decisive technique or accentuate a technique especially during free-sparring
• Prepare and focus for sparring
• Ensure the breath is not held during exertion
• Disperse blows to the abdomen
• Surprise an opponent and break his or her concentration
• Intimidate or "psyche out" an opponent
• Deter other potential aggressors
• Disrupt an opponent’s nervous system (at an advanced level)

The noise from a Kiyup is transmitted from one’s center, and it involves the abdominal muscles and diaphragm; not from the throat.

The actual sound emitted from each student may sound slightly different. In general, kiyups should sound like “HHHaych” while expelling all the air from the lungs. Mr. Kim taught kiyups to be emitted this way because it forces the body to harden and all the muscles to lock down creating an impenetrable surface.

In Han Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do, kiyups are performed on the following occasions:
• During regular class time stepping into a new stance
• While sparring or entering drills with a partner, the student executes a single kiyup in the starting procedures and at any time during sparring match or drill
• At specific points in the forms; failure to sound a strong kiyup at the appropriate place is regarded as an error
• At the moment of impact of a technique, whether it be a strike, block, or kick

Practicing your kiyups is important and students should take all opportunities (falls and rolls, basics, sparring, self-defense) to practice and to recognize the benefits of kiyups.

Regards,
Kelly

“Kiai literally means 'spirit convergence' or 'energy concentration’ taking advantage of a sound to fuse the maximum efficient force that can be exerted. When using kiai, one is using the utmost life force.” ~ from The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do by Shoshin Nagamine (1907-1997), Founder of Okinawan Matsubayashi-Ryu Karate

Reference
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiai
2. http://www.tkdtutor.com/06Concepts/Techniques/Kiai/Kiai01.htm