Kiai

[iand]

Does anyone have some practical tips for improving the strength of one's kiai (and avoiding a hoarse throat after training?)

[Berugijin]

Does anyone have some practical tips for improving the strength of one's kiai (and avoiding a hoarse throat after training?)

Kiai must come from the hara. A good kiai will come in time, just don't try to overdo it. As I always say: When in doubt, just copy the senpai. Actually this is the first time I said that.

[LarsCW]

Don't use your throat when you kiai but as Berugijin-san mentioned from your hara (lower belly).

If you use your throat then you will have a soar throat after keiko.

Best would be for you to ask a sempai or even better your sensei for advise for proper kiai as we can't hear it.

[JoonShik]

yea, the only thing you can do is practice and practice even mor so u can kiai from ur stomach and not ur throat.

[Anime12478]

Kiai must come from the hara. A good kiai will come in time, just don't try to overdo it. As I always say: When in doubt, just copy the senpai. Actually this is the first time I said that.

I just had to mention this since you mentioned the hara. I was watching TV earlier today and they were discussing the "deep throat" thing during the Watergate scandal. There was a clip of a guy on one of the morning shows (either Today or Good Morning America) when there was a guy saying that doing harykary (harakiri). When I heard him say that, I was pretty stunned. But I did take into account that not everyone knows how to pronounce Japanese words so I wouldn't really hold much against him for that.

Now back to the subject at hand. When you kiai, you are showing your battle spirit and trying to throw off your opponent's concentration. When I am doing kihon or jigeiko, I kiai to show that I am giving my all to each and every swing. As I tire, my kiai gets stronger in the sense of, "I might be weak but I won't give up!" In jigeiko, it's the same thing but with an added sense that you will do your best to defeat your opponent.

Of course your kiai will change as you appreciate the meaning of what the kiai actually is and as you advance in Kendo. But for now, I'd go with Berugijin's advice and just copy the sensei until you develop your own.

[StormTyrant]

I noticed i usualy cough and have a little bit of a sore chest or just a sore feeling in my lungs for a couple hours after a practice, iv been told i have a unique kiai, i dont know if that has anything to do with it though. Do any of you get a sore chest after parctice sometimes? btw my throat is never sore, but deep down in my throat close to my lungs it feels a little itchy every now and then.

[Slade]

Try to not scream. That's why your throat hurts. The trick in using your hara (that I've found), is to squeeze your stomach and chest muscles as you yell to force the air out of your lungs. Don't force out the air by yelling, ie using your throat. Lots of singers are good at this because it helps them hit those notes and hold them.

This might work, but I've not tried it yet myself. Take big deep breaths and then squeeze your abs to force out the air. Don't breath it out, force it out. It might take some time to figure out the difference, but it will feel right once you get it. Once you train your abs and chest muscles to force out the air, use that when you kiai. When I do it I find my kiai is louder, deeper and travels farther.

Let us know how you make out!

[iand]

Thanks everybody. There are some great tips there. Next training is tomorrow night so I'll spend the time before then practising what you've suggested. Looking forward to a loud (and hoarse-free) training session!

[mystic_kendoka]

one easy way to see if ur doin kiai with ur throat or hara, is to put ur fingers on your... adam's apple.. (fgt the proper term for it.. larynx? voice box?)

if u use ur throat you'll see it moves a lot, if its your stomach, it moves very little..

[projectnavi]

one easy way to see if ur doin kiai with ur throat or hara, is to put ur fingers on your... adam's apple.. (fgt the proper term for it.. larynx? voice box?)

if u use ur throat you'll see it moves a lot, if its your stomach, it moves very little..

just out of curiosity, how long have you been doing kendo, mystic?

[mystic_kendoka]

almost two years now.. y?

[Halcyon]

Does anyone have some practical tips for improving the strength of one's kiai (and avoiding a hoarse throat after training?)

Yep. Lots of karaoke. Seriously!

[projectnavi]

signing lessons...

actually, everyone should learn to use their voice correctly. there's lots of things to be learned for your own good.

project

[DarQik]

... Lots of singers are good at this because it helps them hit those notes and hold them.I'm going to put my thought forward here. As this tends to rather validate my thought on the method. I'm still new to kendo, but I have gotten to sit through plenty of voice training for choral and theater (thanks mom). No one's said much about my kiai, except when I am overthinking and forget to make noise.

Let me start with this link on breath control from a singing site (http://www.vocalist.org.uk/breath_control.html). Voice/breath control sites might not be a bad place to go for help. Projecting your voice improperly leads to pain.

Most people breathe and use the upper lungs by default. In general, you have to practice to use the lower lungs and gain better force and control. The diaphragm is muscle in the abdomen which controls the airflow. The goal is to move the air using the diagraph and flow nearly completely from the lower lungs. When you breathe in it feels like you push the air down towards your stomach just below the rib cage, very little rise in the chest. If you're chest breathing you will feel the chest rise without any motion below the rib cage. Basically, you should have air in the lower part of the lungs, not the upper. Blast it out in a controlled fashion, and not destroy your throat/voice by focusing it and trying to manipulate as it passes through there. If you shout with your voice by just increasing the volume you will have a very sore throat.

In theatre voice practice they would have us lie down on our backs, put small weights (large encyclopedias or 1-2 kg/2-5 lb) on our stomachs, rather high and roughly against the rib cage. We then would draw deep breaths lifting the weight up by forcing air into the lower part of the lungs (not by lifting the back), hold it for a couple of seconds and perform a long single tone shout. The goal being to increase the length and volume of that shout. This forces you to control the chest and abdomen muscles to keep that air in place and learn to force it out. There is of course the great big note on that, don't do something stupid and hurt yourself. Dropping large weights on yourself or abusing your lungs can be fatal... [Insert disclaimers here]

[projectnavi]

almost two years now.. y?

was wondering if it was you on your avatar :wink:

[mystic_kendoka]

i wish... nito is what motivates me to keep on doing kendo, so that one day i'll be able to do nito properly...

[projectnavi]

i wish... nito is what motivates me to keep on doing kendo, so that one day i'll be able to do nito properly...


yeah, i know how you feel...

well, he sure looks good as your avatar.

[Seiza_Seizure]

Practice your Kiai every chance you get.

Eg: At training, at the footy, out in the forrest or bushlands, while driving.
It all helps. At our dojo last week, we celebrated our club anniversary. A cake was brought out, and we sang Happy Birthday, followed by 3 cheers.... Hip, Hip, Horray! Hip Hip Horray!,Hip Hip Horray!
That was the loudest 3 cheers I have ever heard, Strong Kiai involved.