'' Students of
Japanese martial arts such as
aikido,
karate,
kobudo,
kendo,
taido or
judo (or related arts such as
taiko drumming) use
kiai to startle an opponent, intimidate, express confidence or express victory. In
kendo, 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,
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; from a physiological perspective, this means the yell should start in the diaphragm, not the throat. ==References==