| KIAI | | | | executed properly is supposed to achieve the |
| Hector, one of the heroes of the Trojan war, had such | | | | following: |
| a fearsome war-cry it would drive whole armies back, | | | | 1. Rally the troops. The Kiai is supposed to instill |
| Medieval Irish warriors were known to instill fear in | | | | courage and ferocity in a full-frontal assault.Projected |
| even the toughest most disciplined English troops. The | | | | into an opponent, the kiai can paralyze the mind |
| druids used a low-droning sound to un-nerve the | | | | momentarily |
| Roman legions in the battle field, and G.I.'s returning | | | | 2. a sudden un expected shriek causes the mind to |
| from the pacific after world war 2 tell of a paralyzing | | | | "look for" the origins of the sound- thereby distracting |
| Batlle-cry that the Japanese used during bayonet | | | | him/her for a moment thus creating an opening |
| charges. | | | | 3. the Kiai is a spontaneous expression of individual |
| Oriental B.S.? Martial-arts fantasy or just proper | | | | courage and ferocity, in essence the kiai should ( or is |
| psychology and physics applied at the right moment? | | | | supposed to ) psych you up. |
| In one form or another, The Kiai or spirit shout has | | | | 4. Conversely - when the opponent is expecting a Kiai |
| been touted to be an effective psychological weapon | | | | and it is not delivered - the effect is the same - the |
| in the battle field or in one-on-one combat. Whether | | | | mind is expecting the battle-cry and is occupied with |
| you are a believer in this or not, the Kiai, when | | | | the expectation - thus distracting the opponent again. |