Strong kiai training

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Strong kiai training

by Olga
(Ukraine)

There is such exercise when we strike. For example, 3 men in one breathing without intermediate breath.

If I try to shout louder and stronger, I am run out of breath after second men strike. And if I shout not so loud and not so strong I can make 5 men in one breathing.

So should I continue trying to shout as loud as I can during such exercises or here I have to make such kiai that I will be able to maintain till the end without intermediate breath?

One more thing about kiai.

If I shout as much as I can, I become exhausted much quicker than usual. Is it the correct way of training a strong kiai? Or I have to find a certain level of kiai not to become exhausted very fast.

Answer: Good question. Now there is such training as you described above, i.e. continuous men strikes with one breath.

If you have a long kiai before you strike and that kiai includes "one breath", probably it is very very hard to complete even 3 men strikes with one breath.

Chest breathing vs. abdominal breathing

It sounds like you are still breathing through your chest. When you shout using your chest, your face turns red (faster) and you will feel dizzy. This makes you really tired.

Before getting into a bit of detail about training, I would like to suggest a bit about kiai.

Why do we shout?

Many reasons there such as to encourage ourselves. But this is a good method to learn the abdominal breathing. So when you shout, do pay attention to your abs.

Image a balloon getting bigger in your lower abs as you breathe in. And breathe out without shrinking the balloon. Eventually, your abs will be flat but before you are completely out of air, breathe in quickly.

This is an easy way to improve your kiai.

And you are right about finding your way of kiai. But how do you know you are filled with kiai?

You have to feel energy inside you.

Your strike has good force.

Your strikes are strong and sharp.

Your opponent has to feel pressure from you (this is very hard and not easy to be accomplished).

First, try to feel energy inside you and you have to learn how to deliver the energy into you strike.

Now this is my personal view of training. These training methods have their purposes. So

Know the purpose of training; why are you doing? But

Still do put everything you have in each training method.

No2. is fundamental, I think. Whatever you do, it should not be mere exercise. You should not think about lasting longer. Many try to save energy so that they can complete a one hour or two hour training session.

This is what I think and what I tell my students.

Do not try to save your energy to complete the training session. If you do not do the best in each strike, what is the point of training? If you have to take a break after one kirikaeshi because you completely did your best in one kirikaeshi, it means a lot more than the whole session.

This is my personal view so you do not have to follow this.

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Strong kiai training

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May 27, 2010
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To the Dutch kendoka
by: Ilija

Well, listening to your sensei is the single most important thing. If you already have pre set mind about your training you better drop out.

Yea. Drop out cos ull never be able to solve the Philosophy of Kendo.
The way it goes.

Your sensei started to practice Kendo under some other Sensei. Every student has its own Master.

The start of the road always begins with your Sensei. Sensei to me is holly man. Yeah, Holly Man. If sensei tells me jump i jump. If he demands life i give. If you cant make your self to trust him drop out.

You'll never be real kendoka unless you kill the ego image in your self before the start of the road. That was the first thing sensei told me and the first thing Japan sensei, the sensei of mine sensei told him.

You go to traning empty minded, MUSHIN. Only then you can listen memorize practice and master what's have been told to you. If u have pre set mind drop out.

No one was born with the knowledge and no one will ever be. So listening to your sensei is the holly bond between you and the Knowledge you seek. Thus your sensei is HOLLY man for you.

So when you use your mind!? After 50 years and 20 years of practice under your sensei.
That's the universal way Nature works.

The knowledge is being transfered like this from the beginning of time. Each human being has more potential than its parents. It's up to him how he will work on his experience and how he will surpass them, if he ever does.

So until your sensei runs out of knowledge to transfer to you, you must listen, listen good and give all you got in the exercises. And even you know something sensei doesn't, sensei knows better and in the end he knows.

The first step to gaining knowledge is by accepting how little you know, Socrates man. If you cant understand this try seeking help.

Kiai. I've been told it comes with the experience and stomach workouts. So I started doing abs workouts ever since I started kendo. In time you'll be able to hold your abbs tight, resulting with your true Kiai.

They said it takes years to master it so relax and give your best.

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thanks for your comment. You have very traditional perception about teacher-pupil relationship. That's exactly what I have with my sensei who lives in Japan.

Many think that they seek a place or dojo to do kendo. But the more important thing is to find a good teacher. That is the hardest thing to do.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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May 27, 2010
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Submitted by: Ilija

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Well, listening to your sensei is the single most important thing. If you already have pre set mind about your training you better drop out. Yea. Drop out cos ull never be able to solve the Philosophy of Kendo. The way it goes. Your sensei started to practice Kendo under some other Sensei. Every student has its own Master. The start of the road always begins with your Sensei. Sensei to me is holly man. Yeah, Holly Man. If sensei tells me jump i jump. If he demands life i give. If you cant make your self to trust him drop out. You'll never be real kendoka unless you kill the ego image in your self before the start of the road. That was the first thing sensei told me and the first thing Japan sensei, the sensei of mine sensei told him. You go to traning empty minded, MUSHIN. Only then you can listen memorize practice and master what's have been told to you. If u have pre set mind drop out. No one was born with the knowledge and no one will ever be. So listening to your sensei is the holly bond between you and the Knowledge you seek. Thus your sensei is HOLLY man for you. So when you use your mind!? After 50 years and 20 years of practice under your sensei. That's the universal way Nature works. The knowledge is being transfered like this from the beginning of time. Each human being has more potential than its parents. It's up to him how he will work on his experience and how he will surpass them, if he ever does. So until your sensei runs out of knowledge to transfer to you, you must listen, listen good and give all you got in the exercises. And even you know something sensei doesn't, sensei knows better and in the end he knows. The first step to gaining knowledge is by accepting how little you know, Socrates man. If you cant understand this try seeking help. Kiai. I've been told it comes with the experience and stomach workouts. So I started doing abs workouts ever since I started kendo. In time you'll be able to hold your abbs tight, resulting with your true Kiai. They said it takes years to master it so relax and give your best. Kendo-Guide.Com: Thanks for your comment. You have very traditional perception about teacher-pupil relationship. That's exactly what I have with my sensei who lives in Japan. Many think that they seek a place or dojo to do kendo. But the more important thing is to find a good teacher. That is the hardest thing to do. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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Dec 10, 2009
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Saving Energy
by: A Dutch kendoka

Having read the part on giving everything you have into every exercise, I would like to comment.

I have often struggled with the idea of having to put all my energy into every exercise, especially since some (most notably the currently reigning Dutch kendo champion) in my dojo also say you have to put everything you've got into every exercise.

But in the end I have found that it greatly diminishes the quality of the whole training (1.5 or 2 hours in my case). The reason for this is, and I am a beginner so that has some influence, that I will not be able to concentrate after a heavy exercise. i.e. I will lose my ability to understand/hear what the teacher is telling us etc.

My strikes and kamae will also, unconsciously, become sloppier as a result of lack of energy.

Therefore I have decided that it is best for me to control my energy, even hold back during the training and only put everything I have into the exercises towards the end of the training.

If I do it like this I will remain completely concentrated during the training so I will be in my best condition to learn new strikes and tactics, and in the end I can put all my effort into the exercises that summarise the training.

The point basically is, that the time in the dojo is so valuable that you can't afford losing any of it.

If you are practising at home then there is no reason whatsoever to hold back, as you are training for yourself in that case.

But in the dojo one has to learn new things and when those things are not understood correctly your teacher has to repeat those things again and again until you do understand.

So unless your concentration and attention is optimal your teacher will have a harder time, resulting in less being learned and more energy lost to futilities rather than quality training.

I understand that this might be very contradictory to what you said Imafuji sensei, but you did say that it was your personal view (even though it is shared by many).

Do you have any comments on my explanation of why it might be good to preserve your energy during the training?

Kendo-Guide.Com: Thank you for your post.

Many have their own views on kendo and their own way of training. Some people do kendo as a hobby and some call themselves professionals (Japanese police force and Japanese physical education teachers).

Besides, quite likely we have different age groups and their kendo levels are different. People have different jobs and work hours.

So I always tell my students to "challenge themselves". This is simply to challenge ourselves, right?

I give them training menu but they are the only people who know their own limits. So they should train as they gain something from kendo.

By putting everything into every cut is the concept of "budo", I think. But as I mentioned above, we are all different.

That is why, in my opinion, "challenging ourselves" is very important.

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Dec 10, 2009
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Submitted by: A Dutch kendoka

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Having read the part on giving everything you have into every exercise, I would like to comment. I have often struggled with the idea of having to put all my energy into every exercise, especially since some (most notably the currently reigning Dutch kendo champion) in my dojo also say you have to put everything you've got into every exercise. But in the end I have found that it greatly diminishes the quality of the whole training (1.5 or 2 hours in my case). The reason for this is, and I am a beginner so that has some influence, that I will not be able to concentrate after a heavy exercise. i.e. I will lose my ability to understand/hear what the teacher is telling us etc. My strikes and kamae will also, unconsciously, become sloppier as a result of lack of energy. Therefore I have decided that it is best for me to control my energy, even hold back during the training and only put everything I have into the exercises towards the end of the training. If I do it like this I will remain completely concentrated during the training so I will be in my best condition to learn new strikes and tactics, and in the end I can put all my effort into the exercises that summarise the training. The point basically is, that the time in the dojo is so valuable that you can't afford losing any of it. If you are practising at home then there is no reason whatsoever to hold back, as you are training for yourself in that case. But in the dojo one has to learn new things and when those things are not understood correctly your teacher has to repeat those things again and again until you do understand. So unless your concentration and attention is optimal your teacher will have a harder time, resulting in less being learned and more energy lost to futilities rather than quality training. I understand that this might be very contradictory to what you said Imafuji sensei, but you did say that it was your personal view (even though it is shared by many). Do you have any comments on my explanation of why it might be good to preserve your energy during the training? Kendo-Guide.Com: Thank you for your post. Many have their own views on kendo and their own way of training. Some people do kendo as a hobby and some call themselves professionals (Japanese police force and Japanese physical education teachers). Besides, quite likely we have different age groups and their kendo levels are different. People have different jobs and work hours. So I always tell my students to "challenge themselves". This is simply to challenge ourselves, right? I give them training menu but they are the only people who know their own limits. So they should train as they gain something from kendo. By putting everything into every cut is the concept of "budo", I think. But as I mentioned above, we are all different. That is why, in my opinion, "challenging ourselves" is very important.

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Dec 10, 2009
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Training method
by: Anonymous

I appreciate your opinion very much and I'll do my best to follow your advices. Thanks a lot!

Kendo-Guide.Com: You're welcome!

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