Why do martial artists make strange noises when practicing?

Question

Here i am with another martial arts question! Is there any point to these breathing, shreeking sounds? Do they help, is it just for show or a natural body reaction?
I find i prefer to just keep quiet!

Cant see how it would intimidate, more likely to make you laugh i should think :-D
Mind you that'd make the opponent drop their guard too

Answer 1

same reason why women tennis players scream when they hit the ball ... intimidation (mind games)

Answer 2

Kickboxers and Boxers make an "ooosh" "oost" sound when they throw a punch or kick to exhale air from the diaphram, this also tenses the diaphram slightly and protects the abdomin area, if you did not do this if you threw a kick or punch and someone caught you in the guts area the chances are you would be winded more times than not if you did not exhale, the sound is made as a memory jog I imagine that you should make a noise when you thrown each shot, it also becomes instictual after you have trained for several month and you start to just make the "oost" sound with every shot thrown.

As for Karate they concentrate more on noise for scaring people eeeeyaaa, when they turn etc.. which is kinda funny I think.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

There are several reasons for the sounds.
they are called kiah ( pronounced key- ahh) in karate.
One major purpose is air movement, if you can evacuate all the air out of your torso you reduce the chance of injury. this is a biological and physics thing, not energy-magic-mumbo-jumbo. If you have two zip-lock bags and blow air into one then seal it. Now set them both on the counter and smack them. the one with air will get damaged the one without will be ok. Same concept.
Also, if you breath out during a technique it helps you focus ( same thing with shooting a gun or arrow.)

The sound can do several things. I find that people tend to flinch when you scream in there face. This provides a split second of opportunity. You claim you will laugh if someone made these noises, but chances are that when you hear a very loud noise you jump. Most of us do.
the sounds can also throw off an attackers timing. Sometimes people base there techniques on the sounds, if you change up your yells you can confuse them.
Another bonus is that if you are in a real life situation your screams will call attention to the scene and this can be enough to scare off a would be attacker.

Answer 4

Spidertiger and senseirob have had by far the best answers, while several others have a basic and general idea.

The breathing helps, just as in weight training, the inhaling and sharp exhaling gives you focus, and slows the onset of fatigue rather than not breathing.

it also helps you in pacing yourself (as runners will do in a marathon) while doing forms or katas; otherwise you'll be exhausted before your halfway through all your forms, because most katas or forms are meant to be taken as one complete choreography of movement. the sharp breathing at the end of second move (the forms often go by two techniques at a time) is meant to allow the Martial Artist to relax and follow through with the next two moves.

In the Tang Soo Do martial art, there are at least 9 forms alone between white belt and red belt (the final belt below the first degree black belt) ranging from 20 up to as many as 31 indivividual moves in one single form, now add those 9 forms with that many moves each, you will be exhausted by the end of of it, but with the proper breathing added you won't be as tired.

The Kiai (verbalized as kee-ahh) is a sharp exhalation of air and as senseirob said it's usually used in the forms or katas twice, but can happen as much as three times, and gives you more power for a hard forceful strike, as well as to give you that split second of time to perform your next move while the opponent is disoriented, plus if you land the technique; it will cause further injury to the opponent.

The kiai also helps if the martial art you study employs breaking techniques (board breaking, or camfer (concrete) slabs) which Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do do use in their testing criteria.

Answer 5

Then noise you mean is the breathing. I sure as hell ain't intimidated by someone breating at me! When you're doing a high energy exercise, like a martial art, it's vital you keep your blood flow full of oxygen, or you'll get very stiff and possibly pass out.
The breathing, can also be used as a timing mechanism. If you do the movement when you breathe out you can get more force behind it. Strange but true. Guess it's just syncronizing the body or something.

Answer 6

ok, you ever try to pick up something very heavy?? do you ever notice that you grone? why?? believe it or not this is your question. does the wierd breathing help strength, and why.

first yes it does. one reason is simple, to supply the mucsles with the oxegen they need to preform properly. but this doesn't explain the noise does it. second it is a tightenign of the diafram.

the diafram is a key muscle along your center, another muscle that acts the same way is the pelvic floor. ok first the diafram (remember wikapidia has all these muscle groups in full detail so i'll just fly over them now) the contracting of the diafram tightens the stomach and helps "connect" your shoulders and arms to your helps providing better lift and pushing power. because the diafram is dirrectly related to your lungs this also exserts your air. while training, teachers tell there students to kia (that yell your refering to) to make sure that they are doing it correctly. later after understanding the purpose of it some students might silence it making it into the heavy breathing.
next the pelvic floor acts the same way the diafram does by "connecting" the middle part (your stomach and such) to your legs which is where power comes from.
for more information you can contact me via the link provided next to my avatar.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

I don't call myself an aikidoka for one thing. Or any other limiting name. If I have to name myself and what I do, I would focus solely on what it is I am actually doing, which is either striking, joint locks, or throwing. Every technique in martial arts can be broken down to one or a combination of those things. I do not identify with particular styles. My base is what I first learned or got good at, which would be striking. But that is not in itself a style or an organization. Just a general description.

Answer 9

In Taekwondo, the "strange noises" are called "kihaps." It's to release energy, build confidence, among other things. Sometimes, during sparring, when the fighters are waiting for someone to make a move, one may fake an attack by moving forward suddenly, and yelling. This can startle their opponent.
Everyone's kihap is different. Mine tends to change based on the way I'm feeling at the moment.

Answer 10

It's to help with breathing. Not all the noises are necessary. But for the most part it's to force out the breath and to sort of remind you to keep breathing. Also when you know you are about to land a kick *** move and throw one of those "shreeks" in there, it just makes you feel cool.
LOL

Answer 11

umm...are they really stranger noises? why does a basketball player yell when he dunks, or tennis player make noise when swinging the racket and hittin the ball. the differnace is that martail artist are not fighting while doing it. So it seems weird to make noise without reason..but it's actauly exsertion of energy.

David
Famuse.com