KIAAAA-OUCH!
It's a fried egg and it loves me.
In my old class with Jerry Bradigan (in little old Dunkirk, NY) we were
taught a very interesting lesson in power.
Jerry has, first of all, a sense of humor. I think it comes from his
family, since he has a twin brother by the name of Tom. So when he showed us
the importance of power strikes, he explained just why he never wanted to hear
a "karate yell" or anything closely resembling it. He took one of the 3rd Dan
students helping out and had him strike at Jerry, using one of the "KIAAA!"
shouts like we all saw in the movies. While the student was doing that, Jerry
quickly stepped to the side and smacked him in the belly with a shudo. It took
the student ten minutes to get his breath back.
Using one of us white-belt novices, he had us do the same thing, only
wihout the "KIAAA!" Instead, we were to force our breath out violently, cutting
off after our lungs were a third empty. The sound was a sharp "hsst!" and that
was it. When Jerry moved and smacked him, the fellow went down (of course) but
was able to get right back up with a minimum of pain.
By only using a "hsst!" we were able to concentrate our energy into the
strike we were using, and at the same time we were able to defend ourselves if
our attack went wrong and we got struck instead.
I remember this vividly, because I was the novice Jerry used to
demonstrate on, and I'll never forget the feeling of being able to take on a
blow which had felled a black belt, and still get up for more.
Sincerest Best Wishes,
The Master of Souls
Gregory E. Garland
v108...@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (It's a fried egg and it loves me.)
writes:
|>
|> [...] he explained just why he never wanted to hear
|> a "karate yell" or anything closely resembling it. He took one of
|> the
|> 3rd Dan students helping out and had him strike at Jerry, using one
|> of
|> the "KIAAA!" shouts like we all saw in the movies. While the student
|> |> was doing that, Jerry quickly stepped to the side and smacked him
|> in the
|> belly with a shudo. It took the student ten minutes to get his
|> breath
|> back.
|>
|> Using one of us white-belt novices, he had us do the same thing,
|> only
|> wihout the "KIAAA!" Instead, we were to force our breath out
|> violently,
|> cutting off after our lungs were a third empty. The sound was a
|> sharp
|> "hsst!" and that was it. When Jerry moved and smacked him, the
|> fellow
|> went down (of course) but was able to get right back up with a
|> minimum
|> of pain.
|>
Furthermore,
I don't think much of an instructor who thinks it's okay to set up a
student
and put him down for ten minutes to make his alleged point. This style
wasn't called Cobra Kai by any chance, was it? He could have made the
same
point by having the students clasp their hands together and ram their
palm
heels into their solar plexus which greater and greater force while
trying
different methods of exhalation.
--
Greg Garland - Alive, occupying space, and exerting gravitational force
MS 62-024, Harris Semiconductor Sector, PO Bx 883,
Melbourne FL 32905. g...@beep.mis.semi.harris.com
"Never let the facts interfere with your perception of reality."
Scott P Nichols
>
> In my old class with Jerry Bradigan (in little old Dunkirk, NY) we were
>taught a very interesting lesson in power.
>
>the importance of power strikes, he explained just why he never wanted to hear
>a "karate yell" or anything closely resembling it. He took one of the 3rd Dan
>students helping out and had him strike at Jerry, using one of the "KIAAA!"
>shouts like we all saw in the movies. While the student was doing that, Jerry
>quickly stepped to the side and smacked him in the belly with a shudo. It took
>the student ten minutes to get his breath back.
>
> Using one of us white-belt novices, he had us do the same thing, only
>wihout the "KIAAA!" Instead, we were to force our breath out violently, cutting
>off after our lungs were a third empty. The sound was a sharp "hsst!" and that
>was it. When Jerry moved and smacked him, the fellow went down (of course) but
>was able to get right back up with a minimum of pain.
>
> By only using a "hsst!" we were able to concentrate our energy into the
>strike we were using, and at the same time we were able to defend ourselves if
>our attack went wrong and we got struck instead.
>
> I remember this vividly, because I was the novice Jerry used to
>demonstrate on, and I'll never forget the feeling of being able to take on a
>blow which had felled a black belt, and still get up for more.
>
> Sincerest Best Wishes,
>
> The Master of Souls
Had the black belt been taught how to yell? The "hsst" you describe is
characteristic of upper-lung breathing, explained by Master Hung I-hsiang in
a talk he gave. I can't remember it verbatim, but the general gist of it
follows: "A long time ago, the northern Shaolin tradition already
had a sophisticated sytem of breathing which involved drawing the breath down
to the tan-tien (hara) which took a long time to develop. Babies and sleeping
people breathe this way. This was applied to the strikes that were learned,
resulting in a powerful martial system. When the Manchus attacked the Ming
Dynasty, a lot of patriots wished to learn the Northern Shaolin system to defend
their country. The methods of lower lung breathing took ten years to learn,
however, in order to apply them correctly. So, the course was shortened to
three years and it utilized upper lung breathing. This type of breathing is
artificial and wasteful of energy, and can be potentially damaging. However,
it is also extremely forceful, so the people learned it, for they cared more
for their country than about learning the correct tradition." I DO know that
lower lung breathing works. This is the type of breathing in which a yell is
done, not from the top of the lungs, loosely, but from the hara, with tension
as it leaves. I have taken baseball bats to my abdomen with this. Yes, it
hurt, but the ki-ai worked--I ain't dead!
From the way you tell the story, it seems as if the black belt you spoke
of yelled from his upper lungs, without depth or tension. You might as well
be breathing in if you're going to do that. The Ki-ai is a deep yell of
intention, resulting from the rapid expulsion of every last possible bit of
air from your lungs within the period of 1 to 1-1/2 seconds. It IS a feasible
combat technique, IF DONE CORRECTLY. I do not disparage your teacher or the
upper-lung method. I have many friends that choose to breathe that way. I
am only saying that the lower lung method is viable as well. The demonstration
that your teacher did should be taken to heart--many schools will teach their
students to yell without properly explaining the mechanics of such an action--
what happened to the aforementioned black belt will happen to them if they are
unfortunate enough to be struck correctly in a conflict. If lower lung
breathing and the Ki-ai are to be taught, they should be taught completely,
not just with a, "Yell! It adds power!" as they so often are. My first instru-
ctor (TKD) told me that. That's all he said. "Yell!" No explanation, no
demonstration. I learned the hard way about the need for tension. Ouch.
Thanks for the story. I hope this clarifies the validity of lower lung
breathing, as well.
Raph
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Only through the path of non-violence can ecological wholeness be acheived.
-Steven Seagal's Nature Photographer Mentor, Saturday Night Live.
nic...@malach.cs.pdx.edu.usa.earth.solar.system.milky.way.only.known.universe
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O- /\
|\ /\/vv\ _Insight from Oregon...Scott P. Nichols
/vv\ \ / (nic...@en.ecn.purdue.edu)
_____/ \ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (nic...@techbook.com)
