why do kiai?

**Dr. Sleepless** · Posted On: 1/28/2006 1:07am

I do it because it makes me look cool and the ladies just absolutely LOVE grunting.

***Plasma*** · Posted On: 1/28/2006 10:10am

Originally Posted by Ronin.74

JudoGuy,

The way I heard it is that Steven Segal pissed himself when Judo Gene Lebell choked him out from behind. Afterwards Segal said that Lebell got him with that choke because he wasn't ready so Lebell said, " You ready now" Segal said, "yes" and Judo Gene choked him until he pissed himself again. That's what I heard anyway.

Does anyone have more accurate info?

It story I heard from Phil Porter Sensei was that Segal was talking to Lebell's stunt men and said "I am the toughest guy in the world." The stunt man laughed at him so Segal went to Label while he was eating lunch to show him up. They exchanged a few words and Segal grabbed Labell's collar. Lebell threw Segal and choked him out. Segal woke up a minute later and said "I guess I am the second toughest guy."

That was the story Phil Porter Sensei told us when we took him out to dinner in October. I tend to trust him because his version came straight from Gene Labell.

**Dagon Akujin** · Posted On: 1/28/2006 11:19am

Already posted this last week:
http://www.bullshido.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30620

P.S. And I was under the impression that Segal shat himself during the choke.

**Dusty Larson** · Posted On: 1/28/2006 12:01pm

I was taught back in SD that the "Kiai" has many purposes...better breathing when striking, intimidating the opponent are two of them...another is getting the practitioner more "into" what they are practicing and being aggressive, outgoing, not limiting themselves.

Kind of like back in boot camp, whenever we'd practice a strike, we'd shout "KILL!" Seemed silly in retrospect, but it really got some recruits working hard and enthusiastically, including myself.

**judoguy** · Posted On: 1/29/2006 4:37am

The white eyebrow style was invented by Phil Elmore's great grandfather.

Gene was a stuntman for a Seagal film. Seagal was dissing the stuntmen. Gene told Seagal to STFU. Seagal laughed, saying he did aikido. Gene said he did judo. Seagal said Gne wouldn't be able to do anything to him becasue aikido is better than judo :eusa_wall Gene said there's 2 ways to choke someone. Slowly so he splutters and frantically submits, or quickly so they pass out and **** themselves. He grabbed Seagal and did the former variation. Seagal said that wasn't fair, he wasn't ready. Gene let him get his stance, made sure he was ready, then did the other choke, shoved him in a locker and Seagal was later found in their with **** in his pants

**AikiZenDragon** · Posted On: 1/29/2006 4:50am

seagal what a loser... gene lebell rocks...

***Plasma*** · Posted On: 1/29/2006 9:37am

Originally Posted by AikiZenDragon

seagal what a loser... gene lebell rocks...

That the moral of the story.

**new2bjj** · Posted On: 1/30/2006 2:26pm

Robert W. Smith did a long article about the Ki ai and how it didn't seem to help him from getting schooled by the other old school bad asses at the time (E J Harrison, etc) for Journal of Asian Martial Arts Magazine. Ki-ais might help scare somebody, but it seems like a good way to get your jaw broken, with your trap open and all...

**DdlR** · Posted On: 1/30/2006 3:00pm

Originally Posted by Darkpaladin

"Whatsamatta, you some kind of gyrl or something?
Make punch, driver punch!
Not just arm, whole body!
Look in eye!
Make Kiai!
Heeya! Heeya!
Give you power, whole body."

Mr. Miyagi was right on the money. An effective kiai tightens the abdominal muscles connecting the power base (legs and stance, driving against the floor) to the weapon (the punch, elbow, whatever). Think about all the times you've seen beginners punching without getting their weight and the strength of their legs behind the attack.