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Martial X's avatar

I will never see shouting and screams during the fight the same after hearing that song. 😂

Loved how well and simply you explained the idea of Kiai! 🙏😊

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Jay Lacey's avatar

Well, thank you for explaining kiai to me. I've never really considered what it means, and, training in the UK, I've always been told it's about deterring the opponent and impairing his ability to attack you.

I was reading Tokitsu Kenji's "Ki and Martial Arts" (he also has a good annotated translation of The Book of Five Rings) a while ago. He explains how, in pre-modern times, people had a sense of the numinous in nature, in themselves and in everyday things. "Ki" in Japanese language, he says, is/was intended to cover "sensations and impressions that are mysterious and vague".

Is this an example of mystifying things for a Western audience or is there some truth to it?

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