In this excerpt from the intriguing documentary Mind, Body and Kick-Ass Moves, a Japanese martial arts expert uses the power of his kiai to ring a heavy temple bell.
According to Master Sasaki:
The body is approximately 70% water. An expression of kiai causes ripples in this water, which stills the opponent’s energy. It’s an instantaneous release of great power.
The Chinese concept of Qi is ambiguous. Kiai as used by the Japanese is an actual force; it’s more concrete.
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27 responses so far ↓
1 Becky Bogle // Nov 3, 2006
Thank you for sharing this video Chris. It is an incredible demonstration of kiai. I am still a beginner in hara training and Zazen, and I find this example to be very powerful.
~Becky
2 Don // Jan 19, 2007
It is an incredible demonstration that some people will believe anything. You can’t cause ripples in the body’s water; it’s not like the body is a vessel containing a body of water. The water in the body is a part of every cell.
This guy’s main power is the power of “Uke Magic.” In other words, he has somehow convinced his students that this stuff works, so they act like that guy with the sword. Ridiculous.
3 Isaac Kim // Jan 20, 2007
While I respect the comments of the poster above me, he made the bells go DOINGGggg!!!.
4 SuperBall // Jan 23, 2007
I’d like to add, that skeptics often use “uke magic”, altering people’s responses by making them disbelieve. That is also ridiculous, but they like to do it.
5 h2o // Mar 23, 2007
He made the bell ring by stamping! Look at the camera shake!
6 narciso // Apr 4, 2007
I think that the bell is placed upon a pillow and thus the vibration is not transmited to the bell.
I have also been in front of a tibetan bell, much like that one and yoou cannot make it vibrate in the same way.
7 le_sacre // Apr 17, 2007
what the bell is sitting on could not possibly be a pillow as that would not allow it to ring at all (even when struck with the hammer). i think it’s very likely that vibration from the foot stamping is being transmitted into it.
notice the demonstration is not given using a suspended bell.
also notice the “make your opponent collapse” demonstration is never given with an opponent who is not an associate of the “master.” when it is, it’s likely to come out more like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I
that said, it is perfectly possible to cause undamped rigid bodies to vibrate using your voice if you match their resonant frequency. you can try this with a piano–strike a key in your vocal range to hear the pitch, push the sustain pedal, and sing that note back into the piano. the piano strings will vibrate sympathetically and “sing” back to you. you can even get the piano to “sing” different vowel shapes, because the strength of vibrations in the harmonic series of strings will mimic that in the timbre of your voice. try it! so if this guy were singing, i’d believe him. but i think the audio spectrum of his shouting is probably too diffuse to cause the bell to resonate on its own.
8 michael hobson // May 3, 2007
the bell is resting on a pillow; it’s identical to the tibetan singing bowls. The whole bell doesn’t vibrate equally, but has nodal areas, just like a xylophone bar.
he might well make the bowl sing with his kiai, but the guy passing out was under “dojo mind control”.
9 dogmatic // Jun 5, 2007
It’s total bs. Just look at the top video on youtube.com when you do a search for “Kiai”.
10 Andrew // Jun 16, 2007
He says Chinese Chi isnt real ..
Go take a look at “Shaolin Kung Fu” if you dont believe its real .
The real fake thing here is Kiai
Chi is the real energy from within .
[edited for civility]
11 le_sacre // Jun 21, 2007
there’s never been a documented case of the supernatural. in every case where skeptics have been allowed to collect and examine data, it’s been found that no natural laws of physics or biology have been violated. there are individuals out there capable of extraordinary feats of strength and concentration, and probably the mental visualization of the chi concept helps to attain them, but magic is an illusion of magicians. in many of these cults, elaborate systems of tradition and veneration coerce followers into believing in (and being complicit in) irrational and readily-discounted explanations for athletic skill with the occasional flashy trick.
12 comedycentral // Jul 7, 2007
Nobody thinks he just stamps the floor to make the bell ring……
13 Ray // Jul 22, 2007
This is most certainly either an example of an irrational cognitive response in his student, whereby he believes that his master can actually do that and therefore falls, or it’s complete fraud altogether.
There has never been a legitimate case of exhibited supernatural martial arts, as tested and qualified to be authentic. This is not due to people having closed minds; it’s not due to science being unable to discern the power; it’s not due to ancient secrets only imparted to a select, prepared few who have trained to use it. Rather, it’s because no Master will ever allow a legitimate source to set up a controlled experiment, lest they be proven frauds.
Why did Master Sasaki have a BBC correspondent film him doing this, in his own dojo? Why not invite a team of scientists and shout at the bowl in a controlled location? Assumedly his power would not be rendered ineffective to do it elsewhere, right?
The answer is that in fact it would be. Because it’s not an internal energy at all — not insofar as it’s mystical explanations would indicate. It’s an elaborate system of untruths ranging from the innocently ignorant to the consciously deceitful, used in place of physical operations and functions like leverage, velocity, inertia and strength.
14 Chris // Jul 22, 2007
How much time have you invested in a search for legitimate controlled experiments?
15 CobRa // Aug 18, 2007
You skeptics obviously do not understand internal martial arts and it’s power. I know from personal experience that what that master sasaki did is of reality, internal power comes in a variety of forms; whether it be called kiai, or chi, or qi. It’s all within the practicioner, and we all have access to it.
16 Macky! // Aug 27, 2007
When was the last time you rung a bell by stamping?
Also. I’d like it add that actually in Korea, it’s a Kiup that we do. And when you administer one properly and you are good enough, You really can scare someone.
17 Else // Sep 4, 2007
@CobRa
There’s no way you can debilitate an unwilling opponent by yelling at them at range. If you believe you possess similar powers then you’re a stooge to the stupidocracy. Go do a real martial art. Punching and kicking air doesn’t count either - pick something with physical contact, like judo.
18 Mark // Sep 24, 2007
Does anyone know how to contact Master Sasaki?
19 Chris // Sep 24, 2007
Ask Chris Crudelli.
20 LZ // Nov 6, 2007
lol r u bullshitting me? i mean ive heard many yells in my life but i never got knocked out from one, so ya lets all just yell at people instead of using bullets…..
21 Simeh // Nov 17, 2007
It seems as a lot of you guys have spent much time in deliberating the phenomenon of “kiai”. Please see the following link; http://utopianvision.co.uk/bollywood/videos/?v=UDiRA7Idmcs
This will show all the disbelievers!!!
22 Ape // Dec 31, 2007
A few things about sound, here is MythBusters breaking a glass
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7765557442856739526
Also MythBusters tested how music affects plant growth and plants that were played Heavy Metal Music grew the best!
Im not saying you run off to Japan and join this guy but there is some truth to this and to dismis it completely is as bad as believeing it without question
23 Kungfuguy // Jan 9, 2008
Ok i beleive in chi since there is a hand test you do that helps you feel it and i understand that if you breath in then yell with all your force you can scare or shock someone if they don’t expect it but this is rubbish i have seen so many people do one hit knock outs without touching people its gotten insane they only use it on their students not on a crazed mental attacker try it on the street and then if it works then i will belive it.
24 Walker // Jan 24, 2008
Master Sasaki may belive that he could do this thing, but he got to prove in classical ways, trying in presence of cientists, in a lab!
Because , other way this is just a believe. We need to prove such thing as ki projection………!!!!!!!!!
Hug for all!
Walker
25 fggfgf // Feb 21, 2008
this is fake watch this..
http://youtube.com/watch?v=gEDaCIDvj6I
Can Qigong Soothe These Savage Beasts? // Apr 21, 2007
[…] When alleged masters of kiai-jutsu and no-touch throws use their own students for demonstrations, skeptics cry foul. If such incredible skills truly exist, the skeptics contend, they should enable the master to stop a skilled and determined attacker whom he has never met; otherwise, it’s obviously just bullshido. […]
GlamSpirit :: Sound and Healing, The Power of Kiai // Aug 1, 2007
[…] “ei”, “toh”, “yah”. It was incredible to listen as the bell rang back in response to our kiai. Martial development turned me on to the following video which actually demonstrates this. If you speed forward to the […]
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