and now for something completely different..

[TigerAn1]

I hear many different types of Kihaps in class. but one I don't figure is *SIGH!*. I've heard that kihap mostly in Judo. But Hapkido seems to share some of it's tenets with Judo. Therefore is *SIGH!* an appropriate Hapkido kihap?

[Guerilla Fists]

I used to do judo for a really long time and this may come off consequently as a stupid question, if only i had some shame left to feel...."what is a kihap?"

[TigerAn1]

Yelling from the stomach or diaphragm is used in almost all martial arts regardless of origin. Known in Korean as the “Kihap” the word is the combination of two Korean characters “Ki” representing energy and “Hap” meaning “to combine or coordinate”. The two characters together represent the unity of energy. The Kihap is usually a vowel sound and emanates from the diaphragm. The sound of “A, E, I, O or U” or even a combination of these sounds is suggested because of the reaction that making these sounds has on the diaphragm. Even with this suggestion the Kihap is highly personal and differing significantly from person to person. The Kihap is the synergy of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy; the sound one makes is very personal. Additionally, the Kihap will most likely change as the matures into a more accomplished athlete.

more ad nauseum..

http://www.vanooyen.org/dojang_info/dojang_kihap.htmperson

[TigerAn1]

So *is* Judo a martial art?

[Guerilla Fists]

Ah ok, now I know what you talking about. that's what i suspected it was. In judo we used "see" or "hee" a lot. And we also use it in the style of kung fu I practice. although I'm not sure what you mean when you ask if judo is an MA

[TigerAn1]

I've heard many consider Judo to be more of a sport than a true MA. Personally, I think it's more MA which may have evolved into a sport. Just my opinion.

[KiWarrior]

It is an MA whose "sport" aspect kicks the azz of most "pure" martial arts.

An explosive exhalation, presumably along the lines of your "sigh" is also frequently heard during weightlifting as well as from the one shootfighter I know (n=1).

The kihap, imo, serves the same function as these other sounds. The difference being that hapkidoka often think of the kihap as a weapon as well. From the standpoint of startling anyways.