Unable to Kiai - Is this a roadblock?

Unless you're doing a style that assigns specific sounds specific meanings or purposes independently of the physical training (esoteric, psychological, sociocultural, or whatever), your instructor does not sound like someone with any idea of what they're doing and talking about.

A kiai is a method to help develop correct usage of the breathing muscles to support the torso for stronger movements. Making noise is something that helps a teacher more or less identify by ear if a student is breathing correctly, but fixating on the sound is asinine, and holding back a student because of it is something I will describe only as deplorable, for the sake of being diplomatic.

 

Lots of good advice in here, I'll add my pithy two cents. Worry less about the sounds you're trying to force out, and more about the sounds you're forcing out of your opponent

 

Other than it not sounding like other people in the class, why is this a problem and for what reason does it make your kiai not a kiai?

If it isn't physically hurting you, a high-pitched kiai doesn't seem like such a terrible thing. Like others have said, the sound is incidental. I've heard all sorts of kiais in my time, covering a pretty broad spectrum of pitches, volumes, lengths and dramatic value.

 

Quoted in entirety because i dont know how to say it better.