Hi, My first Post I just started tkd and i was wondering why in tkd do they make a exhale noise like a truckers brakes Is it for more power or just for show?

Martial Artists such as TKD practitioners, boxers, MMArtist (and many others) exhale to add power into your strike. It usually makes a hiss sound because your jaw is shut, or it should be.

Try gritting your teeth and pushing air out fast, and it should make a hiss sound. You want to make sure your mouth is closed because you could bite your tongue (off), break your jaw, or get knocked out. By having your mouth closed it harder to have one the above mentioned happen.

The biggest reasons to make the sound is because your abdomen contracts. same thing with the kiai.

Exhale when you punch.

Exhale when you are punched.

Exhale when you hit the ground after a throw.

Thank you. ill try this tomorrow at tkd :

One thing you will notice doing any striking is that it is much more tiring than you might think...get your breathing steady and controlled otherwise you will notice your cardio deserting you quicker than Travis Lutters afterhe puts his mouth guard in LOL.

Just to chime in a bit, are you refering to Kiai or to that annoying tendency for some to "show their breathing"?

A Kiai is a forced expulsion of air. A sound is made and in Japanese Martial arts often a audible shout, it has many goals and uses.

In some styles they breath deaply with each move and you can hear the "hiss" as they move. This is great ....if you are fighting one of those idiots. I once KO'd a TKD guy because he was "hissing" when he was getting ready to attack, he thought it would intimidate me and all it did was let me time his breathing.

Dont let anyone see your breathing, if you can time someones breathing you can knock the wind out of them 100% of the time.

Well he said "hsssss" so I thought "hisssss" like when boxers and other MArtist throw strikes.

I do not know if it sounds like a hiss when I breathe out. I think mine is more of a ssssst. Which I guess could sound like hisss/hsss.

If I saw someone trying to do a kiai in a fight I would not know what to think to be honest.

If I saw someone try to Kiai in a Fight I would pee myself laughing! I would know exactly what to think to be frank. The Kiai shout is a tool to judge the correct use of how to use the body. It is one of the most misunderstood parts of TMA!

The Ssssst, that people do when boxing and hitting a bag is a "tell" as to their breathing. I have caught my share of guys swining and hissing! But to be honest, if they are any good it is not an easy task.

its sounds more like this kiai thing the way my teacher does it its like an explosion of air like if you hold air in your cheeks for exsample pretty wird thing but pretty cool to hear with kicks and punches.

Yeah it's mostly used in katas. We use it mostly to emphasize the move the kiai is for.

should i ask my teacher how this is done or could some one give me a brief note on how to do it.