The influence of kihap on the impact of Dolio-chagui kicks in taekwondo

Abstract

The kihap is a technique used in several oriental martial arts. It is a yell used by practitioners with the expectation of enhancing the force of a hit. However, the real effect of using the kihap is unknown. Therefore, this study aims to compare the peak of acceleration of the Dolio-chagui kick in taekwondo performed with and without the use of kihap. Twenty two experienced taekwondo practitioners performed 30 kicks each against a punching bag, alternating in random order with and without kihap, while the acceleration of the punching bag was measured. A t-test was used to compare the difference between the mean acceleration in both conditions. Higher values were found with the use of kihap (7.8 ± 2.8 g) than without the use of kihap (7.1 ± 2.4 g), p < 0.01, r = 0.57. The results indicate that kihap enhances the impact of the kick.