The Yell / 기합

The yell / ki-hap / 기합 used in Tae Kwon Do serves several purposes. There are also some things that it might be expected to do, but should not (at least not during class or testing sessions).

• The forceful exhalation of air tightens the abdominal muscles including the diaphragm. This can help increase your power.
• If one is breaking a board or executing an attack or blocking an attack, the yell can help to focus one's mind on that.

• It should not be used to intimidate your fellow students. In a real-life situation, however, it is possible that a martial arts yell would intimidate an opponent, or cause hesitation, or give you some other advantage, so it should not be ignored. Just keep in mind that there is no guarantee that it will have this effect on any given opponent.