Sound Advice
Volume 11, Issue 2, 2008  

Stop That Racket!

In a previous issue of Sound Advice, we mentioned that tennis champion Maria Sharapova’s grunts during her tennis games have been measured at over 100 dB(A). If you’re not familiar with the decibel scale, let’s just say that for a human voice, that’s earsplittingly loud. Now the story of a nine-year-old Australian girl named Lauryn Edwards has appeared in the international press after her loud grunting upset an opponent during a tennis game. The Aussie mini-Sharapova was presented with an ultimatum by her club—stop the grunting, or you can’t play. 

Naturally, Lauryn was upset. Her family maintains that, as an attention-deficient disorder sufferer, Lauryn’s grunting helps her to focus her strength and attention. Lauryn insists that she doesn’t play nearly as well if she has to keep quiet. Does making a loud noise while exerting yourself really improve performance? Tennis certainly isn’t the only game where competitors make noise. In many other physical competitions--wrestling and weightlifting for example-- grunting and shouting is considered acceptable.

The idea of making a loud exhalation at the moment of a physical exertion to achieve better results is centuries old. Throughout history, men at war have used long, loud battle cries. Not only are they scary to listen to, but also the cries enable the fighters to better marshal and focus their courage, aggression and strength into physical action. Normal physiological response to a loud noise includes an increase in adrenaline, blood pressure and heart rate, all of which increase alertness, which is probably a good idea if you’re faced with mortal combat.

In Oriental martial arts training, mastery of breathing is strongly encouraged. The diaphragmatic breathing techniques taught in karate classes are highly disciplined and stylized; they’re used specifically to enhance focus and performance. The loud exhalation or “shout” made during a karate move is called a “kiai” (pronounced “key-eye”).  In an essay entitled Aspects of Breathing in the Martial Arts, author Roberto Delicata states: “... exhalation whilst performing a technique binds the intent of mind and body:  a strong, powerful exhalation promotes the execution of a strong and powerful technique.”

According to Delicata, kiai means “spirit convergence” and it’s used specifically as “a state of being to express a harmony between the body and the mind.” In other words, it results in a much closer relationship between the psychological intent and the physiological action, and an outcome that is more powerful than can be achieved by physicality alone.

It’s probably this convergence experience that Lauryn is able to tune into during her tennis games. It may be irritating for silent opponents to listen to her loud cries while they, too, are trying to concentrate and focus. However, it doesn't seem right for the club to try to regulate a natural performance enhancer that is allowed even at Wimbledon, the hallowed ground of the international tennis circuit.  Now retired from the pro tennis circuit, Maria Sharapova was one of the world’s top-ranked players and a healthy role model for aspiring young tennis stars. What’s good enough for the judges at Wimbledon should be good enough for the clubs Down Under too.  If I were you, Lauryn, I’d take my racquet elsewhere, but stick to your mantra: “To do it well, I gotta yell!”

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