When The Gong Rings
In Karate, the “Kiai” is a deceleration of your fighting spirit. This shout is used to generate power when striking an opponent. The kiai can also create a invisible barrier for protection. For this reason the kiai is one of the building blocks of proper Karate form.
A student has mastered the kiai when they can ring a gong only with their voice. Until the gong rings there is no moving forward. Miguel Esparza focused his eye on one specific dojo called Shozen, building relationships with the students of all ages and backgrounds as they all come together to practice an art form that is both competitive and beautiful. The community goes beyond this small dojo but Esparza shows a glimpse of the effort and dedication it takes to move forward. Drawn to the process of how each student must practice every move to perfection, Miguel spots the parallel to his craft has he must return again and again to better understand and document their journey so that both their gongs might ring.