I just need to know, why do people in general think of
kiai as shouting or making noise?
By definition, there is nothing vocal about
kiai.
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kiai is harmonizing your spirit (your
ki). Call it concentration power (shu-chu ryoku).
By
kiai, you regain focus. By concentrating on one point (seika no itten), it is already
kiai, or at least part of it. The point of
kiai is actually to unify mind (spirit) and body.
One can shout as much or as loud as he wants when executing a technique, hitting or throwing as hard as possible, but the mind and body are separated, this is not
kiai. But another meditates in silence, concentrating on one point, breathing, posture, balance, and unifying mind and body, this is
kiai.
When one's surrounding is bothered by the shouting, it is probably caused by pointless shouting. But, when one's surrounding gets uplifted and be in high spirits, it is probably caused by a vocal
kiai. That is one way to tell the difference between the two.
The strongest
kiai is the silent
kiai. Aikido cannot be devoid of
kiai. This is because of this: How could one use the spirit of harmony,
aiki, when one cannot unify (harmonize) one's own spirit,
kiai.