I think a lot of the aikido crowd use it in concept to describe directionality of motion/power/physical energy/coordination of breath etc. You can say it's an imaginary concept but I think it's like people who don't believe in god but pray anyway because of psychological utility. Whether it's real or not isn't an issue, it may be a lie but it's a useful lie. (to be clear I'm not implying anything about god one way or the other) On the medical side they can't measure or locate ki/chi but japanese/chinese acupuncture has medically testable results so who knows. We may just have some kind of non-physical energy. Although that would bring up the same issue as mind/body dualism: how does a non-physical energy interact with a physical body.
Ah, I understand. I pretty much agree with Sketco on it. I remember asking that same question, in a rather argumentative fashion, when I was participating in an aikido seminar about 15 years ago or so. I was extremely skeptical when ki was being discussed. Rather than attempt explanations, the instructor had one of his senior students do a little demonstration for me. Lynn Fabia is about 5'1", and weighs maybe 90 pounds. A tiny petite woman. I weigh a bit over 200. She told me to grab her and, when I tried to, she actually threw me through the air. I didn't know anything about falling then, so I landed hard enough to knock the wind out of me. Once I dragged myself back to my feet, the instructor smiled and said "That's ki, I'll let you make your own definitions for just what it's made of." Needless to say I was hugely impressed. Unfortunately, I've had to drop my aikido studies. Due to time constraints I had to choose, and sword won out.
i think "ki" or "chi" is the life source in which all things come to balance. i guess you could call it energy, but o'sensei calls it UNIVERSAL energy. In kokikai, my sensei refers to it more as the motion that you use to throw someone. Qi however, is more of derived from kung fu, spiritual, and mental state in which you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. it is a skill in which you use your internal power to defend, heal, or attack.
"By virtue of the subtle workings of ki we harmonize mind and body and the relationship between the individual and the universe. When the subtle working of ki is unhealthy, the world falls into confusion, and the universe into chaos. The harmonizing of united ki-mind-body with the activity of the universe is critical for order and peace in the world." -morehei, ueshiba
To be honest I enjoy some of Ueshiba's saying from a philosophical point of view but from a martial arts point of view I find he sometimes comes across as a senile old man whose views changed postwar because he got old, religious, and his man-berries stopped giving him the testosterone to be aggressive. This is why I'm glad I trained Yoshinkan instead of something like ki society... practical, strong, and no flowery bull. Gozo Shioda may have made people laugh but he was no joke. His explanations and techniques were very practical, and work well when applied full force, because he tested them on the street against resisting opponents.
