What can and can't you do with chi?

Okay, despite being skeptical, in fact not believing in chi's existence at all, I'd like to find out what it can and cannot do. As Knight Errant said in another thread, every chi thread seems to turn into a debate on its existence. So I have a request for other skeptics, lets sit this one out guys, find out what chi can supposedly do. For one thing I want to try and use the information to devise an experiment to test it, and for another I'm just plain curious.

So, after this post, lets not have any more skeptical posts. Whether you believe or not doesn't matter in this thread, what we're after is what you believe chi can do.

 

I have an idea, why dont you find a competent teacher and work very hard for a while, and answer you own question.

 

*sighs* Well, I had to try it anyway. Like I said, I'm not interested here in arguing about whether it exists or not. I just want to know what its supposed to be able to do. If you want to try and convince me, stick to the other chi thread, or PM me, but here please just try and stay with what chi's meant to be able to do, otherwise I'll just delete the thread as it'll be a total waste of time.

 

here, why dont you just read for yourself:

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~limttk/

Though you'll probably have to read all of it, to really undersatand some of it.

 

Because the idea was that this thread would be a peace offering, evidently you don't want that, so either just stop posting in it and leave it for anyone who might just be interested in saying what they think chi can do, or keep posting with backhanded comments about my lack of belief in chi and I'll just save everyone some grief by deleting the whole thing. Your call.

 

Hmm, I dont think you're going to get many replies to this thread, but i'll try and capture the feeling both for those who believe and those who dont.

Chi should be thought along the same lines as lifeforce (or if you're a jedi, 'The Force').

Eseentially, it allows you to do various things - mainly health related. Skeptics may say that its just common sense principles; eat healthy, do exercise, dont stress etc etc. and essentially that is what qi gong is (the skill of cultivating chi).

In reality though, there are two main outputs:

1. Health/Philosophical/Theoretical
2. Practical

Essentially, point 1 is all the meditation, the exercises, the beliefs etc. You need not be religious or spiritual in order to try and understand what it does or the effects it has. This is in reference to zillabilla's reply in that you should find a teacher to take you through it so you can 'discover' in your own way.

Point 2 is all about how you can use your 'chi' for a particular application. It could be along the lines of the iron [insert body part here] stuff, or it could be when a woman saves the baby in the burning, over-turned car, how a soldier saves his squad when ambushed, even though is peppered with bullets, or how a martial artist can make someone drop like a sack of spuds with the lightest of touches.

At the end of the day, whether you believe in it or not, is besides the point. The fact is that you can 'experience' chi effects without having done any qi gong or martial arts. In order to understand the why how when where what type questions, you must find someone to lead you on your own personal voyage of discovery - and not necessarily in martial arts.


This what you're looking for?

 

Exactly what I'm looking for, thank you.

 

What I'm particularly interested in hearing - is what Chi can do from a martial arts perspective. Forget the health issues - how can Chi make a person a better fighter?

 

Read this stuff.

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~limttk/

 

Simple answer Yoda is that if your Chi flow is inhibited you will get sick and not fight very well.

 

I wish more people who have actively cultivated chi for years would answer this thread. I haven't, but here's a small list of things I have read other people, who believe in chi, post in this forum about what chi can 'do':

1. "Flow" from one part of your body to another in a natural circuit, just like your blood flow, from/to all parts of your body. In theory, if this flow is disrupted, it's like cutting off circulation of blood to a part of your body: part gets stagnant and may get sick or die.

2. "Root" you to the ground, to enhance the effects of gravity, provide more stability, increase power, and appear to increase your weight so an opponent cannot knock you over as easily.

3. "Channel" in a controlled fashion from one part of your body to another, so the power and effectiveness of a strike can be increased by incorporating the power/strength/muscles of other parts of your body. Also, you could make the chi move, by power of your will and your ability to control it, into all parts of your body, to improve and maintain your own health.

4. "Transmit" from a person with positive chi energy to another individual, so that their chi energy is helped or their chi flow is improved or balanced. Reiki practitioners believe chi can do this in a controlled way.

5. Be "harnessed", so you could use chi energy external to your own body (in the ether/air/ground/universe around you) so that your strikes/blocks/kicks (or even just your own physical/mental health) benefit from this external chi energy.

6. Be "thrown", as a weapon, at an adversary with or without any physical contact.

In chatting and cross-posting with people on this forum, I have found very few individuals who believe chi can do all these things. Most active practitioners of chi cultivation who have posted on this forum, that I have read, believe that chi can do numbers 1 through 3 in this list. A large number believe chi can do # 1 and 2. The numbers seem to drop off for the higher numbers in this list.

Comments, Please?? I am trying to find out and understand the views of others about chi and chi cultivation. If I misrepresented anyone's belief, please excuse me....this is my understanding based on what I have read from other posters on this forum. I think LBR's question is an excellent one, and I hope more people will post, in all seriousness, to provide the info he (and I) seeks.

 

"Ki" training can be very valuable for a fighter. Using the drills and forms can help develop proper breathing and proper utilization of energy. Regardless of what "ki" is, knowing how to regulate your body, especially through breathing, to develop maximum energy and deliver it is always good.

Additionally, by learning about the body's meridians and sensitive areas (pressure points), it gives one a better understanding of where to strike and why.

Things such as a good "ki-hap" when striking can not only add the vocal component (stun, warn, shock) but also key a person/train them to deliver maximum energy at the point of impact. Using a good "ki-hap" when you are struck can help prevent having the air knocked out of you and can tense the muscles to prevent as much damage.

"Ki" training not only offers the control of breathing and such, but usually has the additional practice in meditation and visualization, which can help sort, organize, and plan for situations.

In short, I think many of the "ki" training methods can serve fighters well... regardless whetehr they believe in it or not. I think all of these skills can be taught without a context of "ki", but for me, I like developing "ki".

 

Thanks Thomas. Very well put together info!

Me too!

 

Yoda: It's funny because teaching students at a University Club can be a pretty mix of people. Some students want nothing to do with "mysticism and all that crap" and others want to explore it in varying degrees. That's why I think the critical components can be taught without having to explain it as "ki"... the students see the application and the ones who want to study "ki" more intensely can.

 

When I am older i want to do qi-gong because chi is so fasinating and seems useful to a fighter. True i will learn some qi-gong in many of the forms i will learn over time.

Throwing chi isnt that i bit imaginitave(like a cartoon called DBZ) not that it wouldnt be cool and good in a fight

 

You cant tie your laces with it!!!

 

Im not an expert on Chi, Ki, or whatever you want to call it. But my opinion (please note this, my OPINION) is that by focusing Chi, you can increase reflexs, maintain a higher level of focus and concerntration. For me personally, it can also help me anticipate an opponents next move.

I believe that Chi can do whatever you want it to do (with the limits of physical law etc). It can make you slightly faster, make your strikes and kicks land with more force, help you to take a hit more readily, keep you calm in a stressful situation (not always a Martial Art situation).

I hope this helps. Please bear in mind these are my personal opinions, im not claiming that this is what chi does and it does nothing else. I believe its whatever you make of it.

James.

 

You might as well be asking, Is health benificial to your life? A more reasonable question would be is there anything that you cannot do with Chi? Like I said in another thread, we say things like "That person has a strong presence". It would be kinda silly to ask "What can and can't you do with your presence"? We say "That person is very high energy". What can you do with high energy............whatever you want to do. I have said it before and I will say it again, you can do all kinds of supernatural things with Chi, you can jump higher, run faster, hit harder, and make love longer. What you can't do with Chi is anything OTHER THAN NATURAL! What you can do with your Chi is just exactly what you are doing right now. Its just another (different) way of talking about life. The forest is just a few more steps back. Trust me it is there and always has been, stop looking at the leaves and you will see that this is a silly argument.

 

You mean my dragonball Z training is in vain!!!!

I agree with your post MartialArtsSnob. In my profession one way to think of qi is equating it to physiological activity (although I dont think that is all qi is). With good qi (efficient physiological activity) everything you do is going to work better.

 

With efficient physiological activity everything you do is going to work better. The term Qi/Chi/Ki/Shazzam/Kapow is redundant.