Christianity and the whole "ki" issue

[nathanjusko]

Just wondering, as a Christian myself I do not have conflicting emotions about my study of martial arts. To me, it is a system of self-discipline, exercise, self-defense, and celebration of the engineering behind the human body. However, I begin to feel somewhat conflicted about the whole issue behind spirituality found in the martial arts, and the use and development of "ki". Granted I am not very well educated on the subject, I was just curious how other Christians felt or how they feel about the "religion" of martial arts.

[delta1]

My religion is being a (!), but I'll answer you any how. Qi is not a religious exercise. God put it there, and some people choose to develope and use it. Of course, you can worship anything you want, even your qi. That would make it a religion, and provide the rest of us with a lot of laughs at the same time. Can you see yourself, in a suit, going door to door, spreading the word that "Your QI is the path to salvation!"? No? I wouldn't worry about it too much, then.

[SBN Doug]

Interestingly put, but I'll agree with the overall opinion.

 

I look at it this way, it's developing the use of a normally under-used part of you. Is a genius not being a Christian by better utilizing his brain? No. Is an athlete not being a Christian by developing his body? No. Ki is just the internal energies your body naturally has, and we develop it and attempt to control the flow of it in order to maximize its use.

 

You might be confusing Buddhist prayer with ki meditation.

 

I think I'll moove this to the Internal Arts forum.

[monkeygirl]

I think a big problem is the common image of ki. I've experimented with ki myself...unbendable arm, etc. It's just focusing mentally to be able to do incredible things physically.

 

Unfortunately, the media tends to portray ki as this mysterious magical force that can create fireballs and kill a running yak from 300 yards away.

[nathanjusko]

Thank you all for your replies.

[cymry]

Ki is a concept in many cultures around the world, it's just called different things. It could be called chi, qi, prana, bio-electrical energy, whatever. Personally I do't believe the mysticism of it, but several of the teaching methods of the East are compatible with Western science.

[cymry]

I believe there is a universal energy that we can use to our advantage. What it is may reside in places other than the physical world.

 

I'm not contradicting my last post, by mysticism I mean the whole flying, fireballs and lightning stuff.

[JerryLove]

Of course, there is the Biblical position that when you draw from outside yourself, it is either from God or it is not from God. If it is not from God, then it is from satan and the OT commands death for people who do so.

[Karateka]

I am not a Christian, but I have often had the debate of Ki within science. Does it exist or is it just hallucination? I think Ki exists but in different forms. It could be an energy but it could also just be your spirit. When I find myself getting tired and want to give up, but i continue on...I am pulling on my Ki in a sense. Ki is spirit to me. It is the hidden force that pushes us beyond our rational limit. Our mind says "STOP! THIS IS STUPID" while our Spirit can push us to go further and prove the rational side wrong.

[JerryLove]

But what makes you believe that you are discussing the same thing anyone else is? You seem to be making pu a definition for Ki rather than looking at what it is and does.