I just earned my black belt!!

[thaiboxerken]

I think you are wrong about the origin of "ki" concept. The Japanese got the term from the Chinese term of "Qi". The history of the Qi concept is riddled with mythology and quackery. The Chinese used to (and some still do) think that air was the substance of all life and the source of all disease. Bad "Qi" came from dark places and caves, good "Qi" came from the daylight sky and sun. It was believed that we breathe in the Qi and that the Qi flows through our bodies. They even thought that instead of blood in our veins, that they carred air. Over time, the definition of Qi kept chaning, and it still is. Now, there are different definitions of what Qi is according to different people and instructors.

 

It seems to me that you try to define Ki as the sum of all physics that encorporate what our bodies can do. Others actually believe there is a special energy that permeates the body. Some think that it is an energy that connects all living things to each other.

 

Now, my heart is not below my navel, what does "keep one point" really mean?

 

Relax is simple and straight forward.

 

#3 simply tells me to keep a low center of gravity.

 

#4 loses me.

[TheDevilAside]

They even thought that instead of blood in our veins, that they carred air. Over time, the definition of Qi kept chaning, and it still is.

I find that hard to believe. Got any sources? You would think they would figure out very quickly that that wasn't true after they got an injury and drew blood. But hey, they weren't too far off, that's what RBC's do.

[thaiboxerken]

Yes, the article is in the current issue of "Skeptic" magazine.

 

https://www.skeptic.com

 

Red Blood cells carry oxygen, not air.

[TheDevilAside]

Red Blood cells carry oxygen, not air.

Give me a break. Air minus two thirds nitrogen, then. Most people believe air to be synonymous with oxygen anyway.

 

I'll check the article out if I can find it on the site. Thank you.

[JEM618]

I am here to discuss ‘ki’ (Japanese) not Qi (Chinese)

 

It seems to me that you try to define Ki

 

1. as the sum of all physics that incorporate what our bodies can do

 

2. as a special energy that permeates the body

 

3. as an energy that connects all living things to each other

 

I’d say it’s a combination for all of those to some extent.

 

It’s funny, isn’t it, even though I gave you the watered down translation, and the literal translation, it’s still confusing.

 

Relax is simple and straight forward.

 

Not trying to be difficult, but some level of confusion always exists here when explaining the concept to Japanese and westerners. It seems most people's idea of relax completely is to be something like cooked spaghetti.

 

Now, my heart is not below my navel, what does "keep one point" really mean?

 

心 doesn’t mean your heart in physical terms, it means your heart in terms of your mind's intention. Keeping centered or balanced, both physically and mentally. Actually, we could say number 1 is closer to how you define number 3.

 

#3 simply tells me to keep a low center of gravity.

 

Not quite, a low center of gravity is different than 'keep weight underside'.

 

３．身体の総ての部分の重みを、その最下部におく。

 

The weight for all parts of your body should be at the lowest part of each.

 

As I mentioned before, there are 15 ‘ki’ exercises; the one that demonstrates this principal is

 

上がらない手、(agaranai-te) or the ‘unraiseable arm (Since ‘unraiseable’ is not proper English, let’s call it the arm that cannot be raised [easily]).

 

This is performed in a similar fashion as the ‘unbendable arm’. The arm is extended and from the under side of the arm, your partner tries to raise your arm. If you flex your muscles, or try to meet your partner’s upward push with a downward push, eventually he will overpower you raising your arm. It’s simple he standing on the ground pushing up, you are standing on the ground pushing down; eventually his leverage will overcome your strength. Now, if you that same ‘dynamic tension’ you use in the ‘unbendable arm’ ‘keep weight underside’, that being the weight of your arm, he will have a much harder time raising you arm. (Again, if he tries hard enough, he’ll be able to raise it, agreed. But, that’s not the point. The point is for you to notice the difference between the two, that being tense, rigid, static, and trying to match strength to strength is not as effective or practical as remaining ‘fluid’ or using ‘dynamic tension’ for control. Later you can try to apply those principals to your techniques.

 

#4 loses me.

 

Sorry. Well, Ueshiba put it best:

 

Rely not on the brush (written word) or mouth (oral explaination) for understanding the technique.

 

Attain enlightenment through practice.

Edited October 3, 2004 by JEM618

[thaiboxerken]

Give me a break. Air minus two thirds nitrogen, then.

 

And CO2, as well as H2O. There are also sulfides in the air, becaue of pollution.

Most people believe air to be synonymous with oxygen anyway.

 

Most people are wrong.

I'll check the article out if I can find it on the site. Thank you.

 

It's in the magazine, I'll see if I can find it (if I haven't trashed it) and maybe post some of the bibliography.

[thaiboxerken]

JEM.. you are rather vague with your definition of Ki. It seems like you are evasive.

[TheDevilAside]

Dry air is roughly 79% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, and 1% argon.

 

- Wikipedia.org

 

I still counted for about 99%

Most people are wrong.

Agreed.

[47MartialMan]

I think you are wrong about the origin of "ki" concept. The Japanese got the term from the Chinese term of "Qi". The history of the Qi concept is riddled with mythology and quackery. The Chinese used to (and some still do) think that air was the substance of all life and the source of all disease. Bad "Qi" came from dark places and caves, good "Qi" came from the daylight sky and sun. It was believed that we breathe in the Qi and that the Qi flows through our bodies. They even thought that instead of blood in our veins, that they carred air. Over time, the definition of Qi kept chaning, and it still is. Now, there are different definitions of what Qi is according to different people and instructors.

 

It seems to me that you try to define Ki as the sum of all physics that encorporate what our bodies can do. Others actually believe there is a special energy that permeates the body. Some think that it is an energy that connects all living things to each other.

 

Now, my heart is not below my navel, what does "keep one point" really mean?

 

Relax is simple and straight forward.

 

#3 simply tells me to keep a low center of gravity.

 

#4 loses me.

So, does this mean that most Japanese stuff is taken from outside sources?

[47MartialMan]

I am here to discuss ‘ki’ (Japanese) not Qi (Chinese)

 

It seems to me that you try to define Ki

 

1. as the sum of all physics that incorporate what our bodies can do

 

2. as a special energy that permeates the body

 

3. as an energy that connects all living things to each other

 

I’d say it’s a combination for all of those to some extent.

 

It’s funny, isn’t it, even though I gave you the watered down translation, and the literal translation, it’s still confusing.

 

Relax is simple and straight forward.

 

Not trying to be difficult, but some level of confusion always exists here when explaining the concept to Japanese and westerners. It seems most people's idea of relax completely is to be something like cooked spaghetti.

 

Now, my heart is not below my navel, what does "keep one point" really mean?

 

心 doesn’t mean your heart in physical terms, it means your heart in terms of your mind's intention. Keeping centered or balanced, both physically and mentally. Actually, we could say number 1 is closer to how you define number 3.

 

#3 simply tells me to keep a low center of gravity.

 

Not quite, a low center of gravity is different than 'keep weight underside'.

 

３．身体の総ての部分の重みを、その最下部におく。

 

The weight for all parts of your body should be at the lowest part of each.

 

As I mentioned before, there are 15 ‘ki’ exercises; the one that demonstrates this principal is

 

上がらない手、(agaranai-te) or the ‘unraiseable arm (Since ‘unraiseable’ is not proper English, let’s call it the arm that cannot be raised [easily]).

 

This is performed in a similar fashion as the ‘unbendable arm’. The arm is extended and from the under side of the arm, your partner tries to raise your arm. If you flex your muscles, or try to meet your partner’s upward push with a downward push, eventually he will overpower you raising your arm. It’s simple he standing on the ground pushing up, you are standing on the ground pushing down; eventually his leverage will overcome your strength. Now, if you that same ‘dynamic tension’ you use in the ‘unbendable arm’ ‘keep weight underside’, that being the weight of your arm, he will have a much harder time raising you arm. (Again, if he tries hard enough, he’ll be able to raise it, agreed. But, that’s not the point. The point is for you to notice the difference between the two, that being tense, rigid, static, and trying to match strength to strength is not as effective or practical as remaining ‘fluid’ or using ‘dynamic tension’ for control. Later you can try to apply those principals to your techniques.

 

#4 loses me.

 

Sorry. Well, Ueshiba put it best:

 

Rely not on the brush (written word) or mouth (oral explaination) for understanding the technique.

 

Attain enlightenment through practice.

 

Isnt all the same from a Eastern perspective?