Beginning to find the chi?

[Smitty]

Well, I fell in love with Goju karate about 2 years ago. Ever since, I've seen myself grow and I've loved it. Well a while back I learned Sanchin kata, and I've read about chi cultivation through it's practice. I got pretty bored this weekend, and figured I'd give the whole chi thing a shot, since I've never really "experienced" it. Well I did Sanchin somewhere around 15 times this weekend. Now I notice I can think about a body part, like my hand or whatever, and it'll feel ... I'm not sure if heavier or stronger is the right word. I'll have the same sensation when I kiai during a kata (without thinking about it) and I feel a dramatic change in the power of my strikes, and I feel less pain now when I'm struck. Is this all in my mind, or is this the beginning of "chi cultivation"?

[Clarence]

You're putting chi energy into specfic location

[Kajukenbopr]

Tai chi has its own way of developing chi, in contrast to karate(in which you have to be tense or focused to find your chi) they try to find their chi while relaxed.

I say, whatever works for you. Keep practising and it will get stronger and you will not be disappointed with the results.

[dtstiachi]

Relax. Feel the chi flow throgh your body. Don't try to force the chi. It will flow over time. If you are hung up on a particular area, let me know what it is and I will try to help.

[KarateKid7]

U cant relax when performing sanchin. the idea is to perform it under full tension. it trains so many aspect. iv heard it helps chi training but i dont understand why it does if it is performed at such tension as to feel chi dusnt one have to b relaxed?

[Kajukenbopr]

maybe the level of concentration required allows for chi to unblock certain paths between tense spots

[KarateKid7]

i see. its jus it seems like two negatives to me. chi and tension jus dont go together. its gotten me all confused now about the idea of letting chi flow.

[Kajukenbopr]

now that I think about it, maybe its a way of getting tense so when you finally let go, your chi starts flowing easier through you....

only an idea.... would need to study it more....

[KarateKid7]

ok thanks.

[Why_Worry]

In my style there is a kata like this where it is a breathing kata and you are supposed to be tense, but not from the muscles. You breath to let the chi flow through your body and if you are tense it wont flow so you have to relax and let your shoulders drop and just move without thinking so much. What i have heard many many times from my senseis is "Your breathe moves your chi and your chi moves yoru body but if you tense your muscles it cant move." Tense katas like this should be tense from chi which should energize you not drain your energy. You chi will keep your body strong but moving smoothly and it works just as well if someone trys to push you (In this kata sometimes senseis walk around and randomly push people to see if they move). you just need to relax and let the chi move and move from yoru center of chi so all you really do is move you hips and the rest moves but try to make yoru chi move you instead of muscle.