One Inch Punch, and..

[The BB of C]

I think chi is a natural force that exists.

I think the one inch techniques are mainly for demonstration showing an ability to generate power even from very close and awkward positions. I feel that Tai Chi makes best use of one inch concepts.

[bushido_man96]

I think chi is a natural force that exists.

I think the one inch techniques are mainly for demonstration showing an ability to generate power even from very close and awkward positions. I feel that Tai Chi makes best use of one inch concepts.

How so, BB of C?

[DWx]

I'll admit my Tai Chi training wasn't that extensive, but we were always doing bigger movements. What sort of concepts are you talking about BB of C?

[tonydee]

Generally, I'm in agreement with JusticeZero: very nice summary of the issues.

I'll admit my Tai Chi training wasn't that extensive, but we were always doing bigger movements. What sort of concepts are you talking about BB of C?

Hopefully BB of C will chip in sometime, but meanwhile...

Yang style tai chi (which I also practice) seems pretty soft generally - I've honestly no idea how to generate useful power following it's mechanics... I'm not even sure what the mechanics are supposed to be. I've watched videos of Ching Man Cheng - founder of the branch I've studied - but nothing I've seen threw any light into my dim little mind.

In Chen style there's a more direct emphasis on spontaneous high-speed twitches, similar to the one inch punch mechanics, that's actively encouraged both generally and in forms practice. The twitches are supposed to start appearing naturally as a master practices the forms for enough decades. (Cynics claim at least some of the masters just feel like they've had enough of waiting and everyone not seeing them do it, especially if some of their peers start, so they do do it themselves.) The term is "fa jing". An obviously consciously deliberate demonstration appears here. Some of the movements are small - e.g. shoulder shrugs - some aren't.

FWIW, I do similar exercises to develop this kind of explosiveness in my normal practice routine. I don't see that they necessarily have anything at all to do with chi/ki, and indeed I factor them in to the body mechanics I use for "external" striking. For me at least, it's just training the body to get the kind of explosive twitches produced naturally after touching something hot, or when almost asleep and realising it's an inappropriate place/time to sleep, then coordinating them under your own control. That's all about going from relaxation to instantaneous movement in the blink of an eye. Unlike a hand twitching from flame, for martial arts things typically start with an extremely sudden contraction of a hamstring and thigh, generating a hip rotation, chaining that upwards through the shoulders to be released in a hand technique or even kick.

When practicing, I often tell myself some technique should be finished in one moment. Certain techniques are well suited to this exercise: spinning back thrusting kick, spinning hooking kick, reverse ridge hand strike, step ping forward to jab with the back hand, back leg turning kick (emphasising such speed reduces power, so it's most useful as a low-section kick to unbalance an opponent), back leg side piercing kick. I use this same mental attitude of going from complete stillness to completed movement, consciously allowing no transition between the two. Of course that's impossible, but it's amazing how close you can come when you've spent a lot of time removing all that's unnecessary from your techniques, and ensuring your preparatory position is suitable (I use the same guarding stance for all the above attacks, and others). Be very careful if you try - it can place great strains on the body and requires appropriate technique: e.g. front kicks at that intensity are prone to straining your knees.

Cheers, Tony

[sensei8]

My opinion, and that's all it is, is that it's all body mechanics, physics and intent. Nothing more.

That pretty much sums it up for me...I agree with tallgeese!

[isshinryu5toforever]

I don't think Ki or Chi is just a mystical explanation for something that looks impossible. I think it is the explanation for proper body mechanics, physics, and intent.

If you start to look at Chinese medicine, they got a lot of things right. They explain it in mystical terms, because they mixed medicine and philosophy, but there are certain bridges between Chinese medicine and Western medicine. One quick example being the Chinese medicine theory that the essence of life resides in your kidneys, so kidney health is key to a long life. In the west, they're finding that there is a chemical that exists in your kidneys that resides in your brain. As you grow older, the traces of that chemical in the brain dissipate. They can be maintained with deep breathing exercises, which are a big part of Chinese martial arts. This isn't to say that all Chinese medicine is right. Some of it is just downright ridiculous, but there is some stuff that's very legitimate.

Ok, now for a further explanation on the Ki thing. Ki is supposedly your body's natural energy. The way you harness this energy is through very specific movement. You need proper body mechanics and intent to create the physics necessary to perform things like the one inch punch. To use your "ki" is really to fully exhibit the kinetic energy that your body contains. In things like the one-inch punch, you use your body's energy (not mystical energy) to break an object that seems unbreakable with a strike from such a distance. When you look at the way ki is balanced, it aligns itself with the body's natural pivot points, including the center-line of your body itself. Your "ki center" is really your center of gravity (right around your navel), and this is where all energy comes from. That really is where you generate all the energy for your strikes.

I think when we talk about ki, we are talking about body mechanics just using different terminology.

The people that talk about no touch knockouts or moving people with extensions of their ki are full of crap. I think that's the problem we all run into when we have a discussion on ki energy. You have too many people out there running around using the power of suggestion to get people to basically fall asleep. If you look at ki as simply a different term for body mechanics, I think it makes it easier to reconcile the past with the present and the spiritual with the actual.