What is Ki ?

[JohnnyS]

Everyone seems to have a different definition, from having your body in alignment to near-magical powers. This is a quote I got from somewhere:

 

***The most miraculous power that can verifiably be attributed to "chi" is its ability to be all things to virtually all people, depending on what version of the superstition they are attempting to defend at any given moment ***

 

which seems to illustrate my point.

 

So, what is it and what does it do ?

[dark_adjudication]

Ki is life force, energy or "The Force" for the Jedi out there. It is in all things and moves through all things. If you are a rock, tree or person you have Ki. You can use it to the extent that you have mastered your life.

 

Ki is the force behind your punch. It is the focused concentration you use when driving or reading.

 

Ever see a group of people shut up when a soft spoken individual starts to speak? That is the force of his personality dominating the group. That is an individual with strong Ki.

 

A lot of people do amazing, unbelivable, thought impossible feats. Most do not parctice martial arts. They are people who have developed powerful Ki.

 

Here is the citation for Audy Murphy's Congressional Medal of Honor. He makes Rambo look like a pansy. He had everything going aganst him, he was short, skinney and from Texas... Yet he was a master and radiated powerfull Ki... Read this.

 

MURPHY, AUDIE L.

 

"Rank and organization: Second Lieutenant, U.S. Army, Company B 1 5th Infantry, 3d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near Holtzwihr France, 26 January 1945. Entered service at: Dallas, Tex. Birth: Hunt County, near Kingston, Tex. G.O. No.. 65, 9 August 1945. Citation 2d Lt. Murphy commanded Company B, which was attacked by 6 tanks and waves of infantry. 2d Lt. Murphy ordered his men to withdraw to prepared positions in a woods, while he remained forward at his command post and continued to give fire directions to the artillery by telephone. Behind him, to his right, 1 of our tank destroyers received a direct hit and began to burn. Its crew withdrew to the woods. 2d Lt. Murphy continued to direct artillery fire which killed large numbers of the advancing enemy infantry. With the enemy tanks abreast of his position, 2d Lt. Murphy climbed on the burning tank destroyer, which was in danger of blowing up at any moment, and employed its .50 caliber machinegun against the enemy. He was alone and exposed to German fire from 3 sides, but his deadly fire killed dozens of Germans and caused their infantry attack to waver. The enemy tanks, losing infantry support, began to fall back. For an hour the Germans tried every available weapon to eliminate 2d Lt. Murphy, but he continued to hold his position and wiped out a squad which was trying to creep up unnoticed on his right flank. Germans reached as close as 10 yards, only to be mowed down by his fire. He received a leg wound, but ignored it and continued the single-handed fight until his ammunition was exhausted. He then made his way to his company, refused medical attention, and organized the company in a counterattack which forced the Germans to withdraw. His directing of artillery fire wiped out many of the enemy; he killed or wounded about 50. 2d Lt. Murphy's indomitable courage and his refusal to give an inch of ground saved his company from possible encirclement and destruction, and enabled it to hold the woods which had been the enemy's objective. "

 

Like I said, everything and everyone has Ki. The amount that you have and your ability to use it is limited to the extent you have mastered your own life. There is no seperation between mind, body and spirit.

 

The best way to develop strong, useful Ki is to actively eliminate fear in your life. Standing up to people who want to kick you butt is easy. Anytime you make a decision based on what someone else might do or think, that is fear. Start making decisions on the best information you have and not on opinions and you will start to develop strong Ki. People will notice the difference.

[dark_adjudication]

Check out this link.

 

http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/moh1.htm

[JohnnyS]

I'm sorry, but you're doing exactly what everyone else does: attributing different things to ki.

 

The power behind my punch comes from physics. Seeing a group of people shut-up when someone talks is charisma.

 

What Lt Murphy did was courage.

 

So you're saying that ki is courage, charisma AND physics ?

[JohnnyS]

Although this is off-topic I'll address it here anyway. Fear is not bad. If you eliminate fear then you'll die young. Anyone who says they don't get scared is a liar or an idiot.

 

Rickson Gracie himself says he's always scared before he fights.

 

Also, how can you have courage if you don't have fear ? Courage is overcoming fear, not being oblivious to it. If you had no fear then it wouldn't be a courageous act, it would be a mundane act.

[Kaju_influenced]

Dark said

Ever see a group of people shut up when a soft spoken individual starts to speak? That is the force of his personality dominating the group. That is an individual with strong Ki.

 

This is incorrect like johnny said this is charisma, Chi/Ki is the lifeforce energy that dwells in the universe and is within our body, we are our own chi or energy producer, chi is the force behind a erupting vulcano the link to the divine well in my belief altleased. There is several types of chi however, we all have it but must become more aware of it and learn to increase then we ascend to the level where chi is changed to shen(spirit). This is only the knowledge of which has been told to me i do not posses shen so thats all i can give about the subject. Chi on the other hand i do poses especially my combat chi and am fully aware of it, for more info check out some Chi kung and taichi sites for a better understanding.

[JerryLove]

 

"Chi" means "breath" in chinese. The Chinese believe that Chi is the energy that makes something alive; a good interpretation would be "spirit".

 

many things are attibuted by many people to Chi. Some are influenced by Chi, some are not. unfortunately, the treatment of Chi as something mystical has frustrated any real attempts at a clear catigorization, as has the ignorance of people who disregard the existing knwoedge (such as the difference between "chi" and "yi").

 

There are a few things that I can do that obviously rely hevily on chi; mostly related to no-contact effects. If you look at accupuncture, it's entirely built around a concept of chi flow in the body... Accupressure / massage works on a combination of chi and other biological functions (chemicals in tissues, stimulation of the lymphatic system, etc).

 

Chi also becomes a convienent visualization for other ideas (Yi being one). Look at the unbending arm trick... It's a bio-mechanical act that is influenced by intent (yi). Rooting adds power for several reasons, not just one.

 

The same is true in some of the other examples. I've been playing with mentally pushing through crowds... oddly, it seems to work. It could be my imaginings (though I keep experimenting), but I think it's a subcousous response to the push that they don't consiously feel. If I ever find a test to prove it, I'll let you know Either way, it's not Charisma as many of the people involved are not looking at me (though for those who are looking in my general direction, my body-language could be why they move, and those not looking at me could be reacting to teh sutle body language of those who are without knowing it... I'm not yet convinced, though I am inclined).

[Kaju_influenced]

I agree jerry however ther is a distinct difference between chi and spirit, or shen which is the higher acheivement of chi practice, as u progress in internal training ur chi progresses to a higher level shen(spirit). thanx jerry for reply

 

KEEP TRAINING AND ALWAYS WORK HARD AT IT!

[JerryLove]

Yes, chi and [forgot the chinese word for spirit] are different; but in attempting to explain to an english audience, I don't think there is a better English word.

[dark_adjudication]

Look at it this way. If Ki is life force then anything you do, in life, is an application of Ki. This includes getting up from a chair or throwing a punch. True that physics are involved when you do these things.

 

Can you seperate mind, body and spirit? I submit that you cannot. Have you ever gotten off the couch to get a beer with out your body being directed to do so without by your mind? How about getting the beer with your mind and not your body? I don't think so. Unless you are the undead, I am fairly certain that your life force was involved, ie your Ki.

 

As for being afraid. Lets say your walk up on a rattle snake without noticing it. It rattles, adrenaline kicks in and you jump away from it. Was that fear? Would a fearless person stand there and get bit? Hell no! That would just be stupid! The guy that jumped out of the way was being smart, not fearful.

 

Charisma is an application of life force if you are alive. If you choose your course of action based on fear of what someone may do or think, if someone else "makes you angry," sad or depressed(you didn't choose to purposefully display those emotions) then you have allowed someone else's life force to dominate your's. If other people dominate you and dictate your course of action and feelings then your are practicing weak Ki. Don't even think about blowing someone's head off with a Ki ball cauz you don't have what it takes.

 

Can you see any great martial arts master sulking in a corner at a party, letting their boss push them around and abuse them, lying in bed with the shades drawn eating ben & Jerry's cause they asked a girl to dance and she said no? I don't think so.

 

Taking charge of your life may not develop, in you, the power to blow someone's head off with a Ki ball(insert Ki related feat of your choice) but I don't think you will develop that kind of Ki without it.