What is it?
Simple explanations only please.
I think I know what it is but I would like to hear what other people think it is also. I will post my definition after a few replies.
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What is it?
Simple explanations only please.
I think I know what it is but I would like to hear what other people think it is also. I will post my definition after a few replies.
Here is one for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcp6J...eature=related
but in all seriousness in my opinion I feel that chi is the lay term for the interplay between bioelectromagnetics and biochemistry, that is inherent to all living organisms, that which modern medical science is aware of but can not explain. There have been some studies done that hypothesize that it may have to do with the ones mitochondria and their ability to produce ATP and then there are the studies have shown that it may have something to do with hemoglobin in the blood and how it interacts with other complex biochemical pathways. That being said there has not been a proper peer reviewed study published in any reputable medical journal looking into any of this. According to my Sifu "where there is blood flow there is chi flow. Where the mind (yi) is focuses so shall ones chi.' Just my two cents.
Chi/Qi/Prana/Life Force...etc is not a fairy tale however through the media and other charlatans the labels have now become somewhat I'm obscured in their meaning. One has to remember that these terms/labels were invented during a time where modern day science didn't exist. it's not like they could have exactly called it bioelectronics or biochemistry. And even with all the science that we have we still really can't explain "it" yet we know "it" exists. what a lot of what people think is chi, is merely placebo.
Cheers,
-Nirav
I agree that it exists and that it has a normal physical basis that people didn't understand at the time when the idea was formulated. In this day an age though if we are talking about it we should be talking about the physical reality of whatever it is, shouldn't we?
I absolutely agree with you we to should be talking about this as it pertains to physical reality, however that is where the problem begins. no one can agree on what the actual physical reality is because no one can prove it and therein lies the issue. The best that most internal martial artist can do is use examples or give an abstract explanation on how it works and what it is. This problem is not just specific to the explanation of chi, but many topics in science. For that reason I feel that many people will not even touch this topic.
Yes.
The presentation of the above video by the doctor is not about Qi but new age believe. One needs to define qi as the energy which makes tcm accupuncture and herbal work. Instead of getting into all kind of magic force, guidance..Fung shui ....fortunte telling....ect .
yes this "new age thinking" that you mentioned many times before is one of the things I am talking about when I say placebo. And this is a problem mainly occurring to westerners unfortunately looking for answers from charlatans (Sifus /Guru's/Monks/ Alleged Spirutal Leaders who looking for easy prey.
For scientic experiments,
http://www.naturalhealingcenter.com/...e/jixingli.htm
you are correct, however how many things biologically speaking science has no ability to explain. Viruses for example are by definition not alive (unlike bacteria) however they can act as though they are and science is not able to explain why this phenomenon occurs so researchers just accept it and move forward to more important things like how to stop them. That however doesn't mean that we shouldn't still try to figure out but in the meantime we should focus on more pertinent issues. Another example, The human genome has been completely maped but will take at least 100 years for us to fully explore it even with 1000 supercomputers running 24/7.
And I really hope that nobody uses religion/god an example because that is a conversation that will go nowhere.
I will say this, everything that applies to fighting can be explained using bio mechanics, physics, mathematics 100 percent without any doubt. Chi has nothing "directly" to do with fighting.Professional athletes do not do chi gong to accomplish what they do. However as we know a lot of the chi gong exercises do have some commonalities with other exercises that are done by athletes that involve cardio cardio vascular and pulmonary development (physiology doesn't change) . If an athlete or chi gong practitioner repeats there exercises and trains for a prolonged period of time they develop more robust collateral blood supply do whatever organs being perfused. Having said that according to chinese medicine the more blood flow to an organ, the more chi. the effect in the end of the same...more oxygen carrying capacity which means more endurance, which means better better immune system and faster recovery time/tissue healing. Very simple, very logical, very scientific. Same goes for yoga.
Yes, id add will power and intelligence as well.Quote:
I will say this, everything that applies to fighting can be explained using bio mechanics, physics, mathematics 100 percent without any doubt.
CorrectQuote:
Chi has nothing "directly" to do with fighting.Professional athletes do not do chi gong to accomplish what they do.
Well if the definition of chi is increased blood flow and better level of fitness via exercise then i agree.Quote:
However as we know a lot of the chi gong exercises do have some commonalities with other exercises that I'm done by athletes that involve cardio cardio vascular and pulmonary development. If an athlete or chi gong practitioner repeats there exercises and trains for a prolonged period of time they develop more robust collateral blood supply do whatever organs being perfused. Having said that according to chinese medicine the more blood flow to an organ, the more chi. the effect in the end of the same...more oxygen carrying capacity which means more endurance, which means better better immune system and faster recovery time/tissue healing. Very simple, very logical, very scientific.
I did yoga heavily for 4 years or so and i can attest to its benefits.Quote:
Same goes for yoga
I agree about the power and intelligence, especially the intelligence. However I would like to clarify that I do not feel that the movement of blood is the definition of chi but rather it's one of the ways thought to be responsible for its migration through out the body.
I don't think Chi/Qi is a single thing, but as a way to explain a variety of observable phenomenon.
And a lot of such observable phenomenon cannot be fully explained by contempary scientific models, yet. But NOTHING escapes the laws of physics/nature/biology.
Like how we laugh at medical science of the 18th century, future generations will also laugh at how little we know today.
p.s. in Chinese, we even describe a well cooked stir fry as having "Wok Qi" ;)
Qi cultivation is related to the improved functioning of the body if you believe it is a real thing. A better functioning body is better at fighting in general, so while cultivating qi does not make you a great fighter it is certainly a useful thing for a fighter to develop.
Just throwing a hyperthetical here:
A lot of very experienced acupuncturists would tell you that they locate acupincture points not by sight or touch, but by "sensing" where there is a dip in Chi flow;
And we have seen numerous (sometimes comical) demonstrations where the teacher moves a student (ALWAYS between an issuer and a complying receiver) with Chi without touching. I have NEVER seen such Chi empty force working on a non-complying subject.
But what if, although a "Chi blast" in my opinion can never move a person in a real fight, it is the receiver who is skilled in listening to the issuer's Chi/intention/telegraphing/bioelectric field etc.? Can a well developed ability to sense give a person to respond to an attack (or the intention of an attack) before it happens?
Have we all had experiences in everyday life that we manage to sense something is about to happen just before it happens?
Just a thought.
Of course, but I do not like to mix chi with intention in the context of fighting. Instead I would say it was more like feeling ones Yi = thought/intention without the chi component (however yes they (Yi and Chi) are interconnected "where Yi goes, chi follows") . And I do agree that it is possible to reach that state you speak of. To be honest that is actually part of our systems poem and the basis of our chi sao/gor sao.