Quote Originally Posted by sanjuro_ronin View Post
Again, things that the ancients would have no understanding of when they developed their view of "chi".
This is it in a nutshell. Old wives tales, myth, you name it. Chi is neither air (oxygen) nor nutrients. It is the by product of combining them. Along with other trace elements required to preserve a living body. The energy that the body creates when it consumes these elements is Chi. It then fuels the body's functions. Without it you are considered dead. Trees and plants live, feed, breath, and they create and burn energy as they cycle and grow. Energy can be created in many ways. Movement of water, air, the sun and moon, just about everything can possibly create energy at one time or another. This can be considered Chi. However, this Chi is only good as long as it remains in motion. Chi from living creatures will always be as long as it lives. It dies, and Chi dies with it. For you to lift an arm you must use Chi.
Now, for the superstitious and believers in old wives tales, you can not cultivate Chi except by eating and breathing properly and keeping the body fit. Resting while completely and totally relaxed can well up the energy to some extent, but it burns off quickly once motion is again resumed. If your energy level is low, you can not instantly summon it. It is not a mystical force that can be manipulated that way.
This is why in Wing Chun we remain in a simi relaxed posture and only exert force with the striking hand or arm when it is needed. It uses this Chi or energy at a much reduced rate as compared to some other forms of fighting. And because we are not expending huge amounts of this Chi energy with un necessary body flexing and movement, We can focus it in much stronger amounts in single actions. Stamina, endurance, are just descriptions of high energy. People that are extremely fit, that breath well, and have a fairly decent diet, can carry large amounts of food serums in the blood and convert them more effeciently than those that are not as fit. This conversion is merely that of creating the Chi or energy that fuels the body.

LCP