Shinobi

I can slow my heart rate by going to sleep.

NonHomogenized

If you're 100 meters away from your target, you're not really in a fight with them, imho. If you're a martial artist, you certainly shouldn't consider yourself so, unless, perhaps, they have a gun.


OTOH, if you can teach ME to pick up a car and throw it 100 meters, using only my body and/or mind, THEN I'll be impressed.

...And, I'll have way too much fun moving cars around in large parking lots

Lobstrosity

Well, it should allow you to hold your breath longer...

Fred

I think perhaps I am failing to convey what it is I am wanting to get across.
I relate chi development purely to physical exercise and daily health. I am NOT advocating a spiritual realm of any kind.
Yes it is possible for a person to alter blood flow, this can be done simply by flexing a muscle, and I think you will agree that flexing a muscle does not a chi expert make ? If you were to enter my club and take a lesson in tae kwon do, you would learn a couple of basics, such as a punch and a kick. Although you would perform these movements, you would be far from becoming a master of tae kwon do. Why would chi be any different ? I relate chi to breathing and relaxation and use what I know in relation to martial arts.
Martial arts is not Christianity, nor is chi. Martial arts and chi as I have learnt them do exist as exercises. As I said you could join a club and see for yourself. To mistake chi as a form of spiritual power is to give in to the fanciful stories found in kung fu movies. The problem in my experience in martial arts is that people who have virtually no knowledge of the subject, like to big talk it and offer it as something more than it is. This always happens in martial arts when beginners choose a club. They are proud of their choice and tend to go on and on about it with out an understanding of what it is.
There is a clear misconception here as to what chi is. This would be the result of propaganda to promote Asian martial arts.
As for your question "Why would a person such as myself bother?" well I can think of many reasons. To be fit and healthy would be at the top of my list. You treat my trying to give an example through martial arts with disdain. Basically you don't know what you are talking about. This is obvious. I have only mentioned chi in relation to physical exercise. Well duh. Guess what, this is what it is. If you want to seperate martial arts from chi ?... it can't be done, the two are entwined. This is why I mention it and as I am a fully qualified martial artist I think it is fair for me to comment.
I am a martial artist, NOT a priest. I do not sell nothingness.

Fred

To answer the first paragraph. I have not removed a gun from a persons hand. However I have removed a very dangerous knife from a person when working a door years ago. Martial arts came in very handy that day.

As for the second ? Please read my comments above. Chi is a physical exercise involving breathing and massage. Not throwing cars around.

The problem everyone here seems to have with chi relates more toward those who would sell it as something other than what it is. Not chi itself. I too have a big problem with these unscrupulous individuals who do that, and there are many. I honestly don't think any of the people here should have any problem with me and what I am posting. I am only relaying my experience in relation to physical exercise. At least I am qualified.

Shinobi

As I have previously stated if Chi is a metaphor for a high level of health and physical conditioning, then that’s ok. It should be remembered that the original meaning of Chi by the ancient Chinese was a force that flowed through everything, and that is the way that some people (like the guy I know) pass it off today. They inevitably use the word “energy” when they talk of Chi and when the skeptic hears the word energy, the response should be “what energy?”(electro-magnetic, nuclear, strong, weak ect.). My classmate mentioned energy when we talked about Chi and I said “What energy?” and he said the energy that holds everything together, (sounds a bit like the strong force, but I doubt he’d know what that is.) before quickly changing the subject.

As to the statement that martial arts and Chi cannot be separated, I don’t fully agree. Perhaps that is true of the Chinese martial arts, and also many of the newer Japanese martial arts (who call it Ki.) but the martial art I study does not concern itself with Ki, breathing, stunts, board breaking ect, just technique. Perhaps that isn’t the norm nowadays, so you could be more or less right.

I think it’s established that we all agree that there is no paranormal force associated with Chi.

Some other things this guy said in our discussion:

“Acupuncture has been proven by western medicine”
I said “Can you give me a list of studies that show that acupuncture is effective?”
He flapped his hand in dismissal and said “You can do that.” The guy makes a claim then thinks I should go and prove/disprove it. I was about to smack that claim down hardcore, but the teacher started talking and we had to end the discussion.

In future, I have a feeling this guy won't bring up the topic of Chi when I'm around.

tribalbeeyatch

[snip yada, yada, yada, chi, chi, chi]Then what exactly is it, Fred? Is it not controlling the flow of "internal energies"? Is it not parlor tricks such as controlling one's heartrate or making one hand warmer than the other (without flexing muscles)? Thus far you've been long on telling me that I don't know what I'm talking about and rather short on demonstrating that you know what you're talking about.I am quite fit and healthy already. I eat very well, I exercise frequently, and I make a conscious effort to remove stress from my life. If chi is something beyond that, then what is it? If that's all that chi is, then why bother calling it 'chi' when that word is already polluted by its longstanding association with mystical mumbo jumbo.Yes, because it was a frankly stupid parallel to draw. Here, how's about you fill in the blanks for poor ol' misinformed me: Practising fighting is to improving fighting abilities as practising chi is to improving _________.Other than that I don't know what I'm talking about (repeat ad infinitum) you really aren't conveying much information to me. So you can't separate martial arts from chi? Are all physical activities entwined with chi practice? Is chi practice at all distinct from physical exercise? If not, then you are just tacking an unnecessary term, and one that reeks of silly mystical mumbo jumbo, onto the concept of exercise. C'mon, Fred, if a "fully qualified martial artist" such as yourself can't explain what chi is, then perhaps you might reflect upon how well you understand chi -- or whether chi is in fact anything at all.

tribalbeeyatch

Actually, that's a good point. I hadn't thought of that.

Fred

I have only studied chi for three years through Qigong. I mentioned this earlier. My experience in it is through meditaion, massage and breathing. I cannot explain it further as I already stated.
If you just want to argue with people, pick someone you know. I was trying to help explain that it is not what it is often sold as.
My experience in chi is through physical training. Nothing more.
For about $25.00 per month you can find out for yourself.

Fred

Perhaps you could read this post and see I was not speaking of Chi as being mystical at all.
Chi is simply the term the Chinese use for life energy. They believe the center of a persons energy is in the area two inches below the solar plexus. As far as I know, the breathing and focus is on this area.
There is nothing mystical and I never said there was. It is an exercise involving breathing and massage.