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This was brought up in another thread. I have heard/read about ki but we don't practice any kind of meditation in our dojang. However, I very much believe I have witnessed a presence of an unusual level of this power/energy in certain individuals particularly my master/instructor. Its not about the strength of your muscles, its not about technique except those are tools of the mind. I would like to keep an open mind about this. If you close it before you investigate, if there is something to it, it can never enter your thoughts and you can never possibly gain from what you learn. I believe the mind has power over the body that most cannot harness except through training. My master would say this power that I perceived comes from God. I really don't know how he achieved it. Any experience with this, witnessing this energy in others or viewpoints about its legitimacy?
This is an article in Blackbelt Mag. on Ki Energy:
or you can go directly: http://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/blackbelt/1999/feb99/ene.html
Ki Energy
The Universal Life Force Everyone Talks About But Few Understand
by Doug Cook
Karate experts like Fumio Demura can attest to the way in which a ki-channeling shout can augment the power of a punch.
Central to any study of Western medicine and the associated life sciences is a deep understanding, of the various elements that make up the human body. Medical students are taught early on about the bio-systems that transport blood to the cells, oxygen from the lungs and nerve impulses to the brain. But their professors reveal little, if anything, about the mysterious system of meridians and acupoints that run through the body. This system is thought to channel the vital life force known as ki in Korea and Japan and as chi in China.
First mention of ki theory can be traced back to the birth of traditional Chinese medicine during the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di (2697 B.C.-2597 B.C.). It was during this period that Huang Di authored Nei Jing Su Wen, or Classic on Internal Medicine, which formed the basis for Chinese medical practice.
In his exceptional text Ki: A Practical Guide for Westerners, William Reed, a disciple of Koichi Tohei, defines ki as "Universal energy, capable of infinite expansion and contraction, which can be directed but not contained by the mind." Fa Xiang Hou of the Qi Gong Research Society contends that, "Chi flows through all living things, circulating among the organs, and is composed of both yin and yang forces." In
noting the universal nature of this vital life force, Richard Chun, a worldwide pioneer and practitioner of traditional taekwondo, states that, "Ki is the cosmic ocean in which everything exists."
A strong kihap activates the body's ki energy in such a way that kicks and punches are amplified. For illustrative purposes, Herb Perez (left) and Kevin Padilla are shown sparring.
These explanations, although oddly similar to those found in modern Christianity when describing the human soul, may appear to Occidentals as somewhat metaphysical in nature. In spite of this, there are those in the West who have become intimately familiar with ki through the practice of the Chinese discipline of tai chi chuan. It is reputed that Zhang San-Feng developed the principles of tai chi on Wudang mountain, located in the south of China's Hubei province, during the Song dynasty (960-1280). By performing a series of long and short patterns, similar to taekwondo poom sae or karate kata, practitioners of this demanding Taoist style strive to manipulate the flow of what essentially can be referred to as the essence of life. Aikido, the popular Japanese martial art derived from daito-ryu aikijujutsu, also encourages ki development since its main emphasis is on blending with an opponent's attack, thus effectively turning the aggressor's negative ki against him. On a more therapeutic level, the widespread acceptance of acupuncture and the attention it has gained as a supplement to conventional medicine have lent additional credibility to the ki-bearing meridian system. By the well-placed insertion of needles, the acupuncturist treats illness by affecting the various acupoints stationed throughout the body.
Invisible Evidence
Ki development can have a beneficial effect on people from all walks of life. Clearly, martial artists do not hold a monopoly on the vital life force or its refinement. On the contrary, ki flows through all living things-from the microscopic, single-celled ameba on up the food chain to the most glorious and complex life form of all, human beings. Still, unlike the circulatory, respiratory or nervous system, definitive evidence of ki has yet to be satisfactorily uncovered in the laboratory. If clinical data confirming this elusive system is currently unavailable, how then can we be certain it exists? Efforts to measure the presence of ki continue. Although currents closely following the body's internal network of meridians have been electronically detected and human auras surrounding the body have been captured on film, skepticism about the existence of this bioelectric system continues to prevail.
Be that as it may, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have been treating patients for centuries by manipulating ki through the use of herbs, acupuncture and massage. While physicians in the West have historically relied on medications such as antibiotics to remedy illness, Eastern medical doctrine has chosen instead to avoid sickness by maintaining a correct balance of the vital life force that exists within the body. The importance of this statement becomes abundantly clear when one accepts the fact that pain and illness occur as a function of ki blockages or imbalances.
Knowing this, ki equilibrium can be arrived at in a variety of ways. However, of the several methods available, including meditation and deep breathing, chi kung exercise and therapy is at the forefront. More than 3,000 years old, chi kung promotes health and longevity through the performance of a series of exercises designed to provide an innate sense of well-being and physical fitness. Under the guidance of a master, the practitioner learns to move, circulate and manipulate ki throughout the body over a series of channels or meridians. In addition, chi kung therapy utilizes body work, acupuncture and herbal medicines to stimulate a healthy flow of ki. These procedures ultimately result in a more responsive immune system, overall good health and increased longevity for the patient.
In an article titled "Milestones in the Chinese Martial Arts" (Black Belt Yearbook 1996), Jane Hallander wrote: "Chi kung itself is not a martial art. It's a Chinese internal regimen used to improve health, develop better breathing patterns and strengthen a person's internal chi power. Chi kung practice directly relates to the quality of a person's martial arts ability.
Seated meditation is one of the most effective ways for martial artists to learn to control the circulation of their ki.
Thanks to the immigration and visits of numerous Chinese chi kung experts, American martial artists are able to combine chi kung practice with their fighting arts practice, thereby developing martial arts expertise that rivals practitioners anywhere else in the world."
Medical Theory
Trying to explain the presence and movement of ki often confuses the Western mind, In an effort to explain this circulation, we must compare ki theory to more familiar anatomical systems. For instance, when we are cut, blood flows from the wound and can be physically touched and seen. Ki energy, however, cannot be handled, but like the wind it can be felt and observed. It is similar to light emanating from a movie projector: Even though we cannot hold the individual photons or quanta of energy in our hands, the resultant image can be viewed on a screen.
So it is with ki. Like light from the projector, ki radiates outward from a section of the human anatomy located approximately two inches below the navel. Known in Korean as the dan jeon, in Japanese as the tanden and in Chinese as the dan tian, this area is thought to be the internal reservoir in which ki is stored. Similarly, the clan jeon can be viewed as the center of one's internal universe or as a furnace generating untold quantities of energy.
From this center, ki travels through two main vessels running up the front and back of the body, eventually reaching the internal organs and extremities through 12 additional meridians that branch off into pairs. These channels can be explained in metaphorical terms as a railroad line with the stations being the pressure or acupoints. Like a train, ki travels along the track delivering energy to the various points on the way. Should any of these channels become clogged, the ki flow becomes inhibited and illness ensues. The purpose of ki development, then, is to keep these meridians clear of blockages, thus encouraging an unobstructed, healthy flow of internal energy.
Eboni Adams punches her brother Michael while issuing an explosive kihap. Champions from all martial disciplines know the value of properly using the spirit yell to release energy.
How does ki reach the dan jeon in the first place? Since ki is universal and airborne, our body's primary source of acquisition is through the air we breathe. Correct breathing, therefore, is as essential to proper ki development as it is to the overall maintenance of life.
Breathing-being the unconscious, involuntary reflex that it is-naturally leads many of us to assume that we are performing it correctly. In most cases, however, quite the opposite is true. In all likelihood, the last person to coach us in correct breathing was the physician who delivered us from the womb. The time-worn practice of striking an infant on the buttocks at birth causes it to gulp in great quantities of lifesustaining air. This air does not merely settle in the lungs, but is taken down deep into the area where the diaphragm is located. Weeks later, if one were to observe the same infant lying in its crib, one would notice the rhythmic rise and fall of its abdominal region with each passing breath. This is because-rather than taking light, measured breaths-the infant continues to take long, deep inhalations and exhalations that culminate in the dan jeon.
For whatever reason, though, as we mature our body forgets to breathe in this fashion. We begin to trade deep, kienriched breathing for short, shallow breathing. This is truly unfortunate since there is a direct correlation between the integrity of the individual organs, blood circulation and deep breathing. Blood completes a full circuit of the body in a surprisingly short time, delivering the nutrients and oxygen it receives from the air we breathe along the way. But to satisfy the demands of every living cell, the blood relies on the respiratory system to replenish it with a fresh supply of oxygen and ki lest the body suffer and we fall ill. It is a fact that strong, healthy cells can become maligned if a proper level of oxygen is not maintained. In addition, waste products must be removed with help from the lymphatic system. Correct breathing allows the blood and cells to become saturated with oxygen upon inhalation, while during exhalation it aids in eliminating unwanted metabolic byproducts. By taking advantage of deep breathing, therefore, the dual requirements of ki delivery and cleansing are satisfied.
Without the use of ki to boost the muscular power of the human body, it is doubtful that martial artists could perform the breaking feats often seen at tournaments and demonstrations as shown in the photos above.
Martial Connection
Being aware of the significant role that correct breathing plays in maintaining a healthy body, we must now ask how this tool can be used by the martial artist to augment technique. When we learn to utilize proper breathing as a strategic weapon, we come to realize that the prime moment to attack is when the opponent is inhaling rather than exhaling. This is when the adversary is most vulnerable because his muscles offer the least protection to the skeletal structure and internal organs.
In contrast, exhaling produces the opposite effect by adding ki power to an attack and pulling our body's musculature taut as required in a defensive posture. The sports-minded will find deep, controlled breathing essential when participating in martial arts competition since endurance is directly proportional to our ki-and oxygen-intake. Controlled breathing also aids in masking exhaustion during sparring. Gasping for breath telegraphs to an opponent that the winning edge may already have been gained.
Martial artists often develop their ki through meditation, which can be used to attract, visualize, intensify and manipulate the vital life force within the body. One simple yet effective method for achieving this goal is seated meditation. Many instructors suggested that students take advantage of it at the beginning of selected training sessions to revitalize their ki.
Real Manifestations
The concept of ki manipulation is a common thread that runs through the philosophical fabric of all martial disciplines ' Korean history, for example, is overflowing with heroic figures who performed inconceivable feats of valor stemming from a ki-laden will. Even in today's society, tales of magic involving mothers who single-handedly lift an automobile to free a child pinned underneath and martial arts practitioners who perform seemingly miraculous breaking techniques and dramatic flying kicks abound.
Consequently, it is not uncommon for members of the general public to ascribe mystical powers or superhuman strength to martial artists. While their basic assumption may be somewhat off the mark, the observation that hints at some form of hidden power is credible. Unbeknownst to the average person, what is actually being described is the ability to extend and direct ki.
By "extend and direct ki," we do not simply mean reaching the hand or foot farther out while punching or kicking. In this scenario, ki should be thought of as a laser beam reaching to the far ends of the cosmos, boring its way through the target and making a strong and unbreakable connection between its eventual destination and the practitioner's dan jeon.
Furthermore, ki projection does not need to originate solely from the end of a fist or foot; rather, it can alternately be emitted in the form of a kihap (spirit yell) issuing from the dan jeon. This shout has the ability to startle an opponent and break his concentration. However, just as the report of a pistol is meaningless if it is loaded with blanks, a strong kihap must be accompanied by a fast and powerful technique.
If there truly are any secret techniques buried in the martial arts, they are rooted in the virtues of ki development accompanied by rigorous training, deep breathing and meditation. Through the cultivation of ki, we can develop technique that is focused, fluid, effective and acutely sensitive to our surrounding circumstances.
Comments?
This is an article in Blackbelt Mag. on Ki Energy:
or you can go directly: http://www.blackbeltmag.com/archives/blackbelt/1999/feb99/ene.html
Ki Energy
The Universal Life Force Everyone Talks About But Few Understand
by Doug Cook
Karate experts like Fumio Demura can attest to the way in which a ki-channeling shout can augment the power of a punch.
Central to any study of Western medicine and the associated life sciences is a deep understanding, of the various elements that make up the human body. Medical students are taught early on about the bio-systems that transport blood to the cells, oxygen from the lungs and nerve impulses to the brain. But their professors reveal little, if anything, about the mysterious system of meridians and acupoints that run through the body. This system is thought to channel the vital life force known as ki in Korea and Japan and as chi in China.
First mention of ki theory can be traced back to the birth of traditional Chinese medicine during the reign of the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di (2697 B.C.-2597 B.C.). It was during this period that Huang Di authored Nei Jing Su Wen, or Classic on Internal Medicine, which formed the basis for Chinese medical practice.
In his exceptional text Ki: A Practical Guide for Westerners, William Reed, a disciple of Koichi Tohei, defines ki as "Universal energy, capable of infinite expansion and contraction, which can be directed but not contained by the mind." Fa Xiang Hou of the Qi Gong Research Society contends that, "Chi flows through all living things, circulating among the organs, and is composed of both yin and yang forces." In
noting the universal nature of this vital life force, Richard Chun, a worldwide pioneer and practitioner of traditional taekwondo, states that, "Ki is the cosmic ocean in which everything exists."
A strong kihap activates the body's ki energy in such a way that kicks and punches are amplified. For illustrative purposes, Herb Perez (left) and Kevin Padilla are shown sparring.
These explanations, although oddly similar to those found in modern Christianity when describing the human soul, may appear to Occidentals as somewhat metaphysical in nature. In spite of this, there are those in the West who have become intimately familiar with ki through the practice of the Chinese discipline of tai chi chuan. It is reputed that Zhang San-Feng developed the principles of tai chi on Wudang mountain, located in the south of China's Hubei province, during the Song dynasty (960-1280). By performing a series of long and short patterns, similar to taekwondo poom sae or karate kata, practitioners of this demanding Taoist style strive to manipulate the flow of what essentially can be referred to as the essence of life. Aikido, the popular Japanese martial art derived from daito-ryu aikijujutsu, also encourages ki development since its main emphasis is on blending with an opponent's attack, thus effectively turning the aggressor's negative ki against him. On a more therapeutic level, the widespread acceptance of acupuncture and the attention it has gained as a supplement to conventional medicine have lent additional credibility to the ki-bearing meridian system. By the well-placed insertion of needles, the acupuncturist treats illness by affecting the various acupoints stationed throughout the body.
Invisible Evidence
Ki development can have a beneficial effect on people from all walks of life. Clearly, martial artists do not hold a monopoly on the vital life force or its refinement. On the contrary, ki flows through all living things-from the microscopic, single-celled ameba on up the food chain to the most glorious and complex life form of all, human beings. Still, unlike the circulatory, respiratory or nervous system, definitive evidence of ki has yet to be satisfactorily uncovered in the laboratory. If clinical data confirming this elusive system is currently unavailable, how then can we be certain it exists? Efforts to measure the presence of ki continue. Although currents closely following the body's internal network of meridians have been electronically detected and human auras surrounding the body have been captured on film, skepticism about the existence of this bioelectric system continues to prevail.
Be that as it may, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have been treating patients for centuries by manipulating ki through the use of herbs, acupuncture and massage. While physicians in the West have historically relied on medications such as antibiotics to remedy illness, Eastern medical doctrine has chosen instead to avoid sickness by maintaining a correct balance of the vital life force that exists within the body. The importance of this statement becomes abundantly clear when one accepts the fact that pain and illness occur as a function of ki blockages or imbalances.
Knowing this, ki equilibrium can be arrived at in a variety of ways. However, of the several methods available, including meditation and deep breathing, chi kung exercise and therapy is at the forefront. More than 3,000 years old, chi kung promotes health and longevity through the performance of a series of exercises designed to provide an innate sense of well-being and physical fitness. Under the guidance of a master, the practitioner learns to move, circulate and manipulate ki throughout the body over a series of channels or meridians. In addition, chi kung therapy utilizes body work, acupuncture and herbal medicines to stimulate a healthy flow of ki. These procedures ultimately result in a more responsive immune system, overall good health and increased longevity for the patient.
In an article titled "Milestones in the Chinese Martial Arts" (Black Belt Yearbook 1996), Jane Hallander wrote: "Chi kung itself is not a martial art. It's a Chinese internal regimen used to improve health, develop better breathing patterns and strengthen a person's internal chi power. Chi kung practice directly relates to the quality of a person's martial arts ability.
Seated meditation is one of the most effective ways for martial artists to learn to control the circulation of their ki.
Thanks to the immigration and visits of numerous Chinese chi kung experts, American martial artists are able to combine chi kung practice with their fighting arts practice, thereby developing martial arts expertise that rivals practitioners anywhere else in the world."
Medical Theory
Trying to explain the presence and movement of ki often confuses the Western mind, In an effort to explain this circulation, we must compare ki theory to more familiar anatomical systems. For instance, when we are cut, blood flows from the wound and can be physically touched and seen. Ki energy, however, cannot be handled, but like the wind it can be felt and observed. It is similar to light emanating from a movie projector: Even though we cannot hold the individual photons or quanta of energy in our hands, the resultant image can be viewed on a screen.
So it is with ki. Like light from the projector, ki radiates outward from a section of the human anatomy located approximately two inches below the navel. Known in Korean as the dan jeon, in Japanese as the tanden and in Chinese as the dan tian, this area is thought to be the internal reservoir in which ki is stored. Similarly, the clan jeon can be viewed as the center of one's internal universe or as a furnace generating untold quantities of energy.
From this center, ki travels through two main vessels running up the front and back of the body, eventually reaching the internal organs and extremities through 12 additional meridians that branch off into pairs. These channels can be explained in metaphorical terms as a railroad line with the stations being the pressure or acupoints. Like a train, ki travels along the track delivering energy to the various points on the way. Should any of these channels become clogged, the ki flow becomes inhibited and illness ensues. The purpose of ki development, then, is to keep these meridians clear of blockages, thus encouraging an unobstructed, healthy flow of internal energy.
Eboni Adams punches her brother Michael while issuing an explosive kihap. Champions from all martial disciplines know the value of properly using the spirit yell to release energy.
How does ki reach the dan jeon in the first place? Since ki is universal and airborne, our body's primary source of acquisition is through the air we breathe. Correct breathing, therefore, is as essential to proper ki development as it is to the overall maintenance of life.
Breathing-being the unconscious, involuntary reflex that it is-naturally leads many of us to assume that we are performing it correctly. In most cases, however, quite the opposite is true. In all likelihood, the last person to coach us in correct breathing was the physician who delivered us from the womb. The time-worn practice of striking an infant on the buttocks at birth causes it to gulp in great quantities of lifesustaining air. This air does not merely settle in the lungs, but is taken down deep into the area where the diaphragm is located. Weeks later, if one were to observe the same infant lying in its crib, one would notice the rhythmic rise and fall of its abdominal region with each passing breath. This is because-rather than taking light, measured breaths-the infant continues to take long, deep inhalations and exhalations that culminate in the dan jeon.
For whatever reason, though, as we mature our body forgets to breathe in this fashion. We begin to trade deep, kienriched breathing for short, shallow breathing. This is truly unfortunate since there is a direct correlation between the integrity of the individual organs, blood circulation and deep breathing. Blood completes a full circuit of the body in a surprisingly short time, delivering the nutrients and oxygen it receives from the air we breathe along the way. But to satisfy the demands of every living cell, the blood relies on the respiratory system to replenish it with a fresh supply of oxygen and ki lest the body suffer and we fall ill. It is a fact that strong, healthy cells can become maligned if a proper level of oxygen is not maintained. In addition, waste products must be removed with help from the lymphatic system. Correct breathing allows the blood and cells to become saturated with oxygen upon inhalation, while during exhalation it aids in eliminating unwanted metabolic byproducts. By taking advantage of deep breathing, therefore, the dual requirements of ki delivery and cleansing are satisfied.
Without the use of ki to boost the muscular power of the human body, it is doubtful that martial artists could perform the breaking feats often seen at tournaments and demonstrations as shown in the photos above.
Martial Connection
Being aware of the significant role that correct breathing plays in maintaining a healthy body, we must now ask how this tool can be used by the martial artist to augment technique. When we learn to utilize proper breathing as a strategic weapon, we come to realize that the prime moment to attack is when the opponent is inhaling rather than exhaling. This is when the adversary is most vulnerable because his muscles offer the least protection to the skeletal structure and internal organs.
In contrast, exhaling produces the opposite effect by adding ki power to an attack and pulling our body's musculature taut as required in a defensive posture. The sports-minded will find deep, controlled breathing essential when participating in martial arts competition since endurance is directly proportional to our ki-and oxygen-intake. Controlled breathing also aids in masking exhaustion during sparring. Gasping for breath telegraphs to an opponent that the winning edge may already have been gained.
Martial artists often develop their ki through meditation, which can be used to attract, visualize, intensify and manipulate the vital life force within the body. One simple yet effective method for achieving this goal is seated meditation. Many instructors suggested that students take advantage of it at the beginning of selected training sessions to revitalize their ki.
Real Manifestations
The concept of ki manipulation is a common thread that runs through the philosophical fabric of all martial disciplines ' Korean history, for example, is overflowing with heroic figures who performed inconceivable feats of valor stemming from a ki-laden will. Even in today's society, tales of magic involving mothers who single-handedly lift an automobile to free a child pinned underneath and martial arts practitioners who perform seemingly miraculous breaking techniques and dramatic flying kicks abound.
Consequently, it is not uncommon for members of the general public to ascribe mystical powers or superhuman strength to martial artists. While their basic assumption may be somewhat off the mark, the observation that hints at some form of hidden power is credible. Unbeknownst to the average person, what is actually being described is the ability to extend and direct ki.
By "extend and direct ki," we do not simply mean reaching the hand or foot farther out while punching or kicking. In this scenario, ki should be thought of as a laser beam reaching to the far ends of the cosmos, boring its way through the target and making a strong and unbreakable connection between its eventual destination and the practitioner's dan jeon.
Furthermore, ki projection does not need to originate solely from the end of a fist or foot; rather, it can alternately be emitted in the form of a kihap (spirit yell) issuing from the dan jeon. This shout has the ability to startle an opponent and break his concentration. However, just as the report of a pistol is meaningless if it is loaded with blanks, a strong kihap must be accompanied by a fast and powerful technique.
If there truly are any secret techniques buried in the martial arts, they are rooted in the virtues of ki development accompanied by rigorous training, deep breathing and meditation. Through the cultivation of ki, we can develop technique that is focused, fluid, effective and acutely sensitive to our surrounding circumstances.
Comments?
