Ch'i (Qi)

Ch'i (pronounced "chee") is a basic concept in most Asian arts, martial (kung fu) and otherwise. It is also known as prana (India) and ki (Japan), words which generally translate into "breath." At the most simple level, ch'i is described as the life force, or "electricity" of living things. It is analogous to the energy that makes something alive, rather than inanimate, and death is described as a body devoid of ch'i. It's cultivation is taken almost on faith, via such arts as Dragon kung fu, ch'i kung, and t'ai chi ch'uan. Thus, though difficult to define, measure, or explain, ch'i lies at the root of martial and meditative arts practices.

However one sees ch'i, it is almost always perceived as a subtle force, produced by mental discipline and manifest in so-called internal arts. Consequently, many martial artists believe in a distinction between internal and external (or soft/hard) styles. By simple definition, if an art is being performed by a living entity, it must contain an internal component; likewise for external. If a ch'i-based art is to be seen as different from an external art, it is because the emphasis is on subtle techniques that use pressure points, deceptive approach, and a disciplined gentleness in delivery. Practitioners of "internal" styles do not "retire" as they pass their athletic prime; they are better at age 80 than at age 30.

So, despite numerous opinions, volumes of books, and legions of demonstrators of ch'i, the life-force is still an unknown quantity by scientific standards. We may acknowledge its existence, but do not yet have repeatable, empirical, unequivocal data to agree upon (neither do we have such data for planets in other solar systems, though, as with ch'i, there are strong theoretical bases for believing in such things).

One problem with studying ch'i is that it supposedly follows distinct routes through a living body, as do nerve impulses and blood flow. However, unlike nerves and blood vessels, ch'i channels do not reveal themselves through physical pathways that can be seen and examined following dissection of tissue. This lack of formal pathways kept such techniques as acupuncture from being accepted by western physicians until the mid 1970s, at which point profound successful treatments overcame lack of understandable paradigm. Acupuncture, dim mak, tuite, and other arts capitalize on manipulation of ch'i pathways primarily through enhancing or impeding ch'i flow through critical junctures. Acupuncture needles are often made of highly electroconductive metals, and many treatments include the conduction of electric voltage into the needles.

Most practitioners see ch'i as electricity of life, a wave-form power generated by living tissue that is routinely functioning in all life. Cultivation of ch'i is akin to body-building; we all have muscles, but training can increase versatility, strength, and control of those muscles. Such training involves considerable (often tedious) physical, mental, and dietetic training over many years. Similarly, ch'i is universally present (like muscle). Similarly, it takes a combined practice to promote discipline, mental and physical training, and diet. It also may take years to develop a significant increase in ch'i control abilities.

The oldest codified form of ch'i practice is probably yoga. The goal of yoga is to promote and improve health, though other manifestations, some probably purely mythical, have also been associated with this art. Sometime later, though the specifics are highly disputed among schools and styles, t'ai chi ch'uan was developed in China. The most widely-disseminated story has t'ai chi ch'uan being taught to soldiers to improve their combat skills, increase their strength, and increase their useful service lives. Subsequently, the art has always been taught with an eye towards longevity and the retention of youthful characteristics, such as flexibility. Though a highly effective combative art, t'ai chi ch'uan (="grand ultimate fist") has been given a New-Age face lift, by dropping the "Ch'uan" in an effort to disown its martial roots. Many of the more competent practitioners today can, however, demonstrate the incredible efficiency and, if necessary, deadliness of the art in combat.

In the early stages of training, ch'i is developed through exercises in empathy. Without trying to sound trite, ch'i requires a practitioner to feel his own emotions as they ebb and flow. This fluid dynamic is followed, and eventually led, through moving meditations such as done in kung fu or ch'i kung. Students may be asked to perform meditations, material manipulations, or partner exercises (e.g., sticky hands), as basic methods to promote this empathy. Beyond that, each style has its own program for ch'i development. Aikido uses throwing techniques, Snake uses pin-point finger-tip strikes, and t'ai ch'i ch'uan uses subtle body positioning. At this stage of ch'i understanding, it would be impossible to state than any particular school or method has cornered the market on TRUTH, or THE single, best method of ch'i cultivation. As in all other endeavors, the practitioner is still more important that a particular approach or style.