Qi Explained

[Same Trick]

The earliest periodic table is said to have listed aether but was soon removed because there was no relevance for it anymore, science had advanced.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

The earliest periodic table is said to have listed aether but was soon removed because there was no relevance for it anymore, science had advanced.

Which is in many ways a suitable analogy- A flawed concept that nevertheless concealed a much more complex truth

 

[windwalker099]

The Mystery of Chi

In this episode, Bill Moyers travels to China to learn about healing and the mind from another culture. “What I discovered in China was another way of thinking about mind and body, about health and illness and a phenomenon called chi,” Bill Moyers tells the audience in his introduction.

Before the "the power of chi" by Adam Minzer...

Both videos are interesting. In themselves, they neither disprove nor prove anything definitively.

The thinking in the East has been different for quite a while, though it is slowly changing. For some things, there is a trend of adopting the Western mindset in an attempt to validate their practices using what is called the scientific method, which was notably developed by Western culture.


outlined in a book

THE TAO OF PHYSICS

Since motion and change are essential properties of things, the forces causing the motion are not outside the objects, as in the classical Greek view, but are an intrinsic property of matter. Correspondingly, the Eastern image of the Divine isnot that of a ruler who directs the world from above, but of a principle that controls everything from within:

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Back in the 80th, we heard Qi Gong masters all over China. Today, we do hear that anymore. There must be a good reason for it.

 

[mograph]

In my opinion, one problem here lies in plucking the concept of qi out of the context, out of the idiom, out of the specific metaphor at hand. While Chinese culture privileges unity and integration in understanding concepts, western culture privileges division and segmentation as a means of understanding. Both are useful, but it helps to know when to apply one or the other.

In other words, in this context, a question for my friend would not be "what is qi?" but "what are you doing when you say you're using qi?" I have two possible answers for that, borrowing from engineering and from psychology:

1. distributing effort through as much of the body as possible (unified or diffuse effort), i.e. not focusing on using a specific body structure,
2. letting explicit training integrate, through practice, into implicit action. Athletes should be familiar with this,
3. describing the sensation of internal unity that accompanies a distributed effort.

If those are correct, then "I'm using my qi" would be understood by those who have previously encountered those three points through direct experience, practice and observation. They would nod sagely: "got it."

It's not dissimilar to English idioms, which simplify complex concepts, and have their richest meaning when accompanied by experience.

15 common English idioms related to innovation and technology

Learn how to use these common English idioms related to technology and innovation, helping you to speak more fluently!

blog.elsaspeak.com

I think that seeing the concept of qi as inseparable from its context (or the idiom at hand) might explain why it's so hard to pin down, hard to find a meaning independent of context, and why some Chinese masters refuse to discuss it in isolation.

 

[windwalker099]

In my opinion, one problem here lies in plucking the concept of qi out of the context, out of the idiom, out of the specific metaphor at hand. While Chinese culture privileges unity and integration in understanding concepts, western culture privileges division and segmentation as a means of understanding. Both are useful, but it helps to know when to apply one or the other.

Can't really follow any of what this means...

Have experienced and have some small ability similar to what has been shown...
My posting based on experience... maybe for others it's different...

In China, and of those that use this concept...it's not really about what it is,,,
more about what one can do with it....They don't ask if one knows what it is,
They asked if one can feel it..

got Qi

 

[Gyakuto]

Let me just redress this thread by stating there is absolutely no objective evidence for the existence of Ki/Chi/Qi. None.

 

[windwalker099]

Actually there are many studies on going.
Some might find interesting reading

Similarly, Tai Chi pays attention to form Qi and focuses on slowing down and softening the muscles.
Whether the "jin" in it refers to the fascia system recognized by the West is still undecided.

However, if we can better understand the structure of the body, it may help boxing.
Understanding of frame and boxing principles. This article roughly summarizes or excerpts some expert opinions.

 

[Gyakuto]

Actually there are many studies on going.
Some might find interesting reading

Care to share details?