Chi

Chi, Qi, Ki, Internal Strength, Inner Energy.So many names, all essentially the same thing. In the decades past since the western world discovered such a concept, there have been so many descriptions of Chi. From some sort of mystical energy that allows each being to live to the very force the Jedi used to fight evil in star wars. There have been so many different interpretations to outright bastardizations of the meaning of CHI.Here’s my take on this mystical “Chi”.What it isn’t:It’s not a Jedi power that allows one to control the minds of others, Push objects telekinetically or choke people without touching them.(In a recent National geographic documentary “Is it Real?” A skeptic stood up to a so-called master of “chi”. Try as the master may, he couldn’t push down the skeptic no matter how many positions he tried. He later gave excuses such as the, skeptic kept moving his toes which made it difficult to aim his “chi”.)It’s not some magical energy that so-called “masters” have been able to tap which gives them skills like Cancerous palm or Killer dragon fireball big toe attack.It’s not some energy that shaolin monks redirect so that a hit to anywhere but the head does no damage or hurt to the monk.(Shaolin monks do, do conditioning exercises similar to shin rubbing of muay thai and also do body conditioning.)What it is:Chi would be better described as the mechanics and workings of the body as a whole. If you punch with only the force of your arm, it’s not going to be a very good punch (as most boxers will tell you), a jab at best, not matter how much you train that arm it will only be a jab. It is not until you add the legs, torso and shoulder does the punch become a hook, uppercut or corkscrew. Finally, its not until you add you brains into the equation that the punch will connect, possibly leading to a knockout.The one-inch punch is most often used to show one’s mastery of chi. The one-inch punch isn’t a parlor trick. It isn’t the result of a little force on a brittle piece of wood. It’s a demonstration of how the body working as a whole can make the best of that 1 inch to generate enough force to break a block of wood.When you see shaolin monks pressed against spears, it isn’t the chi forming a “shield” around them. It’s the years upon years of hard work that they’ve put in to ensure that the steel will not pierce their flesh. It’s also got to do with the fact that their spears are made with highly flexible wood that helps dissipate the energy. Why do you think they tense up just before they get struck? It is their intricate know how of which muscle and ligament points will not allow the spear through and training those points to toughen them.It seems to me that chi was a master’s way of describing the body working as a whole, to the average layman of a by-gone era. Why bother spending hour after hour describing to each idiot who passed by, how the he was able to break bricks with his bare hands, when he would rather be training. Because when mastery is a never ending journey to perfection, you got a long way to go...

The True meaning of Mastery

You can work your ass off 25 hours a day, 8 days a week for 4 years and i still do not believe that a person can be called a "master" its simply not enough time for a human being. You can eat, sleep and live what ever art you do. But I honestly do not believe that one can be called a master his art in such a short time(anything less than 4 yrs), much less master the art itself. Like i said, the Black Belt is supposed to the be holy grail of holy grails that each and every martial artist hopes to attain in his life. If a Kid can reach what was once the pinnacle of MAs, that does not speak well of truely deserving and skilled black belters. If we really want to see MAs enjoy the respect it had prior to the outbreak of MCdojos, then alot of legit schools need to buck up.Mastery is supposed to mean a high/the highest level attainable in a given subject.MARTIAL ARTS.So what if the kid can perform every kata to the inch? So what if his kicks have lightning Bolts flying out of them? So what if his punch can fell trees?The kid has only covered the Martial aspect of his art! A kid is highly unlikely to have developed the Social skills, brain capacity and wisdom to fully understand, appriciate and comprehend the Spritiual and ART aspect of his Martial Art. The Wisdom to understand that its not only about the fighting, its not only about the skill one posseses. A kid could probably recite his/her art's motto/rules/goals better than she can the pledge. But that doesn't mean they understand what they just said.
True mastery lies in knowing and putting into practise both aspects of MARTIAL ARTS. Yes that takes something like 20 years, but that is the true meaning of mastery. Understanding and applying every concept you learn. That was the time taken by many of our ancestors took to being true black belts. Nowadays too many look for quick graftification. Learning is not a quick and easy process, it never was and never will be. Mastery requires many many years of hard work, sweat, blood and sacrifice. No 9yr old i know of has that type of discipline. Much less the power to do it in 3 years.
The TRUE meaning of the Black belt, is a White belt by the years of training, Years of Sweat, toil and blood that is dirtied. Every speck of dust represents one step you took toward mastery. Yes that is one F%^&ing dirty belt, but that is one black belt well earned, earned to the true meaning of mastery.