Mega ultra ki power for you!!!

**supercrap** · Posted On: 3/03/2005 10:25pm

Or, explaining the role of the mind in generating power.

After an arguement with my girlfriend, I was feeling so angry that I punched a hole right through my bathroom door.

Now, this was a failry thick and sturdy door. I was so angry that my arm just shot forwards and went through the door. I did not feel a thing.

When everything had passed over, the door was repaired etc, I experimented with the size / thickness of the door and came to the conclusion that I couldn't do it again even if I wanted to.

And while punching the heavy bag, there's nothing I can do to generate the same kind of power.

The other night in BJJ I realised that I often roll quite passively, for example when attempting a sweep I will try but then as I meet resistance I would not be able to do it and thus switch to something else. However this particular night I decided that I would be incredibly focused and if I wanted to perform a movement I would simply do it, and not allow anything to stop me. And this would not be by tensing or pushing or muscling like a maniac either. I would be in my starting position, visualise the end position, and just move there, disregarding resistance met along the way. It worked.

For example someone was trying to pass my guard. They broke open my guard and got halfway over my leg. I got into my mind the strongest conviction that they would not pass my guard and I would simply shove them back into my guard and close my grip again. This worked. And I did not have a significant weight advantage or skill advantage.

A lot of times if I found that if I had the conviction that I was going to do something, and the confidence, and just did it and went from A to B without worrying about the million points in between, I was successful. And as illustrated by me punching a hole in the bathroom door, the mind can fuel the body to reach pretty amazing extremes.

MY physical makeup did not change when I punched the door, only my state of mind. Therefore it follows on that with the right mental discipline I would be able to draw on the same kind of power, without having to argue with my girlfriend just before punching someone.

I was told that this was the kind of power we were trying to harness when I was trainingin Wing Chun. To have such a strong and stable connection between body and mind, or intention and action, that our physical power was in fact magnified just by thinking about it. You always hear of the story of the lady lifting the car off her baby to save it. Well, it's true, I have actually read the newspaper article of one such event. The lady was the same the day before, the day of, and the day after, the event. The only thing that changed was her mental state.

In Wing Chun we tried to achieve this kind of power through form practice and chi sau practice with the most important thing being that the mind was actively engaged in what you were doing and the body was relaxed enough to be sensitive and adaptable to what the mind was saying. The ultimate aim to develop 'though force' which is just a fancy way of saying the ability to generate a lot of power by combining physical action with strong intention. To an extent this was proved to me as my sigung and my teacher could generate power (in punching as well as pushing and pulling) that far exceeded what you would expect given their small sizes.

So, like, what's the deal? Can this mental power be harnessed or is it just too difficult and hit and miss?

Anybody else got any thoughts on the matter without this degenerating into a rad ki thread or a diatribe against chinese medicine?

ps we need a KI / CHI icon.

**Poop Loops** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 10:58pm

Tests show that when a "kroddy guy" wants to break bricks or whatnot, his brain waves (I think it was alpha) shut off just before he does it. Those waves are responsible for the voice that says "I can't". You know, you hesistate before you hit a rock or whatnot, because you know your hand will break before the rock. Well, apparently not. I'd say it's the same thing as people lifting cars to get other people out from underneath or whatever. Your mind just turns on the voice that says "I can't" and you go full blast. Full blast.

It was some documentary on MA on Discovery Channel. But they hooked the guy up to scanners and such, so I don't see how it could be fake.

I've never achieved a state like that, but I'll try your "just do it" attitude next class.

PL

**Gypsy Jazz** · Posted On: 3/04/2005 11:35pm

There was a good thread a little while back which basically likend "intent" to what chi/ki wants to be. I myself have a lot of trouble justing doing things without thinking. My father however (very well versed in all sorts of MA's) can very easily do things like the unbending arm in Aikido, power through things by way of intent using only a finger or two, or just send me flying off my feet by deciding to move through me with a shove. I don't know what kind of scientific grounding any of this could have, but from my own experience focused and practiced intent can really make a difference. Maybe your body relaxes more as a whole when you are very confident of something? Or maybe I am speaking out my ass.

**MEGALEF** · Posted On: 3/05/2005 3:32am

Has anyone ever tried to wrestle a mentally handicapped person?
I wrestled this kid with Downs once when I was about 14. He was 2 years younger than me and I weighed maybe 10kg more than him. He was incredibly strong and impossible to pin down.
Maybe that's what kiwarrior and the yellow bamboo are trying to do. Finding some kind of way to harness the power of the retard.

**supercrap** · Posted On: 3/05/2005 6:07am

Get out of my thread, moron.

**Carbon** · Posted On: 3/05/2005 1:29pm

Supercrap the only moron in this thread is you.

I said to myself I'm going to put him BACK in my guard no matter what! AND I DID IT!

WOOOO! You were able to go from half guard to guard, congragulations. A feat no one has accomplished but you. I am glad you let us in on the secret of the chi!

Just tell myself I can do it and I can do anything I want. Your logic is bullshit, lots of people tell themselves they can and they don't.

Try telling yourself you can fly off a bridge and then come back and tell me how that turns out, you ass.

**Gringo Grande** · Posted On: 3/05/2005 5:34pm

Carbon, do you consider yourself a negative person? Before reading any further, please understand I am not trying to instigate any type of personal attack on you. However, I would like you to consider that there is potentially a decent amount of fallacy in your statement.

I agree 100% that the chances of us ever seeing someone jump off a tall building and "think" themselves into flying would be an impossibility...who knows though, maybe one day in the future.

However, the mind is a very powerful tool and to claim to understand how it works...that would a silly claim for anyone to make. Take a moment and think of the things that man shouldn't be able to do but "wills" himself to do so. A woman lifting a car off a trapped infant...impossible? It shoudl be...but there are plenty of document cases of this happening. Perhaps you've run a significant distance before and your body told you, "no...please stop". However, you willed yourself to continue and finished your run or race.

From real world experience and application, if you want something bad enough, desire, willpower, belief, and a positive mental attitude...and "I will not lose mentality" can push you far beyond what you believe yourself capable of.

Reading other posts that you have made, I question both your age and attitude in regards to life...quite simply you often come across as a disillusioned individual. I tend to avoid telling people they are wrong as that is the one word certain to provoke a negative response or reaction to what you are trying to help them understand.

I'd like to make the suggestion that there are some certain ideas...perhaps even books, that you could read or experience that if approached with an open mind may change some of your views. Perhaps they wouldn't. However, at least you would have a quantitive base from which to carry your belief system.

Once again, I trust you will understand this isn't meant as an attack.

Gringo Grande

**Shadowdh** · Posted On: 3/07/2005 4:42am

Supercrap... I understand what you mean... focus and determination are incredible tools... I know that when I focus while practicing my balance and movements are much better and go much more smoothly... although it is not focus as in concentration but more as you say where I think of the next movement and then just do it...

PL good post... and a good explaination as to why this occurs...

Megalef... wether or not your post was supposed to be funny I think that PL's explaination could very well be the reason why those with "mental difficulties" (hope thats pc enough) have that "extra strength"...

Gringo... great post and one that Carbon would do very well to read...

**MEGALEF** · Posted On: 3/07/2005 5:26am

The first part of my post was 100% serious. I'm sorry I spoiled it by adding the last line.

**Otaku Waffle** · Posted On: 3/07/2005 6:29am

Self-confidence: the only commodity you can gain by lying to yourself.

Seriously: I used to be VERY insecure and this led to a host of additional problems (totally freezing during oral exams being the one with the biggest impact) but I didn't suffer from it during MA (I thought I sucked so bad I couldn't win anyway so I'd just try to inflict damage without thinking of winning or losing, resulting in more wins than losses.). Once I realized this, I could (slowly) start applying it to other parts of my life.

So yes, you can do MUCH more with the correct frame of mind and yes, you can "harness" that power. However, the more you consciously think about it, the longer it'll take. But I think you're on the right track with the "Just do it" approach.

I also think this is probably closer to the "Mushin" concept than to chi/ki.