Poll: What is chi/ki to you?

**Darkpaladin** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 12:56am

Post your thoughts here.

Lets see where bullshido peeps stand on the subject.

To me, it's a(n outdated) chinese concept for phenomenon. No more no less. But it might be the tickle in the back of my throat I get when the season's change.

***Cassius*** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 1:07am

Originally Posted by Darkpaladin

Post your thoughts here.

Lets see where bullshido peeps stand on the subject.

To me, chi/ki is an eastern set of principles that are better explained using specific SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE terminology. This way, bullshido is avoided and concepts are clear.

Chi/ki/qi is also a word that automatically spikes my blood pressure. You should see me gnashing my teeth and digging my fingernails into my palms when the idiot grad student in my Exercise Psychology class spouts off about how focusing his chi improves his meditation, among other things (I am not knocking meditation here, just chi).

I'm pretty sure he's a hippie that does the non-alive version of aikido, too. One day, he will get his. OH YES, he WILL get his . . .

**blargle** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 1:20am

To me it's just air. If you can improve your breathing, you'd be better off in various physical activities than an ordinary person. Perhaps.

**Torakaka** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 1:21am

When people say "chi means breath, or breathing" that makes sense to me. When people talk about it being energy and ****, it gets into that whole "magic" department (magic being the all encompasing thing used to describe anything that can't be properly explained)

**kungfujew** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 2:23am

Oh jesus, this is going to be fun...

But what the hell. Chi is body mechanics, it's that feeling of "aaah" when you get every portion of your body in correct allignment, keepin' them precious bodily fluids pulsing unhindered. It have been proven that human beings are capable of some strange stuff with the proper amount of single-minded (or no-minded, if you ask the Zen folk) focus, "chi" is just what happens when those dormant synapses in our brains and bodies fire up.

But what the **** do I know.

***Cassius*** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 2:36am

Originally Posted by kungfujew

Oh jesus, this is going to be fun...

But what the hell. Chi is body mechanics, it's that feeling of "aaah" when you get every portion of your body in correct allignment, keepin' them precious bodily fluids pulsing unhindered. It have been proven that human beings are capable of some strange stuff with the proper amount of single-minded (or no-minded, if you ask the Zen folk) focus, "chi" is just what happens when those dormant synapses in our brains and bodies fire up.

But what the **** do I know.

What strange stuff is that, if you don't mind me asking? I would be REEEEAAAALLY careful about using "proven" when talking about this sort of thing.

**Omar** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 3:00am

Qi is an untranslatable term for a subjective phenomena. It is "that which animates". It is the difference between dead or alive. It can not be reduced to physics because machines don't have it. You may as well just call it "life force" and be done with it.

To say that you don't believe in qi, essentially says that you don't believe that there is an essential difference between living things and dead. To put it another way, it means that you subscribe to a mechanistic view of the universe and implies that if we look closely enough, eventually we can pinpoint and measure what it is that makes a person dead vs. alive. So far, no luck with that, therefore, no way to define "qi". Nevertheless, most of us accept that the dead can not be brought back to life no matter how carefully we try to put humpty dumpty back together again.

Maybe eventually this will change. For now though. . .

**Shadowdh** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 3:15am

Term to describe something that could not be explain, kinda like humours, but also has to do with biomechanics and the like... (I couldnt choose two...)

**KnuckleMeister** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 4:21am

Well I voted for "bs" because I've seen Ki in action and that's what I thought it was.

And I don't believe anything unless they can be proven logically or scientifically.

Dosen't mean I'm right, doesn't mean Ki exists or not, but that's where I draw the line.

Cos if we don't draw a line somewhere then we're open to all sorts of claims, like little green aliens and **** :)

**Leonidas** · Posted On: 11/29/2005 4:45am

You didnt put breating per se in the poll, so I opted for The tickling sensation at the back of my throat...then again, said tickling sensation could be semen, which would then raise the question as to why its tickling the back of my throat. I mean, IM pretty sure that chi=\=jizz, but what do I know?