QI? NATURAL?

 By Phillip Starr

For many decades now, there has been an ongoing argument regarding the “mysterious” force that is often referred to as “qi.” Americans first heard of it when it was introduced (via taijiquan) by the martial arts media of the time. Since then, there has been a plethora of “masters” who, for a nominal fee (of course) will demonstrate or teach hungry Westerners about the ”secrets” of this inscrutable concept. The result has been that many people refuse to believe that such a thing exists and they go about practicing their (internal) martial disciplines without concerning themselves with the subject.

Much of the problem is that they don’t understand the actual word/concept in terms of the Chinese language. As the renowned scholar, Samuel Hayakawa, told us, “We are limited in our thinking (and ability to understand certain concepts) by our language.” The word “qi” doesn’t fully translate very well into English and the (Chinese) meaning of it, and how it’s used in their culture, is not well-understood in the West.

The old character (not the new “simplified” Chinese character) for qi -氣 - is made from two radicals; One is the character for rice, which is placed inside a radical that refers to clouds, vapor, etc. So it represents boiling rice and the steam rising above it. This is why I like the older form of Chinese characters; the new “simplified” method may make them easier to memorize and write, but much of the meaning (of the original radicals) is lost.

The word for energy (one of the words for it) is huoli. The first radical, huo, means “live” as in the concept of “alive.” Li refers to a force/power of some kind. Thus, “live force/power.” The concept of qi refers not only to vapors, but also to a sort of “life energy.” It is that which makes us alive (it dissipates at death). We can build a complete human being – or any other creature, for that matter – but try as we might, we cannot make it alive. No qi, no life.

That said, qi is not a “thing”, like a stone or even water. It cannot be easily seen, measured, or held in the hand. Like love and other similar concepts, we cannot see or measure it but we can easily see its effects. Most forms of energy occur naturally, as the result of combining certain things. Without these “ingredients”, the energy will not exist. Wind depends on certain conditions existing at the same time, and so on. We say that wind is a “natural-occurring” energy but in reality, certain “ingredients” must be brought to the fore first. The same is true of qi. Qi itself, is, in fact, a naturally-occurring form of energy.

Qi – form of energy that we cannot as yet measure – exists all around us, just as water surrounds a fish. The fish cannot exist outside of it and is unaware of water or its constituent parts. When we breathe, we inhale oxygen AND qi…although we’re not necessarily aware of it. If we stop gathering oxygen or qi, we die.

So, qi is a natural energy form and you “emit” it all the time, especially when you move. It does not, however, add any additional power to your movement(s) unless it is focused properly. What you naturally emit (or radiate) in terms of qi is rather small and not focused at all.

Being able to express it through our bodies, certain “ingredients” are required. So, what are the ingredients that must be present in order for us to express (or emanate) qi? Here is a basic list for static postures (like standing or sitting), but each item is likely more than what you may think it is;

• Mental Bearing

• Posture

• Relaxation

  
  
  

To really learn each of these items requires instruction from a good teacher. Mental Bearing has to do with your self-image (see my book, MARTIAL ARTS AND THE MIRROR IMAGE), and your intention/will. Moreover, it has to do with directing your “yi” (mind, intention, will) because as I’ve mentioned in previous articles, where the yi goes, qi goes.

Posture involves much more than simply standing straight. The weight of the upper body must rest atop the hips without any tension being detected; the hips must be held just right, so that the femurs (bones of the thigh) rest squarely on top of them. The same holds true for the knees and ankles.

Relaxation is another problem altogether. There can’t be pockets of tension anywhere – especially in the shoulders and neck, anywhere in the back, hips, knees, and ankles. If the posture is exactly right, there will be very little, if any, tension. But learning to do this requires considerable practice. That’s why many gong-fu styles (especially the internal schools) place great emphasis on the practice of standing postures.

MOVEMENT involves adding a whole new can of worms to the mix. To EMIT qi in any given movement requires the same “ingredients” as when standing (or sitting) still. The yi must be focused, the posture must be such that the body’s structure supports the movement, and there must be no unnecessary tension at all. It sounds like it shouldn’t be too tough to do…but believe me, it takes a LOT of practice over an extended period of time! This is why taijiquan is practiced in slow-motion initially; so you can ensure that the positioning of all the joints is just right and so you can FEEL any pockets of unnecessary tension and eliminate them.

Actually, ANY movement you make (in so far as martial arts movements) emits qi, but lack of yi, kinks in the posture (which act like kinks in a hose), and unnecessary tension will reduce it,,,usually to little more than a trickle. Thus, many practitioners of internal arts deny the existence of qi because they cannot feel it or emit it in a powerful way (fajin, fali). Their lack of mental focus (including doubts about their ability to do so), flaws in their movements and/or posture(s), or excessive tension prevents them from doing so. But many are convinced that their movements and postures are perfect and yet, they cannot perform fajin; their refusal to examine themselves in a clear mirror prevents them from ever achieving any measure of success.

The special body movements that are utilized when “fajin” (emitting power) are intended to AMPLIFY the emission of energy much like the nozzle on the end of a hose focus the water, turning it from a flowing stream to a concentrated blast. The smaller the movement (the tighter the nozzle), the more concentrated and effective is the power that is released…naturally.