 When we focus our attention on the martial arts it becomes obvious that the concept of ch’i, or ki as it is known in Japan, holds an important place in some methods. The art of Aikido is probably the best known Japanese manifestation of the use of ki in the martial arts, and where, to some practitioners at least, ki is seen as superior to mere physical strength. Part 3 When we focus our attention on the martial arts it becomes obvious that the concept of ch’i, or ki as it is known in Japan, holds an important place in some methods. The art of Aikido is probably the best known Japanese manifestation of the use of ki in the martial arts, and where, to some practitioners at least, ki is seen as superior to mere physical strength. [i] Of course not all Aikido teachers see ki as a type of supernatural energy. According to a senior Aikido master Gozo Shioda ki is simply a term used to describe the integration of a number of skills developed through hard training. He explains ‘In aikido we often use the word ‘ki,’ or energy, but this word covers a variety of meanings. ‘Ki’ as it is manifested in the performance of techniques is what we have when the components of correct posture, centre line, breathing, the explosive power of focused energy, timing, etc., come together so that we reach the highest state of perfect balance. It might be said that ‘ki’ is ‘the mastery of balance.’
The meaning of ‘ki’ in the phrase ‘harmonize your ki,’ refers to sensitivity to your partner, and covers all of the elements that come out of your partner’s state of being, so that power, speed, timing, and rhythm are all part of the meaning of ki in this instance. As you continue your training, you will become more sensitive to how your opponent is going to attack you, which direction he is going to move in, and where he will focus his power. It is possible to say that this ability to ‘see/feel energy’ is one of the major purposes of training.
Delving deeper we see that ‘ki’ is both the matter of the universe, and what controls it. To harmonize with the universe means to be in balance. ‘Aiki,’ i.e., ‘harmonizing of energy,’ means to lose your own ego; it is the technique of submitting to the natural flow of the universe. By doing that you can effortlessly realize your own natural self depending on the situation that is in front of you, and it is by developing this harmony that we find the realization of aikido.’ [ii] Mr. Brian Reeve, a British Aikido practitioner and instructor wrote an interesting article outlining ‘Ki and the Ki Development Arts’ in Karate and Oriental Arts magazine # 111 [Dec/Jan 1984/5]. In this article he explains internal energy as it is seen by Aikido practitioners. Among the points he makes are:-
* ‘The Japanese word ‘ki’ [ch’i in Chinese] is sometimes translated as meaning ‘life power’ or ‘vital energy’ and claimed to be a form of energy distinct from that related to pure physical size or muscular strength, and independent of the mechanical efficiency derived from acquired technical skills.’ [iii]
* ‘In the practise of Aikido I have experienced the ability of some practitioners to emit what can only be described as a strong flow of energy which can be felt with or without physical contact. The strength of this flow can be varied at will, depending on the circumstances, and in those cases when physical contact is made, the touch is light and soft, but the desired results are effectively and effortlessly achieved.’
* ‘Anyone, regardless of sex, age and physical stature can be taught to develop a strong flow of ki.’
* ‘Each one of us has the potential for vastly increasing our flow of ki, and there is no known limit to this development...the more we use this S.P.L. the more it grows and the stronger its flow becomes.’
From these and similar opinions expressed by both Western and Japanese Aikido practitioners, and other internal martial artists, we can begin to build up a picture of how ki/ch’i is viewed in the martial arts:-
* It is seen as a form of energy which allows people to perform feats far beyond that attributable to simple physical strength. For example Kisshomaru Uyeshiba reports that his father Morihei was able to pull a pine tree with a diameter of about 5 inches or so out of the ground and relocate ‘a big stone which more than ten labourers could not move.’ [iv]
* It is effortless and inexhaustible, depending more on the mind, which directs the energy, than on the body, which stores it or channels it from outside sources.
* It can function as a form of armour or protection, allowing powerful blows to be easily absorbed or negated. Lu K’uan Yu mentions a classic example of this ‘when Hsing Ch’ang came with a sword to murder Hui Neng, the patriarch stretched out his neck to receive the fatal blow; the assassin struck thrice but failed to harm him and was so terrified that he fell to the ground.’ [v]
* No physical contact is necessary for this energy to work. Alexandra David-Neel relates an incident when her servant Dawasandup tried to offer some money to a Tibetan mystic. For some reason the holy man felt insulted and ‘Dawasandup thought it right to insist. He took a few steps forward, intending to place the money on a table near the lama. Then I saw him stagger, fall backward and strike his back against the wall as if he had been violently pushed. He uttered a cry and clutched at his stomach. The naljorpa got up and, sneering, left the room. ‘I feel as if I had received a terrible blow’, said Dawasandup. ‘The lama is irritated. How shall we appease him?’ [vi]
It is not necessary to venture into the wilds of Tibet to experience this kind of energy. One female teacher of Chinese internal methods in California, Min Ou Yang, is said to be able to throw large male opponents without any kind of physical contact by use of her kong jing or ‘empty force’. According to a report on this marvel ‘True empty force is the ability to use ch’i to affect another person’s ch’i, and therefore his physical well-being, without touching him...Special internal exercises develop intention by using the eyes as a vehicle to focus on a target. As Min explains ‘If you have to injure someone for self-defense, you must look at them with mean eyes.’...Intention plays an important role in empty force...If the person using empty force does not pinpoint the target, the ch’i will simply pass through these people or objects. But if the intention is to bounce it off a wall and into a target, the wall becomes a resistance that sends the ch’i back from its intended target...If Min focussed her empty force ch’i on one student, and another person walked between them, that person would feel nothing, since Min’s mind and intention were focussed on her original student.’ [vii]
Another Chinese teacher of T’ai Chi Ch’uan who claims to be able to utilise ‘empty force’ is Dr. Shen Hong Xun. He was put to the test by Dan Docherty, a well experienced English teacher of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, who slowly approached him at a T’ai Chi Ch’uan course and poured a bottle of water over Dr. Shen’s head! Mr. Docherty observed ‘It was evident from Dr. Shen’s reaction that he did not enjoy being soaked in public and it is possible therefore to infer that if he could have prevented it, he would have. Like God...empty force exists if you believe in it - it exists for you and other true believers not for pagans. I did not feel any empty force from Dr. Shen or anyone else...I don’t believe that he can use empty force on me. I am a pagan.’ [viii]
Promoting absurd ideas such as ‘empty force’ can have a negative effect on the public perception of the real nature of the martial arts. For example according to some Christian fundamentalists ki is nothing more than demonic possession! This lack of understanding has been responsible for a number of martial arts groups being unable to hire church premises for training. My own opinion of this internal energy is that it really does not exist, and the stories and myths which have become part of the martial arts are a compound of wish-fulfilment, innacurate observations, uncritical acceptance of spurious ideas, lies, and carnival stunts. [ix] Bruce Lee had no time for the idea of internal energy. He observed ‘Too often one of those big belly Chinese masters will tell you that his ch’i or internal power has sunken to his stomach. He’s not kidding, it is sunken, and gone! To put it bluntly, he is nothing but fat and ugly.’ [x] Mark Salzman’s teacher Pan Qingfu neatly summed the whole thing up when he observed ‘If the masters in the old days could really jump thirty feet high, then why the hell did they build staircases in their houses?’ [xi]
Of course some teachers of Chinese Boxing disagree. A leading teacher of Shaolin methods in Great Britain Yap Leong was asked in an interview if he believed in internal energy and he said ‘I’m a 100% believer in ch’i which I regard as the body’s natural energy...it can be cultivated by a variety of means including meditation, martial art practise and once cultivated, it can be channelled into martial practise, healing, whatever.’ However in the same interview he also said about ‘internal energy or empty force’ ‘I don’t think I can perform it and I’ve never seen anyone else demonstrate it.’ [xii] It would be interesting to know on what basis Yap Leong believes in ch’i if the evidence is so flimsy. It is worth recalling the philosopher Bertrand Russell’s observation that ‘What is wanted is not the will to believe but the wish to find out, which is the exact opposite.’
We know that the traditional Chinese view of bodily structure is innacurate. The idea that there are channels or meridians along which ch’i flows has no basis in modern science. If you open up a body you cannot find them. Professor P. Wall, then Head of the Cerebral Functions Unit at University College, London wrote in the New Scientist of July 20th 1972 ‘The theory on which the therapy [accupuncture] was based was that all the vital organs of the body are connected through elaborate tubular systems which radiate under the skin to various parts of the body. There is not one scrap of anatomical or physiological evidence for such a system.’
In 1984 two physiologists, Mark Bailey and Keith Murray from Indiana University wrote a letter to Inside Karate magazine in response to an article on the ‘The Search for Ki: Karate and Behavioral Kinesiology’ which had been published in the July 1984 edition of the magazine. They explained ‘Your recent article entitled ‘The Scientific Search for Ki’ was disappointing for us, given the usual fine quality of the authors [Tim Hosey] work. However, as graduate students in Human Performance [specializing in skeletal muscle physiology at the Doctoral and Masters level, respectively], we possess a fair degree of expertise in the area of muscular strength and therefore felt compelled to respond. Exercise physiologists have been trying to educate the public for years in an effort to dispel commonly held myths concerning physical performance and fitness. With no cynicism intended, we are often amazed at the amount of misinformation otherwise intelligent people can be brought to accept. The ideas expressed in the article seem [unfortunately] to be becoming more wide spread and represent an excellent example of this.
Having a fairly extensive knowledge of the research literature pertaining to the factors influencing muscular strength, we have seen absolutely no credible support for the views expressed. To posit the existence of mysterious electrical currents responsive to fleeting environmental influences not only shows a misunderstanding of the actual electrochemical events associated with muscular contraction, but ignores the fact that electrical currents are measurable and decades of research with sensitive needle and surface electromyography have failed to uncover evidence favouring unknown energy flows. Furthermore, although the word ‘doctor’ is frequently employed in the article we have only known an occasional doctor of Chiropractic to endorse such techniques. With such methodologies at their disposal it becomes easy to understand why this discipline is not embraced with open arms by the American Medical Association. In light of this, the assertion that ‘behavioural kinesiology’ is receiving growing support from the accredited medical community is not only misleading, but potentially dangerous. [Imagine a naive hypertensive deciding that his medication had tested ‘negatively’ and ceases taking it!]
As black belts [hapkido] ourselves, it is not our intention to deny the possibility of the genuine existence of an energy martial artists term ‘Ki’. However, we would like to suggest that if we continue to link the concept of ‘Ki’ to a pseudo-scientific practice of dubious validity, we risk engendering scepticism toward the role of ‘Ki’ in the martial arts in general.’ [xiii] Behavioural kinesiology is fundamentally the same as ‘applied kinesiology’ which was developed by George Goodhead, and American chiropractor, in the 1960s and 70s. Lori Forsyth, an expert in the system explains that Goodhead discovered the ‘two primary factors...which cause muscles to test weak, in addition to structural misalignment, are nutritional and emotional disturbaces. This made clear to him that he was dealing with an information system beyond the muscular-neurological connection. He therefore investigated accupuncture, and came to an understanding that each muscle in the body is related to an energy meridian. He found that testing muscles can demonstrate whether the energy in a meridian is blocked or free flowing...As each meridian relates to an internal organ, he deduced that muscles have a relationship with the organs in the body, and that specific muscle weaknesses can, if they persist, be an indication of organ dysfunction which would require further medical investigations...Other than testing muscles for specific weaknesses relating to meridians or organs, situations arise where a general indicator is used to give feedback about immediate energy responses of the body to diferent stimuli, such as foods and thoughts. For this purpose, generally the extended arm is used and this is called the ‘indicator muscle’.’ [xiv]
[i] When Koichi Tohei wrote his book Aikido: The Arts of Self Defense, Rikugei Publishing House, Tokyo 1961, he included photographs of himself applying a wristlock to ‘a man twice as big as he is’. Later he uses photographs to demonstrate the unbendable arm and the unliftable body; the text makes it clear that such feats are possible because of the concentration on ‘seika no itten’, or the one point, the source of ki.
Simply having ki was not enough for some writers. Jay Gluck in Zen Combat [1962] describes a demonstration he saw involving Morihei Ueshiba. While defending against a mass attack, Gluck tells us that ‘No one even touched the Old Man, until he let several of them collectively grasp him in any way they wanted, then ‘escaped from their hands’ and floored them all simultaneously. We took high speed movies at 64 fps and made blow up prints. As I was sure they would, they showed nothing but a smiling old man moving unconcernedly amidst intense charging G.I.’s, seemingly unaware that he existed - indication that Ueshiba was, in effect, moving in a different time continuum.’
So, according to Gluck, Uyeshiba could actually alter the laws of the universe! Gluck’s book is a good read, but as an impartial witness of what he sees he cannot be relied upon.
Gozo Shioda was one of Ueshiba’s senior students, and a master of aikido in his own right. He was asked about ki in Black Belt magazine April 1976. His response ‘Ki, ki, ki...people who talk like that sound like lunatics...Osensei said that sometimes, when you’re practising and everything...fits together just right, you’ve experienced ki...My interpretation of ki is, if practice goes smoothly, if it feels good, if that good feeling extends into your daily life and helps in your business activities, then that’s ki.’
Obviously Shioda didn’t see ki as the essence of aikido; it was just a good feeling. Actually it is quite difficult to find a common definition of ki that is acceptable to a group of believers. In Japan by Michael Random Crucible 1987 the author explains that at an international seminar on ‘Ways of Knowing’ held at Tsukuba University in 1984 ‘the Japanese persisted to a man in expounding the old concept of ki.’ p 25. However he later says that ‘every one of the Japanese participants expounded the philosophy of ki, though each did it differently. To the astonished Western scientists, the Japanese philosophers and scientists seemed to be talking a different language.’ p 101.
Actually the reason why the Japanese all described ki differently was because there are no common characteristics of ki upon which they all agree and what they are really talking about are vague subjective concepts which vanish in the cold light of reason. No wonder the Western scientists were astonished. It must have seemed like a throwback to the 19th century theories on vitalism and other discredited notions to them.
I have seen some of the films of Ueshiba demonstrating his techniques, similar to the ones referred to by Gluck. Frankly I’m amazed that anyone could be impressed by them; it seems obvious to me that no real attacks are taking place, and what we are really seeing is co-operation on the part of the attackers which ends in their ‘defeat’. Similarly films of the T’ai Chi Ch’uan master Cheng Man Ch’ing performing his wonders leave me unimpressed.
[ii] Total Aikido Gozo Shioda Kodansha International 1996 p 17
[iii] The aikido master Thomas Makiyama believes that this type of explanation of ki ‘has resulted in a great dis-service to the art of aikido during the past 30 years. The sad stagnation of foreign aikido can be directly attributed to this type of teaching, which has caused a great deal of unnecessary confusion in the interpretation of certain techniques.’ Black Belt magazine Vol. 21 # 3 March 1983 p 79
[iv] Aikido Kisshomaru Uyeshiba Hozansha Publishing Co. Ltd 1974 p 153
[v] The Secrets of Chinese Meditation Lu K’uan Yu Rider Pocket Edition 1984 p 211
[vi] Magic and Mystery in Tibet Alexandra David-Neel Corgi Books 1971 p 23. See also pp 184-220 for other examples of ch’i-like energies applied to running and keeping warm in low temperatures.
[vii] Karate and Kung-Fu Illustrated magazine Vol. 17 # 5 May 1986 pp 32-36
[viii] Combat magazine Vol. 24 # 5 May 1998 p 159
[ix] Others share these opinions. In R.W. Smith’s work Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods he quotes a number of Chinese masters:-
* p 84 Chou Ch’i-ch’un, a leading historian of Chinese Boxing ‘felt differently about ch’i. He believed it was simply air, not energy. Skill and technique, not ch’i were the important things.’
* p 21 Yuan Tao ‘The ch’i, he said, was a power, an energy, but it could never make a man superhuman, only supernormal. The old myths were so much trash. Killing from a distance was only legend kept alive by unsophisticated people who saw a boxer beat another with a short strike so rapid as to be unobserved.’
R.W. Smith is often quoted by the followers of the internal as a well informed proponent of ch’i. While it is true that Mr. Smith is a firm believer in ch’i, he included a section in the work he co-authored with Donn Draeger, Asian Fighting Arts called ‘The Fatuous and Fantastic’ pp 50-51 which looks at some of the ch’i myths popular in Chinese boxing systems.
[x] Black Belt magazine 1968 Yearbook p 78
[xi] Iron and Silk Mark Salzman Hamish Hamilton, London 1986 p 109
[xii] Combat magazine Vol. 23 # 11 Nov. 1997 p 22
[xiii] Inside Karate magazine Vol. 5 # 10 October 1984 p 5
[xiv] Medical Marriage Dr. Cornelia Featherstone and Lori Forsyth Findhorn Press Scotland 1997 pp 308-309
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