What is Chi?

[LMNO]

Ooh, let my try!


Chi is the initial essence, it is force and being
Jing is breath, the driving movement of spirit
Shen is the being, the optimum efficiency to a lesser or greater degree

There are two types of chi
chi that is obtained through the parents prior to birth
chi that is obtained from food, water, air, trolling

chi gung is the process of consuming the chi that one is becoming mindful of and to regulate it to bring about psyche of change.

[fomenter]

 

[Richter]

Ooh, let my try!


Chi is the initial essence, it is force and being
Jing is breath, the driving movement of spirit
Shen is the being, the optimum efficiency to a lesser or greater degree

There are two types of chi
chi that is obtained through the parents prior to birth
chi that is obtained from food, water, air, trolling

chi gung is the process of consuming the chi that one is becoming mindful of and to regulate it to bring about psyche of change.

  That's the spirit!

[LMNO]

I IZ MYZTIKAL!

[minuspace]

chi is just too personal, thinks it me like smells of turpentine

[fomenter]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/131447/dim_mak_death_touch/  chi death touch

[Kai]

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/131447/dim_mak_death_touch/  chi death touch

Interesting. We've talked a bit in this thread about what might really be going on when chi interaction between two people takes place. I'm not really sure what is going on here at all.

[fomenter]

this is definitely different than the chi is the kinesthetic awareness/application of small amounts of force/leverage definition we have circled around.
i can't really say what is going on here either..

[Cain]

Dim Mak is bullshit.

Worse, its useless bullshit.  George Dillman's attempts to explain why one of his students was unable to use a "knockout chi" effect on a sceptic investigator is hilarious:

"The skeptic was a totally non-believer. Plus – I don't know if I should say that on film – but if the guy had his tongue in the wrong position in the mouth, that can also nullify it [chi power]. You can nullify it – you can nullify a lot of things. In fact, you can nullify it if you raise those two big toes! If I say I'm going to knock you out, and you raise one toe, and push one toe down....I can't knock you out. And then, if I go to try again, you reverse it. If you keep doing this, I won't knock you out."

So yeah.

[MMIX]

. . .  my little atheist soul was exultant . . . and giggled a bit too

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2509/is-the-ninja-death-touch-real

[fomenter]

the interviewer wasn't very sceptical in this case, i can believe fingers can be strengthened enough that being poked with them would hurt, but if i had to guess at what was going on in this video i would say practitioner hypnosis - if some one is taught this stuff day in day out long enough....

[MMIX]

[snip]- if some one is taught this stuff day in day out long enough....

enter the dragon triumph of teaching over authentic experience . . .

[Kai]

Dim Mak is bullshit.

Worse, its useless bullshit.  George Dillman's attempts to explain why one of his students was unable to use a "knockout chi" effect on a sceptic investigator is hilarious:

"The skeptic was a totally non-believer. Plus – I don't know if I should say that on film – but if the guy had his tongue in the wrong position in the mouth, that can also nullify it [chi power]. You can nullify it – you can nullify a lot of things. In fact, you can nullify it if you raise those two big toes! If I say I'm going to knock you out, and you raise one toe, and push one toe down....I can't knock you out. And then, if I go to try again, you reverse it. If you keep doing this, I won't knock you out."

So yeah.

Thanks. I know there's something to this psychosomatic idea of chi, but I didn't know how to fit this particular stuff into the mix. Now I don't have to.

[Kai]

. . .  my little atheist soul was exultant . . . and giggled a bit too

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2509/is-the-ninja-death-touch-real

Was just reminded of a video on you tube. I can't find it now, but the basic premise was the investigation of different schools of martial arts in regards to how they actually work physically. The one segment I remember is of a Ninja practitioner who claimed to be able to stop a person's heart with a punch. The idea is that if you apply the right amount of force in the right spot, you can cause commotio cordis (as described in the article above). There was certainly more than enough pressure upon impact with a sensor equipped mannequin to accomplish this.

[Triple Zero]

though the article also says you have to hit in just the right 15-20ms timeslot. buuuut let's say they are really awesome and have been pacing their opponent from the start, maybe being able to make a decent guess at the heart phase?