Chi in the Martial Arts

The Great Rift

By Barbara Finney
An unseen energy known by many names in many cultures throughout history is called Chi, Chee, Qi, Prana,
Vril, Orgone and many other names. It has been linked to many Iorms oI martial arts, especially martial arts
systems outside oI the Western world in general and the United States in particular. Why this is so is a puzzle as
knowledge oI such practices as Qigong and Reiki(a related healing practice) have been well known in the US Ior
many years. InIormation about Qigong began appearing in magazine in the late 1980`s and early 90`s.
At one time healing arts and Iighting arts were always taught together as a good martial arts master always had to
know how to treat and heal injuries that would occur in training in the great dojos oI long ago times. Healing
methods such as acupressure, acupuncture, and so on developed alongside many Iorms oI qigong. Qigong was
developed as a Iorm oI healing that could be projected into a patient by a qigong master oI those who practiced it
and knew the old ways could use the methods to heal themselves.
The ancient Chinese character symbol Ior Qi or Chi was written in ideographic Iorm like this:
This was the oldest known representation oI Chi which literally
symbolized 'mist that rises Irom the earth to Iorm the clouds.
Ancient Chinese believed that Qi was the bridge between matter and spirit.
Some have written that the origin oI the name Ior China and Chinese
people may have at one time meant 'people oI the chi.
In Japan among ancient Samurai healing arts and mediation were a major
part oI the tradition.
Among Chinese warrior clans, the word SeiIukujitsu was a word Ior
martial arts healing arts that meant, Irom the Chinese characters Ior this
word, several things. It meant 'whole and complete and 'to recover what
was lost and 'skilled art or method. The Japanese translation Ior this
word is ' a skilIul method oI adjusting and restoring.
Methods oI SeiIukujitsu are also sometimes translated as ' break down the
old and build up the new.
Then in modern times, especially in the western civilization such as
America, a riIt developed in the martial arts. It has become all about the
Iighting techniques oI grabs and submissions, and punches and kicks and
throws. There are not many schools at all that also teach what could be
called 'black belt healing. At one time in the world SeiIukujitsu was
considered a very developed art. Only the most advanced martial arts
practiced it. Not even a Iew decades ago, one could still get the best care
Ior sports injuries Irom individuals like Judo teachers.
There are still a handIul oI SeiIukujitsu schools in Japan but not many.
Less than 20 I have read somewhere. This is a shame. TCM or Chinese
traditional medicine, which includes training in medical qigong has had
oIIicial impressive results on many disease and conditions that are
considered hopeless by western medicine.
In Iact, the word 'Ki is embedded in the art known as 'Aikido. Many
martial arts schools in the west do sometimes give lip service to things like
qigong, but most write it oII as an outgrowth oI mere working out. But qi
is more. Qigong practice seems to generate beneIits not seen in jogging, or
weight-liIting and so Iort. It is a counter intuitive phenomenon where 1 1
3.
There are thousands oI Iorms oI qigong. There are 3 main types though.
Those three are medical, martial, and spiritual. Perhaps the wide variety oI
Iorms and styles and the overall secretiveness oI the masters and keepers
oI much oI this ancient knowledge is in part what led to the lack oI
understanding and use in western civilization oI qi related practices in the
martial arts and in medicine.
Perhaps as qigong and related practices such as Tai Chi become more
widespread and as neuroscience research begins to reveal the biological
secrets oI how and why qigong works, the riIt between the martial arts and
its dark twin qigong practices will be bridged, just as the ancients Ielt that
qi was the bridge between spirit and matter.