Transcription
In today's video, I will experience Chi. This is weird! I have goosebumps. But first... What is Chi?
The simple answer is... This is Shaolin Master Shi Heng Yi. If anyone can teach me the truth about Chi, it's him.
...that Chi very often is translated as "energy". Which energy? Well, the energy which is nourishing, making all of our lives possible. But why can't we realize it? Because you are paying attention on too much substance. You are paying attention on matter.
Shaolin monks can use their Chi to perform supernatural feats. But how does it actually work? How can we use Chi in martial arts?
I'm sorry to make it like, so, so... yeah, sometimes a little bit too simple, yeah? But if I smash the stone, I can't think about like what I would like to eat-
No! Right.
-in the moment of impact. I know very, very well how I have to be like, to increase my probability that that stone smashes. The alignment of my skeleton, the distribution of tension or relaxation inside the body, this is all, for me, the area of Chi, this is all the area of energy. Now, can you use this for fighting? It definitely helps in the way of understanding yourself better, and also how to not, let's say, waste energy.
I've seen some people knock out other people from a distance, without even touching them, and they claim it's because of their Chi power. What do you think about this?
So you talk about no-touch?
Yes, exactly.
I have no doubt that these type of demonstrations, they have some purpose, let's say it like this. But to claim that it would be a technique to like throw people around, I don't, I don't know, but I don't think so. You can develop certain things which seem very, very supernatural that logically make no sense, absolutely. It is especially in the healing area, this is happening on regular basis and there's no doubt about it.
Why are there so many misconceptions about Chi, especially in the West?
Also for myself, I was never interested in anything like Chi or energy in the first place. When I started my martial art training, it was just Kung Fu training, jumping high, making the acrobatics, throwing as many punches as possible in a certain amount of time, so purely physical-related.
Yes.
Until I just, also for myself, realized the outside movement actually starts to happen way before somebody even sees it, or you yourself sees it. It starts like with the mind, it starts with the intention. And then, now things start to fall into place. Energy follows intention. Intention goes first. So before I want to hit someone, I have that intention that nourishes the energy to then execute the strike. And this is where then I began, many of my forms, of my katas or taolus, I started more and more practiced them in the mind first. It's like you lie in the bed and you walk the form inside of the mind.
Visualization?
Visualization, but more important, it's like the feeling of it.
I see.
The... The feeling of, the exchange of movement, the in, out, left, right, up, down, this just has become very fine. And this is all areas where I would say, since I notice that there is something very, very fine inside of ourself, and if you place your attention also on this type of area in order to train yourself, I think it has a lot of benefits. Because then it's not just physically related, but you understand, actually, this relationship between internal alignment and external movements. Body and mind in harmony. So, and in order to achieve this, I think that concept of the Chi, the concept of the refinement of yourself to the, to the deepest layer of what I think you as a human are able to be conscious of, I think that's where it's useful.
And so, if the viewers at home want to train and develop their Chi, is there any exercise that you could teach me?
Come, I show you right now, just in the sitting, the most basic ones. Just bring the palms very close to each other. Inhale. Exhale. In. Out. In. Don't force anything. Out. Oh, yeah, let me help you. I give you.
Mm hm.
Okay. Now focus like on the space in between the hands. Breathing, calm, just continue. Inhale. Exhale. From here, start this movement. Go closer. Don't touch.
Wait, am I supposed to feel something? 'Cause I'm feeling a tingling sensation.
Keep going. Now go-
This is crazy!
Now go here again.
Okay.
Very gentle.
This is... ...this is so, this is weird!
Rotate.
I'm not kidding, seriously. I have goosebumps. This is... Is this placebo?
No. I just think that, number one, what's happening is, first of all, you focused the mind in between the space between the palms. When do you normally do this? Never.
Right.
Never, okay? So this means-
That's true.
-first of all, what we have is a heightened concentration for this area. Second of all, now it's getting interesting, in Chinese, this point and this point is called the "lao gong", from Chinese traditional medicine.
I see.
Okay? Energy entry points.
Aha!
Okay? Now, being very close here in this area also means that we are able, if there is something like Chi, like energy, then it easily emits from this part and from this part.
Could we look at how to apply this in the martial arts?
We can try some games.
Okay.
So let's go.
Exciting.
These are some type of practices that you can use for your audience looking at home.
Okay, great.
So let's do very simple,
Okay.
- I will show you. We stay right leg, right leg, next to each other. My hand touches him here. Thank you. My job is, I just try to stand stable. His job is going to be, he starts to bring me off balance. If he starts to push, so I'm gonna move.
Okay.
Just go ahead and try this one first.
So knees touching. This on the shoulder?
Yes. Okay.
Oh! Is that a point for me?
Yeah.
(laughing) But then again, I'm twice your size, so this is cheating. Oh, okay. You got me.
So, I mean, because I also witnessed all the videos that all the teachers, all that you went to.
Oh, okay.
You try push me. Okay, I make it easy. See? Okay? There's no alignment. The amount of tension, relaxation in the body is not properly there. So you go again. Now it's different.
Yeah. So I'm trying to push you, but nothing is happening.
So that means in the moment I become aware for how does my skeleton look.
Ah!
So what's the difference? The difference is that if I'm not taking this into consideration, you apply force.
Yeah.
Boom, I fly. Second time, I take it into consideration.
(grunting) Yeah.
So it's different.
Yes.
Okay?
Rock solid. When the Master focuses on his internal state, he's able to maintain his structure. Because where attention goes, energy flows. But this is only the beginning.
So let's make it differently now.
Okay.
So I try to push you, you just like root yourself.
Yeah.
Align yourself. Okay, it's good already.
Mm hm.
So now there's just one thing that I can do more without using power. It's this.
Mm hm. Okay.
So the thing is, this is like brute force, okay?
Right.
So I'm using power.
Yeah, muscles.
Okay. So that means you are stable. No question about that. But even if you're stable, there is still something that can penetrate you.
Yeah. It just goes a little bit slower.
It's like butter.
Deeper. Yeah, exactly.
Right. Lets... What I'm doing is, look, I still have some tension, but now I will.
Hmm.
I release it into your body. Somebody is standing in your way. What am I gonna do with him?
Yes.
Apply more of my force, or relax more?
Yeah.
It's just another perspective right now. It doesn't mean that it's always the best one. It's good to have both, the hard and the soft, the physical and the Chi.
Thank you so much. And if all of you enjoyed that, please hit subscribe.