Owen Hamilton
March 12, 2014
Brio
"'It's not skill! It is qi,'" he said, giving me a mysterious look" (pg. 107).
What is qi?
In the book, master Zheng describes qi as a "force that resides in the lower abdomen and circulates through the body" (pg. 107). However, qi has much more to be learned about. Qi is known by many names, and can be found all over the world! According to About.com, qi is the life force that is worshipped by Japanese (ki), Indians (prana or shakti), ancient Egyptians (ka), ancient Greeks (pneuma), Native Americans (Great Spirit), Christians (Holy Spirit), Africans (ashe), and Hawaiians (ha or mana). Qi isn't just an imaginary force used by Chinese boxers, it is the life force wellknown throughout mankind!
To be able to control and feel your qi takes much training. It comes easier to some people than others. Taoism teaches the power of qi because most humans perceive our bodies as firm solid objects. However, we find our qi when we realize that our body is mostly made up of water. Such a fluid substance! And if we look at the atomic level, our body is almost completely space and emptiness! When we let the power of our qi flow through our fluid empty bodies, we can do things like master Zheng!
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