It makes me mad when I see people using the all potent term Qi or Ki to impress audiences and mystify something that could have been explained with simple science.
An example of one such demo regardless of style or affiliation:
An example of a properly explained phenomenon of physics:
One may say that in today’s commercial world of advertising, all kinds of marketing gimmicks are used, old products sometimes get re-branded or re-packaged just for its marketing effect (an example is deodorant for men vs women). However, martial arts is similar to health related products because it is not even about scamming you for the money, it is about giving you a false sense of security and may end up costing your life. I have no problems with applying physics to gain efficiency. However, like all sciences, you have to fully understand its limitations / assumptions. There is a breaking threshold for everything.
A compilation of the sad state of the Qi industry.
It is not about them losing fights – everybody loses at one time or the other. Sometimes, these people simply refuses to believe they are on the wrong path and even after their failures, put their effort in finding excuses.
An example of how ridiculous it can get. Do listen to his explanation of why the test failed.
Exercise
You are the next generation. Free yourself up from any old baggage. It is okay to fail, one failure is simply a stepping stone. What you choose to do about it afterwards is what matters. One day, you may be teaching and here are some of my thoughts:
- If you are using a term that is too abstract for kids to understand, chances are that there is room for improvement on your understanding and explanations. Even if you don’t have the answer for it YET, do look for it.
- Always explain the limitations of every technique to the best of your ability.
- Apply the scientific method and do not subscribe to myth. There is a difference between being open to new possibilities and looking for explanations vs being so stubborn that everything has to be proven before you will try it. For example, there are lots of people that refuse to believe slow training has its place and looseness can sometimes give you an advantage.
- Don’t mix culture and style into techniques – make it purpose, strategy and science based.
- Never view yourself as a ‘master’ or ‘god’, you may be a few steps ahead but you are just one of the travelers sharing with others similar goals.
- Respect and appreciation is not just one way, do appreciate your students and others that helped / supported you and you will be rewarded with similar.
Food for thought: How do you balance commercial secrecy with “open source like generosity”?