Friday Knight News
“We learn from failure, not from success!” Bram Stoker
Ki is often described as a universal energy that surrounds and penetrates everything, much like the force. Do you want to be able to shoot energy balls across the room? I'm not talking about some goofball crap where students fall over for you based on the psychological technique of autosuggestion. Are you willing to put in hours a day to achieve such abilities? If so, then this article is not for you! Although it seems most people think that is if they could only harness this unseen magical life force called ki, chi and/or prana all of these things would fall into place. In Japan this energy is referred to as ki. In China it is referred to as chi. If you know Sanskrit, it is called prana. In English meditation circles it is often called breath energy, internal energy, the life force, and geeks just call it the force. It is the manifestations of the universe on both the visible or invisible realms. However, if you are only looking at being centered, calm, and focused as the byproducts of ki then read on. After all, these things are still magical to me and deep breathing helps control and maintain this state of being.
So yes, in my point of view ki, chi, prana and even the force is real. It is developed and cultivated only by the most serious minds after all. The thing is, at least in my experience, ki, spirit, spunk, grit, sand, or mental endurance, is formed by hardship, overcoming failure, and by determination. Discipline and relaxation are only a portion of what is needed to develop this type of ki. To truly develop, test, and maintain the power of your will it must be carried out with hard work after long hours of effort. It is easy to be calm and mindful sitting on your butt, although it is quite another thing to be calm when someone is trying to pull a shotgun from under their trench-coat, or pull a hunting knife out of its sheath to stab you. If you can endure pain by breathing through it while someone takes a razor blade to you finger, or pulls re-bar that has been run through you out, then you are on your way. However, it is better to avoid these types of things if you can, everyday stress is a better starting point. Taking beatings that go on until the beater is exhausted, or enduring hours upon hours of indoctrination and browbeating is not necessary to achieve or develop ki in your normal day-to-day routine.
I have not yet seen the movie "Unbroken", but from what I have heard of it I would say it is geared to what I am talking about. It can feel surreal when someone is shooting at you, and you hear the bullets whiz past your head and you can stay calm in these conditions. Sometimes after long periods of harsh treatment you often develop a type of apathy to these things, but that isn't real ki; that is more a kin to exhaustion as everyone has their limits. Still, it takes ki to maintain calm during such events; that is if you survive these types of situations. Often times, it takes even more ki to cope with the aftermath of living through these traumas. So, as part of your everyday training, my best advice is to start off with laying and/or sitting while working on your breathing techniques and learning to stay calm and focused. Any time you lose your focus bring your mind back to the task at hand. Eventual try this while moving around walking, training in the martial arts, or while doing whatever it is that you do for a living.
Then as you progress, you should be able to remain centered even when things are not going well. To optimize your ki try to stay detached during adverse situations such as when people yell or scream at you. You will know that you are progressing when you are able to withstand this type of abuse without getting upset. Yet, do not become a door mat, this is not ki. Instead walk away from both mental and physical abuse and defend yourself from it when necessary; keep one point, stay in tune and relaxed while doing so. Breathing will help keep you calm and centered, in times when you can't breathe deeply then that is the time you need it the most. After you have done all of these things, give it time to take root and remember to keep focused, to me this state of mind is ki!
"The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus." Bruce Lee
Rand Law Books
This link will take you to my web page. Let me know if you like it, feel free to drop me an email if you like or you can use the comment check boxes below. I try to incorporate as much of my experience and observations as I can into my sci fi adventures. I come from a background that taught that should only write about what you know. As I know nothing else other than my perspective, I was left with limited options. The Dream Walker book series are tales about martial arts adventurers with an essence of the para-normal from dream mediation. Each book in the series reveals their struggles as they work to make a life for themselves and elude those that seek to use and control them.
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