It’s an ordinary Friday afternoon in 1982. Angela Cavallo is doing housework. Her teenage son, Tony, is in the driveway, working on his ‘64 Chevy. Angela is thinking about the casserole she wants to serve for dinner, when she hears a loud CRASH. She looks out the window and sees Tony lying unconscious, trapped under the car that just fell on top of him.
So here’s my question: How can an ordinary, middle-aged woman lift a car?
Some say it’s adrenaline… While others suggest it’s the power of love. Most people don’t know — but in martial arts we have an answer: She harnessed her Qi.
Qi (pronounced “chee” in English) is a Chinese term used in traditional medicine, philosophy, as well as the martial arts. [It literally means “vapor,” “air,” or “breath,” and is often translated as “vital energy.” It is believed that it is prana, that fundamental energy and source of all knowledge. Chinese philosophy describes it as the body’s innate intelligence, the intangible, yet measurable way we maintain what is known as homeostasis, or the body’s ability to regulate its internal environment to create good health. -ed]
Qi is the source of inner power, an invisible life force that flows throughout the universe — that, with training and practice, can be tapped and used every day to help us feel strong, energetic, and focused. We all have this source of power within us, although most of us have never used it… at least those of us in the western world.
As Christians, my wife Gena and I see a parallel to Qi by tapping into the God-power within us. One of our favorite Bible verses says: “I can do all things through God who strengthens me.” And while some people, like Angela, can tap into their Qi during an extreme situation… Martial artists learn to harness their Qi under ordinary circumstances.
To demonstrate the concept of Qi to new martial art students, I hold my arm straight out from my body at a 90-degree angle. I then ask the student to walk directly into my arm and try to go past it. In all probability, my arm will stop their progress. I then ask the student to try again, but this time to project his or her thoughts beyond my extended arm. Invariably they can walk right through it with little effort.
Utilizing your Qi may seem hard — but there are simple ways you can harness it, which I’ll share in a moment. I thoroughly recommend you give it a try. It can make an amazing difference in your health, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Spirit is the nonphysical part of a person that it believed to direct their character, feelings and life force. It is the force that gives the body life, energy and power, it is the seat of a person’s emotions and character. The word "spirit" comes from the Latin word spirare, which means "to breathe". Spirit, Qi, Ki, Chi, Chee or vital energy is that which is breathed into life and is truly a part of Divine Science.