Chi is NOT Evil

No, I don't think so. I REALLY don't think so.

"Chi" or "Ki" --is the energy of the universe that exists inside of everything. It is seen by some as evil because in our ethnocentricity, we tend to view ideas that do not come from western culture as bad or inferior. We are taught to think in a binary--i.e., yes-no, good-bad, black-white, right-wrong, etc.-- fashion or in a linear one (1,2,3,4 where in the real world, something may happen in an 1,3,4,2 sequence) Chi may be viewed by some christians as some occult or mystical force that is not of God.

When I first heard about chi, I thought it was merely an eastern expression for the Holy Spirit. After all, aren't we taught that God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, is inside of us all, is in nature, and is the force that drives Creation? I felt the same way when I heard about "Om" or "Ahm", the cosmic motor that is supposed to be the vibration that runs throughout the universe after God spoke the first word at creation. If I remember correctly doesn't the Bible say in Genesis that God SAID "Let there be light", and so on, in order to form the world?

The whole idea of yin and yang is different from the western concepts of good and evil. It can be best explained as a principle of opposites. Where there is up, there is down. A person is born young, then grows old. If there is good in the world then there must be evil, and so on. Yin is the passive, feminine, destructive force in the universe, while yang is the active, masculine, creative force in the universe. This is not to imply that one force is BETTER than the other, because actually, both are needed in order to maintain balance in creation. No being is considered to be entirely one or the other, but have a blend of both qualities in their makeup.

Is there not good and bad in all of us? Don't most people have masculine and feminine qualities even if in the case of gender, we all tend to have more of one than the other? Basically, aren't there two sides to everything. I just found a lot of similarities in my own beliefs when I started learning the phylosophical aspects of Martial Arts.

As for the physical aspects:

There is nothing supernatural about the martial arts.

Most of the techniques that allow a physically larger, stronger, person to be manipulated by a weaker one are all a matter of body positioning. The rest are based on using the momentum of the attacker against him/herself, or using a distraction so that you can knock the person off balance and jerk them to the floor.

The techniques that allow for demonstration of athletic ability and strength are just that: athletic. It's because of a superior sense of balance and coordination that people can perform flying kicks, and the rhythmic, acrobatic movements found in Capoera or Wushu. It is not because of a posession by some evil spirit. Breaking techniques are not always what they appear to be. The bricks are stacked in a way that allows the force of the blow to travel through the air pockets beneath them and penetrate the bricks below them. The boards are cut with the grain of the wood so that they can be broken. Some of the ice that is seen in breaking demonstrations is pre-cut. What these manuvers require is not possession by jinn, but concentration and knowledge of applied physics.

I am aware of the energy arts such as Chi Gong that claim they have the ability to project their body energy at a target. I have yet to see this in person. However, I would submit to you that if it is possible to develop your body's reservoir of natural energy to the point where you can heal or harm others, or protect yourself from injury, it is still NOT supernatural. Why? Because you would be merely amplifying something that is already present in your body, like building a weak muscle or improving your cognitive skills. The power to do this would not come from a demon or spirit from another dimension. It would be given to you from God. All you would need to do is learn how to use it. Also, why would Satan give someone the ability to develop your body energy to the point where you have longer life, better focus, better health, and the ability to protect yourself and heal others? Why would the Devil want someone to teach children something that gives them a sense of discipline and self worth?

Conclusion

There is nothing occultish about the martial arts or chi training. People are able to push their minds and bodies to new limits because they choose to exercise the abilities that God gave them.