(Before getting into this, I'd like to note that my comments are not
geared towards fantasy and fiction. My comments are geared towards
feasible applications of chi and ki in the real world. I'm not
disputing the anime applications of these forces, as they do not
neccessarily operate in the same manner as reality. I'm just pointing
out how things are more likely to work in reality.)
(I'll be using 'Ki' because it just looks cooler. Would Mortal
Kombat
been as cool with a 'C'? I don't think so.)
<sarcasm>
You're absolutely right. I'd look a lot cooler if I had my genitals
detached and surgically implanted on my forehead. I think I'll try
that.
</sarcasm>
From what I've seen in movies, tv and fanfics, there seems to be
two
ways of harnessing ki:
Just be sure not to confuse movies, television, and fanfiction with
reality. It's always a good idea to research the factual information
about these things, just to get an idea of the difference between the
reality and the fantasy.
One way is to get it from yourself. This is the technique used by
Ranma
and Ryoga's ego and depression blasts. Since it's you're using your
life
force as a weapon, this drains you considerably unless you've been
training for a while. This can restrict the amount of ki blasts you
can
do. It's harder to heal yourself using this method because of the
power
source. If you're already weak and try to heal yourself, you'd be
doing
more harm than good.
Arguments here:
(1) This force is chi, not ki.
(2) The 'emotion techniques' used by Ranma and Ryouga are not quite
representative of the way chi works. Your emotional state *can*
influence your chi and your ability to focus and control it. However,
it doesn't quite work the way it's portrayed in Ranma.
(3) It's not harder to heal yourself if you're weakened from battle
or illness. It would be more difficult to heal ANOTHER, but healing
YOURSELF doesn't work that way. The process of healing yourself using
your own life force involves meditation and the use of focusing
techniques to speed up the regeneration of your life force. Your chi
is replenished more rapidly, and directed towards the parts of the
body which require healing. (If you want an example of how this
actually works, an excellent demonstration appears in the episode of
Street Fighter II V where Ryu meets an old master skilled in the
Hadou. It's not perfect...this is still anime, after all, and some
things are going to be dramatized a bit...but it's still a decent
example of using one's own chi to heal one's body.)
Another way is to get it from living things around you. This is
kinda
like the Force from Star Wars. Depending on the amount of power
you're
gathering, this method would not be a good choice if you're
gathering ki
around people recovering from an injury of some sort. The plus side
is
that it's less draining than getting the energy from yourself,
meaning
you could pump out ki blasts like a machine gun. This method is
much
better at healing because you're taking energy from things around
you.
I'd be interested in knowing where you get this information from. Ki
drawn from the environment is rarely ever used for healing of the
self. More often it is used to manipulate the surrounding
environment.
And there is no such thing, in reality, as "pumping out ki blasts
like a machine gun". That's Dragonball material. In reality, one
ki-based strike takes immense effort, and requires *years* of
training to perform effectively. Not to mention, one blast is usually
all it's going to take to knock down your opponent. Depending on the
strength of the blast, it will also likely cause burns or other such
damage due to superheated and intense air pressure...which is the
true form of a chi or ki attack in reality.
In anime, when you see someone charge up a blast, sometimes you see
little streaks (usually white) coming quickly toward the ki ball.
That
is good evidence that the person is using energies from his
surroundings.
Right.
Keep in mind, there is generally no such evidence of the
implimentation of a chi or ki based attack in reality. Chi and ki are
invisible, intangible forces. Those particularly sensitive to these
forces may discern a light wave pattern; likewise, those strong in
the control of such forces may generate a barely visible, luminous
aura while commanding these energies. But the large, glowing balls of
energy, the laser-like force blasts, and the crackling and flickering
auras are purely fantasy. In reality, you are far more likely to be
knocked flat on your ass by a chi or ki attack than you are to
realize the person standing in front of you is powering up for one.
Don't get me wrong...I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the
anime and general fantasy portrayal of chi and ki. It's
fiction...there are allowances for the grandiose and the bizarre. I
simply feel that, with the level of discussion that has come about
lately regarding chi and ki, it's important to note the differences
between reality and fantasy.
And, as always, my statements are not incontrovertible fact. They are
merely the results of my own personal research of the subject. Feel
free to dispute or disregard anything I have said.
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*This is a test of the Emergency Anal Probe System.*
--
Archival model Rockman Lurker
Holder of the Anal Moon Probe
Grandmaster of Scrotum Fu
Lighting the wine and pouring the fire...
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net
http://www.geocities.com/~etlostlurker
ICQ #19863012
Neil, did you eat your Chunky Soup?
*This has been a test of the Emergency Anal
Probe System. If this had been an actual emergency,
the attention signal you just heard would have been
followed by official probes, dildos, or intrusions.
This concludes this test of the Emergency Anal
Probe System.*
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