Originally published in Faith & Fitness Magazine, August/September 2004

Reprinted with permission from Faith & Fitness Magazine

IS THERE CHI IN CHRIST?

By Erik Akutagawa
Head Instructor, Victory Karate;
Performance Coach, Competitive Spirit

In this article:

Is there Chi in Christ? Chi and the spirit Chi and energy flow and YOU Chi and performance About the writer

Special interests: 5 Steps to creating Chi and focusing your Kiai (The Christian way!) Some of Erik's Core Exercises

There is a lot of interest in "Chi" from various areas now days:

• Fortune 500 companies hiring Feng Shui certified consultants to help increase productivity by balancing and optimizing Chi within the office building;




• Celebrities, professional athletes, and Christians filling their schedules with Yoga classes to cultivate Chi to help ease tension, find peace, and improve flexibility;




• An estimated 40 million Americans participating in martial arts to harness and focus Chi, and action movies visualizing and romanticizing martial arts Chi such as the Matrix trilogy, the Charlie's Angels series, and the Kill Bill series, each averaging well over $350 million at the box office.

The interest in Chi (also spelled "Qi", or "Ki") and the power it possesses has never been greater in American society.

But what is Chi?  What is all this talk about Chi, and the universal life energy, and healing energy?

In the martial arts, we often utilize the "Kiai", which most people think is just a bunch of yelling and screaming while breaking boards and bricks.  Literally defined, "Ki" is "energy", and "Ai" is "union".  Therefore, the "Kiai" is the "union of energy".  What begins with the foundation of a solid stance, utilizing proper anatomical alignment and positioning, and finally culminating in the instant fortification of the body while breathing out with a focused scream, the "Kiai" brings together all of the physical energy to a single point with which to strike.

However, what is often forgotten is that the "Kiai" is the union of ALL energy; not just physical, but the complete union and firing of ALL energy - mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical - in the same direction, in a single moment.  This is where the true power comes from.  You can execute from a human potential, meaning that you utilize all of the physical technique and conditioning, mental focus, and positive emotional energy you possess, but that is all you will achieve, your human potential.  To go BEYOND your human potential, you need to incorporate the spiritual, and this is where we begin to see the power of Chi.

"The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all... For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit...Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" ~ John 3:31-36

In order to better understand Chi and its purpose, we need to understand the composition of man, and that only man has a spirit.  No other creature on this planet has a spirit.  While a plant has a body, it has no mind, soul, or spirit; while a fish may have a mind and a body, it has no soul or spirit; while your pet dog may have a mind, body, and soul (where personality, emotions, and character reside), it has no spirit.  Only man possesses a spirit, that portion which ponders such questions as, "Why am I here?", "Is there a 'higher power'?", "What is the point of life?", "What happens after death?", "What is right, and what is wrong?", along with a mind, body, and soul:

God created man with a spirit because He first loved us and wanted us to be able to commune together with Him, to find joy and pleasure in our relationship with Him (Genesis 1:26,27; 1 John 4:9,10,19).  God WANTS us to do amazing things through Him:

• "Ask and it will be given to you." (Matthew 7:7)




• "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalms 37:4)




• "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:13)




• "if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20)




• "anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." (John 14:12)

This is so that God's goodness and presence may be revealed (Matthew 5:16), and so that our own faith in Him may be strengthened. (James 1:2-6; Romans 4)  But if we want our all-powerful and all-knowing God to do these "greater things" in our life, then we must "abide in [Him]", and have His "words abide in [us]", so that we may "ask whatever [we] wish, and it shall be done for [us]". (John 15:7)  We "must become less" (John 3:30), for His "power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)  Otherwise, we begin believing the lie that we did it all by ourselves, and we fall away from our spiritual strength.

It is this spiritual connection which allows man to do feats beyond human capabilities with Chi.  You might have already witnessed such amazing acts:

• A small girl fighting her way out of the grasp of a much bigger and stronger assailant




• A parent lifting up a car to save a trapped child underneath




• A woman going through the hardship of labor to birth a child

The big question at this point is: What are you spiritually connected with?  Are you connecting to something that is limited and confined, or is it something that is perfect and beyond our comprehension and understanding?  Does it require works and laws and traditions, or is it something that is dynamic and alive?

Much like running water or surging electricity, there is an energy flow to Chi throughout.  Energy flows to and from your mind, body, soul, and spirit.  For most of us, this happens at a subconscious level, and more often than not, it is in a negative fashion.  We can also have blockages, both consciously (such as when we purposely ignore and quench the spirit) and subconsciously (such as reacting to an angry person due to years of exposure to an angry parent).

A simple example of how the flow of Chi affects us, and vice versa, is the way in which we walk.  How do you walk?  Is it merely a physical activity to get from here to there, or is there much more to it than that?  How does your walk change when your emotions change? (i.e. When you're angry, excited/happy, depressed, scared, confident, etc.) If you're like most people, you're probably wired directly between your emotions and your physical body:

1. As you experience negative emotions, your back slouches, your shoulders shrug inwards, your head droops, your eyes look downward, your pace slows, your feet drag, etc.




2. As you experience positive emotions, your back straightens, your shoulders go back, your head is held up high, your eyes look straight, etc.

What we have is a negative energy flow from the soul straight to the body.  So as your soul contends with a negative voice ("You can't do it", "You're not good enough", "You will fail"), the dark emotions in your soul automatically manifest themselves in your body, and your body drags downward:

Notice that the arrow also points back from the body to the soul.  This is the "echo effect", the rebounding negative energy from the body back to the soul.  Basic physics states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only altered; this is known as the Conservation of Energy, or the First Law of Thermodynamics.  Applied to our example, as your body droops downward, it feeds back to your soul, and you continue to feel downtrodden.  While positive emotions do invoke positive body reactions, this is still a negative energy flow because the emotion itself is in control:

• Emotion -> soul <--> body

In this situation, there is no choice, no response, only reaction, an ebbing and flowing with emotional tides.

What we want is to purposely create a positive environment from which Chi can flow, and in order to do that, we must utilize the Kiai, which unifies ALL facets.  And remember, energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only altered.  So if we take the same example, as you experience that negative voice, learn how to always walk with the Kiai: not allowing negative emotions to affect your body and physical walk, but rather having the mental focus and strength to ALWAYS access your spirit.   But how does your spirit respond?  Hopefully it is filled with something dynamic and unwavering, such as God's Word, which says that:

• You were chosen for a purpose before you were even conceived (Ephesians 1:4; Psalm 138:8 & 139:15,16)




• God made you, will carry you, sustain you, and rescue you (Isaiah 46:3,4)




• He delights in you (Psalm 37:23), and has plans to prosper you and give you hope (Jeremiah 29:11)




• He knows your heart (1 Samuel 16:7)




• He can do immeasurably more than you can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)

Don't you feel better already?  This in turn will always give positive energy to your body, allowing you to walk tall:

So you can see that we have successfully utilized the Kiai by harmonizing all of our energy in a single direction:

• Emotion -> soul -> mind -> spirit <--> body

The beauty of this is that the positive energy given from your spirit over to your body is then self-reinforcing to your soul via the same "echo effect", only now in a positive manner.  This gives you:

• Increased hope and expectation




• Improved immune system function




• Greater lung function




• Healthier skin and a clearer complexion




• Expanded muscle flexibility & response




• Lower risk of heart disease




• Quicker recovery from injury

I run a coaching program for Christian athletes called Competitive Spirit. One of my clients, a bodybuilder, blew out his biceps tendon while training. Through this technique, he was able to heal in half the amount of time as the doctor's predicted, and was back to full strength within just a few months after surgery. All of the doctors were completely baffled, as even medical science has not been able to fully comprehend the power between the mind, body, soul, and spirit. Here are some other positive outcomes that have naturally occurred with clients after they developed positive energy flow:

• Being in the best shape of your life




• Dropping patterns of emotional eating




• Maintaining a constant workout schedule




• Losing 20 unwanted pounds




• Changes in posture and facial expression




• Getting married




• Having a baby

My own personal experience using this technique on myself is that people actually began thinking that I was taller and bigger than I really was.  My official height is 5' 4 ½", and I weigh in at about 135 pounds when I am training regularly.  But since applying this technique, I have been described as much as 5' 9" and 160 pounds!  Even after getting out the tape measure and stepping on a scale, people still don't believe that I'm under 5' 7" and 150 pounds.

This philosophy is the ultimate in self control and discipline, as you do not let your emotions control you; rather, you control yourself and make your own decisions as to whom to follow and who and what to believe in:

"choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." ~ Joshua 24:15

What other areas are you experiencing negative energy flow?  How can you use the Kiai philosophy to engage all of your energies?

Chi and performance:

In my coaching program for Christian athletes, one of the strategies we cover is cultivating Chi for competitive performance (What most athletes might term "the zone").  One of the basic principles we go over is focusing the Kiai, and the need to unify and harmonize the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual energies.  To do otherwise proves counterproductive:

1. If you're not mentally focused, you're countering your efforts;




2. If you are mentally focused, but you're not executing with proper physical alignment and technique, you're countering your efforts;




3. If you are mentally focused and executing with proper technique, but you're giving in to negative emotions such as fear, anger, hate, etc., you're countering your efforts;




4. If you have the mental focus, the proper technique, and positive emotional energy, but you're harboring sin such as lust, greed, deceit, etc., you're countering your efforts.

"let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." ~ Hebrews 12:1

One of my clients remarked, "Isn't that impossible, to get rid of ALL sins? How then can I achieve Chi?"

How would YOU answer that question?  How can YOU achieve Chi?

Some of Erik's Core Exercises

Here are some exercises you can do on your own to help give your punches and kicks some extra pop.  We want to execute all of our martial arts techniques while engaging 100% of our mass, so the development of the core muscles (legs, glutes, back) is absolutely essential, even for hand techniques. Some key points to remember: Always warm up and stretch beforehand Focus on the technique of the movement; the strength will come with practice Always keep a slight bend in the elbow or knee throughout any movement - don't lock out! While it's nice to get new things, I'm sure a new pair of knees isn't high on anyone's Christmas list Breathe! If you've never done these before, start by trying to reach a certain number of reps, say 30.  Once you can easily reach that number, then set your timer and try to get as many reps as possible within a certain time frame, say 2 minutes. Lower Body/Core exercises: One-legged squat: I like to use a chair for this one.  This exercise helps develop the quad/glute area, and can be done explosively to mimic the dynamic movements of martial arts or other competitive sports. Start: Face the front of the chair to your left, and put your right foot flat on the chair.  If necessary, hold the back of the chair with your right hand for balance, and have your left foot flat on the floor for support. Execution: Explode upwards only using your right leg.  Drive through the movement.  Exhale out. Finish: Extend all the way up on your right leg, then bring the left knee up as if doing a knee strike.  Exhale all the way out.  Gradually lower yourself down to starting position for the next rep.  Make sure pressure is maintained on the right foot and that the left is only used as support.  Pushing off of the left leg will diminish the effectiveness of this exercise. Once done with the right leg, repeat the same for the left leg. Squat kicks: This is another good exercise to develop and strengthen the core muscle structure.  You can do the kicks in the air, or on a kicking pad/shield being held by your training partner (Just make sure you know how to property align your leg when kicking a bag so you don't hurt something). Start: Position yourself in a normal squat position, with feet approximately shoulder width apart, facing straight forward.  Hands should be up in a "guard" position.  Hand weights or a medicine ball can be used for more resistance. Execution: Bend at the hips and knees and squat down.  Keep the back straight; hands are up.  Exhale.  Upon reaching the "down" position, where the bottom of your butt is approximately the same height as your knees, explode upwards. Finish: As you extend out of your squat, do a front kick with your right leg.  Thrust the kick out (but don't lock out!) using the full drive of your hips.  Breathe all the way out (With the last reps, we're usually screaming out!).  Back remains straight and the hands are up.  Retract the leg back, placing the foot back to the original position.  Now squat down and do the same thing, only this time, kick out with the left leg.  Continue alternating legs when kicking. For variety, you can do the same squating movement, but instead of doing front kicks, you can do side kicks or rear kicks.  Or for a real challenge, do jumping squat kicks, where you actually launch out of the "down" position and jump up into the air and execute your kick.  Minimize the amount of time you're on the ground and continually explode up into the air. Upper Body exercises: Swinging push-ups: This exercise is better done slowly, to really develop the supporting muscles of the upper body.   Start: Get down on your hands and the balls of your feet with hands about shoulder width apart, and feet a little wider than shoulder width.  Stick your butt high up in the air in line with your feet.  Your body should be in an "L" shape from the side. Execution: Slowly and methodically, bend at the arms and swing your body downwards and forwards, towards your head.  As you reach the bottom, when your face is just about to scrape the ground, begin pushing upwards, arching your back while still maintaining the forward movement.  You head will now come up while your butt is going down, all while swinging forward.  Only your hands and the balls of your feet should touch the ground throughout the entire movement.  Exhale out. Finish: Extend the arms, go all the way forward, arch your back, and look up towards the ceiling.  Your body should be in a "cobra stretch" position.  But you're not quite done yet!  Without stopping, while still maintaining your exhale, swing backwards, back to where you started, with your butt back towards your heels and high up in the air.  Now you've finished one rep. Explosive push-ups: This helps put some good pop in your punches.  As the name suggests, do this movement explosively. Start: Begin in a traditional push-up position, with hands about shoulder width apart, feet and legs together, back straight.  Go to the "down" position, where the chest is just a few inches off of the ground. Execution: From the "down" position, extend the arms and explode upwards, lifting the entire body up into the air, including the legs and feet.  The plane of the back stays consistant throughout, from the ground to the air. Finish: Land back into the starting position for the next rep, using your arms as shock absorbers.  Throughout the exercise, only the hands and balls of the feet touch the ground.  The back stays straight throughout. For more explosive power and body control, find a hallway or long room and do explosive push-ups all the way down the hall or across the room.  You can go forwards, backwards, or sideways.  Or if space is limited, you can do explosive push-ups in a circle, where you swing both your head and your feet clockwise and counter clockwise around the circle.  If you're really good, you can make your head point towards 12 o'clock of the circle, do your explosive push-up and turn your body 180 degrees, with your head ending up at 6 o'clock.  You can also do "partials", where, instead of going all the way down in the "down" position, you just go half way down, or a quarter of the way down, and then do the push-up.  Playing with different hand positions will also help target different muscles. ~ETA