Lawrence Tan

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Many tai ji, aikido, ba gua or Tandao Dazzling Hands techniques seem mysterious and can be attributed to qi power. At the risk of disappointing internal enthusiasts on a quest to cultivate this metaphysical power, at TanDao we teach that many secrets of qi are in fact science veiled behind Chinese metaphysics.

Consider this: there is no supernatural force needed to knock someone off a tight rope with a poke of the finger at the proper angle. Gravity does the work – not a magical “steam” like energy transmitted from your fingers.

This same principle is the key behind many internal techniques and Dazzling Hands. There is a secret, but not qi. The secret to is knowing how to first unbalance the opponent (the hidden part of the movement) before you push him in the direction of his fall.

Although it may appear as if we are debunking qi, I have also experienced qi demonstrations that are inexplicable (I have had chronic knee injuries magically heal by Master Chen at China’s Shaolin Temple). So my view on this power is pretty much the same as decades ago: I believe in qi, but within the bounds of critical thinking. I am both open and skeptical.

We’d like your feed back. Our TanDao Fight Labs have focused on tiger combat because this is the Year of the Tiger. However, we also teach JKD, Shaolin animals and Dazzling Hands. What would you like us to cover on our fight labs and blogs? Fighting techniques? Style analysis? Theory? What are your thoughts and questions.

TanDao is to accelerate your learning and to augment your style. C’mon Evolving Martial Artists, tell us what you want.

Keep practicing and exploring,
Lawrence Tan

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A note of thanks to our TanDao forum member, Kevin, for responding to our post on Spirit Boxing and asking about the supernatural powers of qi.
Since the TanDao’s Dazzling Hands stage traces to qi based tai ji, the question arises: is there any truth to this mysterious power?

Qi is the life force energy integral to Chinese philosophy and medicine. This concept posits an energetic network connecting all life. Knowledge of qi can develop extraordinary powers to heal as well as harm. Or so they say. As an old timer I’ve witnessed the marvels of qi power throughout Asia. The full range: breaking stones or protecting the body from blows, igniting paper, bending spoons, knocking back an opponent by just pointing. A Shaolin monk once showed me how he could send his qi into my hand, creating hot, excruciating pain and another time a qi master “miraculously” healed my injuries at the Shaolin Temple.

So science or superstition? Both. Many extraordinary skills are real and only seem supernatural. Qi power is science disguised in a Chinese philosophical mindset. Ancient secrets that use biomechanics, chemistry, leverage, psychology and gravity can make normal physical skills appear magical. In fact, many unscrupulous qi masters use magic tricks and exploit people’s lack of critical thinking. When the magician David Copperfield flies on stage, we don’t know how he does it but we know he is not going to really jump out of a plane.

Finally there are legitimate feats that science can verify, but cannot explain. Our present scientific model is inadequate to explain these seemingly supernatural demonstrations. Extraordinary powers are real but the supernatural element is still unproven. Years ago, as Far East editor for Inside Kung Fu, I wrote an article about the topic entitled The Quest For Chi.