Chi, you may have heard of it before; Tai Chi or Chi Qigong. It is termed as the life force; the energy that surrounds us, flows through us and can be used by us provided we know how to harness it. Many people believe that the energy used in martial arts comes from the body. This is not entirely accurate.

Of course the energy is the same whether it is in a tree, in the grass, or in a person. Even unloving objects have some sort of energy to them. They carry with them the energy of the person who made them and also the energy of the materials they were made from. Even the process used can leave its traces!

It is this energy that allows martial arts masters to push their bodies to incredible limits, to do something that is seemingly impossible to do. You probably have seen it on TV where a small man can take down a huge person, or shatters a vase or object without touching it. These are both applications of Chi.

It is not taught in most western applications, even in martial arts. There is a level of belief and awareness of the older ideals of a spiritual world that are necessary to fully utilize it and realize that it is there. There are many who simply do not have this awareness. It is something that children have, but unless it is trained it is eventually lost as one enters adulthood.

Still however, it is a fundamental aspect of martial arts. It lends strength and it can help to minimize damage and even promote faster healing. The first thing to be aware of is that it is not something that will come to you because you read a book or took a single course!

It takes years of patience, practice and skill. Most Chi masters or martial artists who have gained mastery of this are highly skilled and have been training the majority of their life.

You may however, know some of the basics. You may be aware that energy is there and available to you; coming straight from your senses. They are primarily senses that can be developed through meditation and meditative practices. In order to fully utilize the Chi energy effectively, you must be calm inside and focused.

Once you have gained the awareness of the energy and can feel it in and around you, you must learn how to control and master its flow. In order to use Chi energy in martial arts, it has to be able to flow properly through the body.

This means that you must be aware of when energy becomes clogged or does not flow correctly and be able to make the adjustments necessary to keep a free flow of energy. The energy of the actual body is limited and while you can use it, it will become exhausted.

As this can be dangerous, it is also necessary to learn to use your bodys Chi to channel, focus and draw upon the energy that surrounds you. Once you have learned this step, then you must train in the actual controlling of the flow of this energy, using it directly as needed.