More than pressure points?

I took a class one time in college where my instructor taught us various pressure points and how they could be used for self defense. He preached how they had to be hit with the correct angle and direction and how they didn't take much force. I found it all very interesting. I'm not sure how related my next question is, but I am hoping someone here will be able to enlighten me.

Along with pressure points, he was very into being able to focus his chi (energy) to a point on his body such as a finger when he hit a pressure point. He demonstrated this in a few different ways.

1) He said he was still learning and perfecting his ability to channel his chi, so some of the effects were not as forecful as they would eb when he gain more control over it. He would take his hands and move them slowly along and above (without touching) and down my forearm. By the time he got to my hand, my fingers would be tingling. He explained this as a way to project energy from him to me without touching me at all.

2) He took two big football linemen in the class and they tried to lift him (he was about 5'4" 140lbs) up off the ground by each of them standing on a side and lifting from his arm. They were able to get him only about 6" off the floor. This is where he said he needed to perfect channeling his chi as he was lowering his center of gravity lower than the floor.

3) He would sit indian style in a normal wooden rocking chair and ask someone to push on his hands. They would not be able to rock the chair at all, even though they would be pushing with all their might.

If I had not witnessed it with my own eyes, I would not believe it as it defies physics (the rocking chair and lifting him up).

I was looking for more information in channeling your chi but it seems hard to find. Is that exactly what he was doing?

My instructo also claimed that there were masters that were able to channel their chi and project it (like when he moved his hands above my forearm to produce a result). He claimed these masters would be able to hit someone without actually touching them.

that sounds like shin shin toitsu aikido or aikido with mind and body unified, its a ki aikido school, lead by Koichi Tohei (10.Dan) I’ve seen some of the things these guy's can do. It takes a long time to learn these things, more so then other martial arts, since the first 2-3 years are spent doing things that don’t seem to have any martial relevance. The time spent does however relate to fighting, the aiki taiso exercise and ki taiso exercise is done to condition you body. remember karate kid “wax on wax off” I felt like that for 3 years before sensei finally showed me why we do thing the way we do them. It’s a great way of weeding out the stereotypical "I wanna B a ninja...maaan" type.

Anyway the first long period of time is spend more or les solely on ki practice and channeling it the things you talk about are part of the lowest kyu grading “the unbendable arm” try imagining you mind as a water fosset you arm is a hose and you finger is the nozzle, now point and open the nozzle, (don’t flex and don’t relax, try being in a state of no resistance it the place just between tense and relaxed ) Now try having some one bend your arm while the “water is flowing”. Watch some of the old clips with O-sensei and watch how he moves around and lands people on there arse with out ever touching them.


[This message has been edited by Lars (edited 04-24-2005).]