You mean like 'Bread and Puppet'? A friend of mine once performed with them.

another look at claims of powers:

http://www.randi.org/joom/index.php?opti...id=68&id=45

in particular:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlfMsZwr8rc

Chi flows all the time, we only decide its direction.

Chi does not exist.

I don't know how many times I've said this before, but *sigh* I'll say it again. Qi is an UMBRELLA term to describe a range of natural phenomena. Remember, we're talking about a (somewhat unscientific) philosophical construct that was developed over 5000 years ago. Science has progressed somewhat in that time.... especially since we no longer refer to dis-ease as "humours", or molecules as "ether".

The only thing we as martial artists need to worry about is not "what is qi", but what is "force" - how to generate it (i.e. strike), deflect it (i.e. parry), stop it (i.e. "block") and redirect it (i.e. use their force).

Eyrie,

I agree "qi" is an unscientific, archaic construct analogous to the bodily "humours" of the middle ages or the "ether" of the 19th century. But there is a difference. Every scientifically literate person on earth knows humours and ether are fictions; however, many martial artists still believe in "qi" as some kind of mystical life force.

If, as you say, we are really talking about the force, then that is the term we should use. Perhaps it is the term you use. But I know most people who use the term qi do NOT mean force--they mean "mystical life force," or something equally esoteric.

Well, the problem with the Chinese language is that it is colorful, flowery and highly contextual.

Qi, used in the context of "mystical life force" would be the equivalent of what Henri Bergson, in 1907, called élan vital.

Perhaps there is some mystical life force, perhaps not. Perhaps it's simply good old fashioned neuro-chemistry... who knows?