Topic: New Theory

[Wenxin Yang]

I've been reading the book ChiRunning lately. And as I was reading, I started to think how I could incorporate chi into parkour like how the author incorporated chi into his running. I've actually had an idea for the kong. If you kong and the minute the hands make contact with the object, try to touch it as lightly as you can, therefore you will glide over it faster and not brake with your palms. I'll update this as I try to use chi more in parkour.

2nd Theory. The source of human power(s). 20% Physical(Muscles) 20% Willpower 50% Chi (Life Force, Natural energy) 10% Laws of Physics

What do you think?

[Jordan "Sirlig" Nelson]

I've been reading the book ChiRunning lately. And as I was reading, I started to think how I could incorporate chi into parkour like how the author incorporated chi into his running. I've actually had an idea for the kong. If you kong and the minute the hands make contact with the object, try to touch it as lightly as you can, therefore you will glide over it faster and not brake with your palms. I'll update this as I try to use chi more in parkour.

2nd Theory. The source of human power(s). 20% Physical(Muscles) 20% Willpower 50% Chi (Life Force, Natural energy) 10% Laws of Physics

What do you think?

I don't really know much about Chi, but your first part sounds like it meshes fairly well with moving quickly and efficiently, though it seems to just be an elaboration on the already professed idea behind parkour.

As far as your second part, though, where do you get those percentages?  Are they actually based in anything?  A lot of people throw percentages around to make a point (i.e. 90% of success is just showing up; 80% concentration/work, 20% skill), but in the end these are typically just made up in order to drive home a point.  Are you doing the same, or are you actually trying to accurately divide up the source of human power?  If it is the latter, I don't think your second theory works at all.  Example: laws of physics can (and do) govern your interactions with the physical world, but they are by no means a source of power.

[Chris Salvato]

2nd Theory. The source of human power(s). 20% Physical(Muscles) 20% Willpower 50% Chi (Life Force, Natural energy) 10% Laws of Physics

What do you think?

100% Laws of Physics

[ZacharyCohn]

If you kong and the minute the hands make contact with the object, try to touch it as lightly as you can, therefore you will glide over it faster and not brake with your palms.

I just isolated this sentence. It doesn't mention Chi. It is, however, good advice.

No magic, no mysticism, no wizardry or chi involved. It's simple physics. If you place your hands down and pull through, it apply a force behind you, and generate more forwards momentum. If you slam your hands into the obstacle, it will generate force in other directions which will not help you accelerate in the correct direction.

I believe that Chi, Ka, Flows of Energy, chakras- these were all invented a long time ago to explain what people didn't understand. With a greater understanding of physics (and science in general), we can explain away the mysteries of the world.

[Tai]

Chi and Chokras are most certainly real things that can and have been measured. As for their application to parkour, i am not so sure. Anything that can help you meditate while doing parkour is going to help you concentrate, and with concentration comes real ability. I don't mean forcing your brain to concentrate so much as your will.

[Jordan "Sirlig" Nelson]

Chi and Chokras are most certainly real things that can and have been measured. As for their application to parkour, i am not so sure. Anything that can help you meditate while doing parkour is going to help you concentrate, and with concentration comes real ability. I don't mean forcing your brain to concentrate so much as your will.

Correction: bioelectricity can be measured.  Chi and chokras are inherently tied in with mysticism and beliefs that cannot be objectively measured.

[Tai]

Chi and Chokras are most certainly real things that can and have been measured. As for their application to parkour, i am not so sure. Anything that can help you meditate while doing parkour is going to help you concentrate, and with concentration comes real ability. I don't mean forcing your brain to concentrate so much as your will.

Correction: bioelectricity can be measured.  Chi and chokras are inherently tied in with mysticism and beliefs that cannot be objectively measured.

Bio-electricity as you put it runs through the same channels as the thing that is called chi/ki/energy/soul power. chokras can be filmed and their location on the body is set. As well Chi and Chokras can be used to affect a persons bodily funcitons. Their is nothing Mystic about it. By even saying there is such a thing as bio-electricty, says that there is an energy system that runs through the body. And without ever cutting anyone open the Chinese were able to correctly identify every organ and its placement in the body with just this so called 'mysticism'

[BearMills]

We've already integrated meditation into parkour

[Tai]

We've already integrated meditation into parkour

i would say parkour is a form meditation.

[BearMills]

Wasn't meant to be in the first place. But now we understand it yes it is a form of meditation when done right 

[Tai]

Wasn't meant to be in the first place. But now we understand it yes it is a form of meditation when done right 

Good point, it seems to draw a lot of similarities between the evolution of parkour and the evolution of martial arts like Chi Quang, which is now viewed mostly as a meditative practice. I guess it is the flight side of the fight or flight response and once you learn to control it you are meditating.

[Andy Animus Tran]

Ugh.. naysayers.

Chi is natural.  And it is exactly what Zac said it was.. An explanation for something not understood.  Now, we understand it. It's called science.  It's called willpower.  It's called physics.  Any number of things.  A person can exert will to change his body temperature, for instance.

This does NOT NEGATE THE IDEA.  It means that there's an explanation.  It's not magic or mysticism, and it never was.  It jsut is.  A natural force.  In science, a multitude of different forces.  But to say, "Well, Chi doesn't really exist because it's an explanation for something else" is.. well.. short-sighted.  Just because something has two different names doesn't mean that one name is better than the other.

Chi is the cultivation and disciplining of certain natural aspects of human existence.  Including movement.  Including hormonal regulation.  It's a discipline more than just a "force."  To dismiss Chi away is to lose something precious.  Just because we KNOW that Chi cultivation is actually regulating certain hormonal responses through meditation/breathing/etc. doesn't mean that it isn't profound.  Tell me how you can do that without disciplining Chi, or using it as a concept rather than a science.  The amazing thing is that meditation can do this by visualisation or by meditation.. it doesn't matter what's actually going on.

[Tai]

Good points. I think that you are right, we should think about what people have been doing for thousands of years instead of disregarding it as something old and therefor for some reason wrong. We are the first line of defense in protecting our bodies from injury, awareness of our bodies and their energy structure can only help us.