Such thing as Physical/Magic Force?

Question

No I'm not talking Star Wars related or anything. It's just, I was watching Martial Artists and Weapon Users. This guy like, took a katana, put a pill on top of some other guy's tip of his nose, and quickly sliced the pill, I think it was horizontally in half, or split it vertically. But either way, as I was listening, he said he was concentrating all his spiritual energy, or something, energy, idk, into the blade, making it sharper than the blade itself.

I don't think it's a lie either, I mean, I've seen many things in the Martial Arts contests they have. Breaking wood without popping the balloons under it. Piercing through a soda can without injury. Breaking through a door with a bladed-hand.

So, back to the question, I'm just wondering. Is there TRULY a thing such as that kind of energy that can be concentrated to be destructive as that? and if so, how would it be possible to mold that energy?

Answer 1

Well, the body is a well known conductor of bio-magmetic engery.

However, I really think those examples you just mentioned were feats of will-power and years of training. In other words, most people could do it. I'm not well informed about martial arts, so sorry, I couldn't tell you 'how'.

I think this would intrest you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P4lF3rIH...

Answer 2

This is something I've been studying on and off about. Spirit energy introduced by the Chinese known as CHI (or KI as the Japanese call it). Its an energy that cannot be measured because it is constantly taking shape of everything (sound, vision, heat, wind, etc.), a force you can not attain in your hands because it flows through everything that's living. It's invisible, but it doesn't means its not there. This concept as been passed down for generations, and if I'm not mistaken, the concept can trace back to India where Tai Chi was invented in China by a man named Bohidarma of India. Dont really feel like writing an essay about him and if you want to know more, email me.

But not getting off the topic here. Its an energy EVERYONE has, many say its the soul of one's self since a dead person doesn't have any chi, only a live one does. One of the methods we come to contact with them is concentration and dispersion (opposite of concentration), simultaniously. The Chi concept is very confusing at first and there is sooo much to talk about

and as for your answer: MOST of the people who do demonstrations are pulling stuff outta their asses, its not true, theyre tricky. But there are some whom have made breakthroughs and they usually dont like showing off in public, they have achieved a high level of maturity and know better....it comes with the package of mastering chi. Im not saying I know any, but think about it, we're in a universe that everything exists with an opposite. If there are people who don't master at something, there are some who did....

Answer 3

Here is a general rule to tell the difference; if the demonstration is simple, and to the point then yes, the martial artist is using "chi" energy.  If it is however, elaborate, or show offish, odds are its a magic trick.  Think of David Copperfield, or even Penn and Teller.  Part of the reason the biggest skeptics you will find are stage magicians, it is because its their job to fool people.  A stage magician, I hate to tell you this, will be able to replicate the same thing.  The Shaolin monks use dangerous demonstrations, that they make a point to keep simple, so that they are impossible to replicate by illusionists.

Yes, its real, chi is real, but I hate to dissapoint you in telling you this, but even it has limits.  What you likely saw was trickery using smoke and mirrors, nothing more.  If you want the genuine article, the real use of Chi, you may wish to look up demonstrations by Shaolin monks.  They keep it simple, again, for a reason.  The more elaborate it is, the greater the odds there is a trick behind it, a trick the majority of magicians will easily replicate.

In fact, believe it or not, the old testament, namely the story of Exodus, talks about the difference between "real power" and illusion.  Ancient Egyptian priests used magic tricks to fool the ignorant, not unlike the tricks used by stage magicians today.  The story of exodus says, that with stage trickery they were able to replicate many of the things Moses did.   Until reportedly Moses made flies from dust, a "trick" Pharaoh's magicians could not duplicate.

It would be interesting to have David Copperfield, Penn and Teller or some other highly regarded and highly skilled stage magician, view those tricks, to see if they can duplicate them.  The person most qualified to answer your question, believe it or not, is a stage performer.  Most of the stuff you saw on television, most magicians will be able to duplicate.  Most of the stuff done by the Shaolin however, again, let me reemphasize, is simple for a reason, to show the crowd they are not hiding anything.  There is also a reason why they do everything with their shirt off; if any country was home to charlatans, cheats, scam and con artists, it was China.  Also the country is no stranger to stage magicians either, over there they have been around much longer obviously.

There is no trick a clever magician can not do.  Copperfield's famous "making lady liberty dissapear" is an example of this.  

Regarding chi, it is not magic, but an as of yet not understood force of the universe.  There is such a thing as the soul, and it is a vast well of power.  There is such a thing as arcane "dark arts" involving human sacrifice so that the people engaged in it will collect a person's living energy for their own use.  However, magic in the harry potter sense, sorry.

Yes, chi is real, but do not be fooled by trickery or charlatans, nor think for one second, you can develop such advanced channeling of energy in only a few months.  If you do pull it off then you are not exactly a normal person....

Far as the esoteric and mystical traditions of India and China, no one, and I mean no one has been able to channel prana, or chi, with only a few short months of training, most masters dedicated an entire lifetime.  The "amazing things" Shaolin monks do?  That is countless hours of Kung Fu practice and strength training for fitness, and countless hours of Chi Kung, which is EXTREMELY arduous work by the way.  An hour's session of chi kung will leave you feeling like 50 bulls took a c**p on you from exhaustion.

Again, if you know one, consult a stage magician.

peace.

Answer 4

if that is not a fraud (the pill set up) then it truly is an amazing natural feat.

sharpshooters have been able to throw a washer up in the air and put a bullet with a rifle through the center without hitting the sides- this famous "last century" trick shot has actually been recreated today.

if the sword thing (actually seems less possible than the bullet because I'm familiar with swords and test cutting), is true, he is just very skilled.

however I don't think that kind of "stopping on a pin" skill translates very well to practical use- but that is a different discussion altogether.

however, if true, that doesn't stop it from bieng an amazing feat and it certainly doesn't make it anything magical or focusing "chi" energy.

projecting "chi" is bs and anyone who says they can is a fraud.

there are legit people that use the term "chi" to define a number of legitimate concepts such as: an adrenalin rush, better conditioning which leads to better ability to fight, power developed through mechanical techniques trained when combined with muscle stregth (in the right way), etc.

but you won't find anything magical in the description that can't be reproduced or taught and physically shown pretty easily.

Answer 5

It is called chi or qi (pronounced about the same.)

As for "you can't break the laws of physics."

That's what they used to say about "Newtonian Physics"...

Then somebody did it and we have a whole new science called Quantum Physics.

Answer 6

You cannot violate the laws of physics. Wood breaking on a balloon I have done. There is no mystery there. It is called speed breaking. It took me about a half dozen tries to get it.. It doesn't break any of Newtons laws. The board has inertia enough if you hit it fast enough very little force is transferred to the balloon.

You should study more. Train hard. All these "mysteries" will be exposed either as tricks or the real deal. Never trust in magic except in the realm of the sperit.  

Answer 7

this could be true, i have seen this in many cases. ki has many dimensions, it can be used alone,focused through and object or an attack[punch,kick,etc.]. alot of traditional aspects have been lost especially in america so alot of people see this as bs because they haven't seen or learned it but don't let someone who knows nothing about it try and sway you.

Answer 8

What you see is a lot of training, incredible focus, science and sometimes sleight of hand.  They all come together to do some amazing looking stuff.

I haven't seen the aspirin on the nose thing, but it sounds like the old watermelon on the stomach demo.  Take a watermelon - lay it on your assistant (daring!) and slice it in half without harming the brave assistant!  Well all you do is hack 3/4ths of the way through it, and rotate the sword/knife on the return - the rotation of the blade works with the weight of the melon to push the sides apart and cause the melon to fall in half.  But the blade doesn't need to get closer than 2 inches to the "human cutting board".  

On to the aspirin - to cut an aspirin in half you only need to tap it with a sharp strike.  There are 2 possiblilities - the aspirin can already be halved - it's easy to stick them together with a little spit, and it looks seamless (try it at home).  Or it could be partially cut through, so that a lighter tap can break it.  It's easy to manipulate little pills with a Dremel or other slim grinding tool.  Either way, all you have to do is barely touch the pill, and POP!  It's in 2 pieces. Sharpen the blade close to the handle to "slice paper" and show how sharp the knife is, but leave the tip duller where it could make contact with your "victim" as a safety precaution.

Balloons / Boards - with enough quickness and speed, a person can break a board suspended in mid air - thrown, hung by string, or held with one hand.  Boards are brittle and snap easily along the wood grain with very hard force, but they don't need much inertia behind the initial impact (as opposed to splitting wood the long way where you need some inertia to push THROUGH the wood.)  It's kind of like glass - once you make a tiny crack, it will split / shatter.  Balloons can support the board and flex enough to allow the board to split without popping.  

Piercing through a soda can (with one finger)  this one's easy to do at home too - you can probably mash through a soda can with your thumb with some trying.  If you strengthen your finger, you can do a single finger strike and poke a hole in a can.  Aluminum is not very hard, so it is unlikely to cut you on the way in - notice that they remove the can more carefully from their finger - THAT's when you can get cut.

Breaking through a door - very much like breaking through a cardboard box.  The doors they use are hollow, made with a thin veneer of wood glued onto a frame - go to any home improvement store and look at the doors - the cheap doors are what these demo guys use.  You could break one with a good elbow or kick pretty easily.

Now - just because something can be explained doesn't make it simple, easy, or unimpressive.  There is a lot of training and skill needed to perform these feats.  But they aren't magic.  They are physics / focus / strength / sometimes trickery that most people can do if they train hard.  Not some kind of superhuman force - just human intellect and strength with some showmanship.