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Live Hands, Ki/Chi, and Martial Arts Mysticism
Martial Arts Mysticism...
In times past the great eastern masters thought that an invisible energy known as Ki (Korean, Japanese,) or Chi/Qi (Chinese) flowed through the human body. Eastern medicine is based in large part on this idea. The holistic healing practices of acupuncture and acupressure are reflections of this idea. It was thought that opening the hand allowed this mystical energy to flow uninterrupted through the fingertips like a river and this gives it strength.
Ki/Chi Mysticism/Science in the East
Acupuncture.
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Ki/Chi Mysticism/Science in the West
In the west Kirlian photography is a method that uses a device that can establish energy health assessments and measure the energy of an organism. It is the energy that appears on Kirlian photography as well as the state of intercellula vibratory communication, a complete image of the energies that run through the human organism or a physical body.
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Martial artist throughout time have debated whether this energy is real or not. As your teacher I am here to say that ideas like Live Hands work and are taught because they work, so do them whether you believe in Ki or not.
Many martial arts embrace the idea of Ki or Chi and it can be seen in the names. For example HapKIdo
(The way of coordinated power). AiKIdo and Tai Chi are other examples.
Many martial arts embrace the idea of Ki or Chi and it can be seen in the names. For example HapKIdo
(The way of coordinated power). AiKIdo and Tai Chi are other examples.
Hapkido Live Hands
Live hands is exactly like the drawing above. You simply open your hands and splay your fingers out. In fact the flaming hand art at the top of Hapkido Online is a live hand.
How Live Hands Really Work.
In modern times and with a western viewpoint many have argued that live hands simply changes the geometry of the tendons, bones, and ligaments in the hand, wrist, and arm and this gives the hand greater strength.
A clenched fist allows the arm to collapses Easily
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The Tent Pole AnalogyThe physics of Live Hands are actually quite simple. When you straiten your
fingers it pulls the ligaments and tendons tight like the shock cord in a folding tent pole. When the shock cord is loose the tent pole collapses easily for storage. If you pull the cord tight Suddenly the pole becomes a strong cohesive structure that can be bent but not easily broken. Your arm works much like this, if you make a fist the ligaments in the arm become loose and the arm collapses rather easily, however when you use live hands and extend your fingers the ligaments pull taut and the arm becomes a much stronger cohesive structure. |
Live Hands result in a strong cohesive structure
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The un-bendable arm...
In many Ki arts the concept of Live Hands and Ki are demonstrated with the unbendable arm. Anybody can do this demonstration, it is not mystical, magical, or the mark of mastery. The unbendable arm DOES demonstrate how live hands work and how well they work.
As you can see the unbendable arm demonstration is particularly popular at Aikido Schools but you also might see it other Ki/Chi related arts such as Hapkido and Tai Chi.
The Bottom Line...
Their is nothing mystical or magical about what we teach in Hapkido. We are simply attempting to employ the human body in the strongest manner possible. Any able bodied person can do every single Hapkido technique with enough practice. When we bandy about terms like Ki or Live Hands we are trying to teach the student the correct way to move. No matter how fantastical any martial arts demonstration might seem, I assure you it does not defy the laws of physics. Martial arts do not defy physics but in fact utilize physics for combat advantage.