3/5/09 [SMS]

Kung Fu, a/the Chinese martial art, possesses an emphasis on qi (simply, 'energy'). Living beings have qi, the dead have none. But then -some possibly shall wonder or have wondered- how does flesh impart qi to its devourer. That the animal being eaten may be dying rather than dead is beside the point. The life of every blood cell swallowed ends. Coagulation is, by the way, another end. The unchanged nutrients are what really matter. If any nutrients are harvested from blood cells, some or all of them shall contribute to creation of qi. Generally speaking, nutrients create qi. [Of course, the energy created through nuclear fissile processes can be equated with qi.] Living beings utilize qi, restrict/shape qi. Claws on paws are a result of these processes. Smelling for quelling attacks is another result. Life is full of examples. I am not asking humans to semi-emulate tigers. Increasing the strength of our fingers, thumbs, wrists, etc. and altering our nails into sharp, thick, strong claws. Such usages and restrictions of qi are obviously not what I mean by the word examples. But, yeah, life is full of examples. The formulation and refinement of martial arts is a slightly different set of examples. Martial arts are human. They are a showcase not of biological evolution, but of their own evolution. Humans have used them against other humans..for 3 purposes- attack, defense, counterattack. The 'self-defense' that we talk of usually involves counterattacks, I guess.