What is "ki"?

I'm going to devote several posts to defining some essential terms, as I currently understand them. Current understandings are open to change from experience, training and learning. I aim to share future changes when they happen.

The obvious place to begin is "ki", a Japanese word. Non-Japanese people who know of it at all are usually aware that it is regarded notoriously hard to define clearly, or to translate into English. This is true to some extent even for Japanese people: they do know what it means as it is a common and pervasive word in Japanese and in a vast variety of phrases and idioms... but it is still apparently hard to give a succinct definition to it. There is a fine essay on the topic, forming part of the excellent book Nihongo: A Japanese Approach to Japanese by Makoto Sugawara.

Despite all this supposed difficulty, however, I actually find it easy enough to translate, as "energy", provided we include that word's figurative and metaphoric usages as well as strict scientific definitions: the English word "energy" and the Japanese word "ki" both really share a similar range of meaning from physical power to certain nebulous feelings to emotional states. So, it's not really that ki is hard to define or understand; it's much more that it is a broad concept that can be used in different contexts, with different but ultimately-connected specific contextual meanings. Morihei Ueshiba is said to have sometimes defined ki with the Sanskrit word "prana", which literally means "breath" or derivatively life-energy. (A connection between breath, spirit and energy is inherent in many different languages and religions, including Old English and its Germanic and Indo-European ancestors; Japanese; the Semitic languages and others, so it shouldn't be unfamiliar to most people.)

In the context of this blog, several of the possible meanings are important. Physical energy is significant, both kinetic and potential. This is true for any martial art. There is also mental energy, which includes attitude, firmness of will, intention, etc. And to those who believe in such things, there is spiritual energy. Depending on one's philosophy or theology, however, there may or may not be clear lines between these different kinds of ki/energy.

Practically speaking, if ki or energy is mentioned, do not waste effort trying to make some overaching definition for it, just understand it in the context. There may well be connections to other meanings, but start first of all with the obvious one that fits the context, and then you may pursue possible deeper meanings. For example, in the martial arts contexts, we may speak of harnessing and using an attacker's own ki to deflect the attack, and perhaps neutralize the attacker. The most obvious meaning is the physical energy of his or her motion and strength. Mental energy also comes into play since there is no attack without the intention to attack and the will to attempt it.

Again, I find "energy" to be sufficient, though very broad, translation and definition of "ki". I don't recommend trying to find any more specific definition, except in specific contexts. Practical training is essential to increasing understanding, in any case. Investigate for yourself... if you can get or borrow the book I mentioned near the top, it is well worth reading if you are interested in the Japanese language. Look at a kanji dictionary, and look up this "ki" 気 , observing the many different phrases and compound words that can be built with it, each reflecting an aspect of its meaning.

Our next step will be to explore, in a future post, "aiki" (合気). In brief, it means "to harmonize ki", but we'll at that in more depth next time.