Ki has different meanings. Usually is defined as “spirit” , “intention”, “feeling” or “energy”. This vocable is used in many japanese words, as in “Tenki” (weather) , “Fuinki” (the athmosphere in the emotional or subtle sense, as the mood of someone) or “Genki” (healthy). There are similar words in other languajes, such as “Ch´i” (chinese) or “Prana” (Hindi).
Ki is a term widely used among martial art disciplines. Aiki-Do, for example, means: “The way to Union with Ki”.
Aikido: martial art created by Ueshiba Morihei, called “Founder” or “O´Sensei” (meaning something like “Grand Master”). He used to relate his abilities to his devotion to Kamisama or the world of Gods. He had strong influence upon his belief from Deguchi Onisaburo, a religious priest. From the blending between martial arts (as aiki-jujutsu, wich he learnt under Takeda Sokaku Sensei) and Omoto-Kyo, religious path of which Reverend Deguchi was the headmaster, he developed Aiki-Do. There is a story from O´Sensei where he explained the sudden inspiration which descended upon him. After that he understand that “martial arts are not weapons of destruction. They are ways to peace and self-perfection”.
One of Ueshiba´s students, Tohei Koichi, was interested also in the spiritual side of Aiki-Do. During World War II, where he served as a soldier, he discovered in the battlefield, during the hardests of moments the value of “Centralizing” or focusing at the Hara (Middlesection). He called that spot “Seika no Itten”, which means”a single spot in the lower abdomen”. So he had his realization. Afterwards he developed his own understanding of Aiki-Do, expressed though Shin shin To-Itsu Aiki-Do or “aikido with mind and body unified”. His own definition of Ki, as found among his many writings is: “Ki is the infinite gathering of infinitely small particles”
One interesting way of looking at it is Yoshigasaki Kenjiro´s explanation (one of Tohei Sensei´s former students) : ” Ki is something unclear that we can still perceive somehow”. This unclear perception, when focused at, makes us to broaden our perception limits. So Ki is linked to consciousness expansion. Yoshigasaki further developed Ki concept and opened his own school, Ki no KenkyuKai Internacionale.
This site is dedicated to Ki research. Basically, due to my backgrounds it will be mostly related to japanese and chinese meaning, although another definitions from other cultures are welcome.
