For a real superhero: The 72 Shaolin martial arts
for example: gold bell shield, iron shirt, iron palm, Tree-Hugging Skill etc.

the chinese martial arts the best IF you don`t hold back (like eagle claw kung fu.. testicle rip off, eye attack etc.), the kung fu made to destroy the enemy like the other old martial arts.
If you want to capture the enemy, then the modern martial arts

TREE-HUGGING!!???

OH!!!
I'm IN!


(seriously, yes, Chinese martial arts are great)

Flora
tree hugging: "During training, the practitioner attempts to uproot a tree several times a day. Mastery of the skill is achieved when he succeeds in uprooting the tree"

Southern White Gibbon Praying Mantis is among those. I actually have those books on file.

I say Wing Chun. it's simple.... yet effective. triangular stance and motion fuse together to make an effective strike.

another wonderful Shaolin admonishment..... "In combat, the only time to jump is when surrounded by enemies....... then you jump over and out of your surrounding opposition."

Jar lifting and staff grasping are good to increase finger strength for styles like Eagle and Tiger or Praying Mantis........

I learned how not to hit people by learning to not hit them..... I mean. through practice and repetition I learned restraint and focus. I honestly never had a name for it until Eon said "no-punch"...... that fits perfectly. the art teaches discipline and self control, the artist messes the canvas up through impatience or arrogance. arts like Tai Chi (internal) have actually been linked to higher intelligence amongst it's practitioners than average.

Chi/Ki has been Christened "Bio-Magnetism" and is, according to what I read recently, said to have the potential to aid in healing yourself and others as well as enhancing the art itself.

there was also something about proper training of mind and body and it's effects on muscle and bone density while "in the zone" somewhere.

MOST IMPORTANTLY;
the Shaolin MONKS are men of peace that have risen up to defend their countrymen on more than one occasion (and subsequently suffered near annihilation more than once at the hands of those same countrymen) and are capable of some amazing feats that could draw the hell out of a crowd at a charity fundraiser......

just saying

My own background is in jujutsu, ninjutsu, karate, and boxing. Whatever you do, I highly recommend boxing in at least an ancillary capacity (so you learn to take a hit), as well as gaining some familiarity with an array of weapons--perhaps with some specialization. Guns are scary, but it's best to know what your odds really are against an armed assailant (Spoiler Alert: slim to none). Training in a variety of environments is important, too. The real trick will be to become a proficient fighter without sacrificing your humanity. But perhaps that is a topic more suitable for a different thread...

-A
___________

The quest for justice is eternal

Good topic.
Perhaps someone will start it up

How much chi is between Earth and it's Moon?

Is the flow of chi different in different parts of the Solar System?

Hello all.

I would like to recommend a few things. I work in the martial arts field. I also have trained qigong for 10 years.

REALITY
I suggest that everyone involved in violent encounters read this book:
Meditations on Violence

You can probably get it or request it at your local library. It has rocked the martial arts world, by pointing out the reality of street violence vs martial arts training in school. It also mentions the right and wrong ways to handle yourself for legal purposes. The writer dealt with daily violence as a prison guard.

STYLE
As far as what style to train, its really much more about the individual than the style. Any martial art can be used for self-defense if trained properly. I love traditional arts, but I agree that mixed martial arts are an evolution of the traditional arts, as long as they are well-rounded to include: punching, kicking, wrestling and ground fighting, and some form of grappling/chin na. You need to train all of these.

I think traditional sword fundamentals would be good to train, as it allows you to use a short weapon (stun baton/cattle prod) and keep an opponent at a distance. Chinese sword is cool, as you learn to bring your awareness out to the tip of the sword. You use sticking and neutralizing to maintain distance and put down an opponent before they can reach you.

Unless they have a gun. That's a whole nother story.

ENERGY
The Chinese word Qi means "energy". It pertains to any form of energy, including the energy in your body. By meditating and training qigong, you learn how to feel your body's energy and increase it beyond normal. It is a complex topic and many books are too vague. I recommend searching for "martial arts qigong", as opposed to basic qigong.

To simplify the topic: your body is comprised of about 1 trillion cells. Each cell has energy, which modern medical science calls "ATP". Whatever you call it, Qi, Ki, Prana, etc this energy comes from the food you eat, and the air you breathe. Hormones play an important role in metabolizing energy in the body. So if you're serious about increasing your Qi, you have to learn about conserving hormones, and increasing the metabolic process.

A side effect of training qigong or meditation is that you become more relaxed, and emotionally neutral, which can help you to remain calm during an emergency. When you are calm, you can feel more sensitive and aware, which is also beneficial.

Please be safe.

Yours in the light,
VOID

Hello, Void.


ATP is the fuel not the heat generated by the fuel

Thanks Void. I recommended that book a few months ago. Glad to have someone else do it. Flora is is mostly right. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is an energy transfer molecule. It is produced during cellular respiration.

Chi, in general terms, is energy.

However, Ata is right. There has been a lot of research recently regarding the control that meditation and "chi manipulation" has on the EM fields around the meditators in questions...

Field theory, quantum theory, etc, is starting to tell us that our ancestors weren't completely barmy in regards to some aspects of their mysticism.

that's all I'm saying...... you can argue with me all day long. somebody with a PHD said it first.

it's just way more complicated and simpler than that.