Over-analyzing Ki

[DaemonCorps]

I figured since the questions are more for open discussion than straight up answers, I'd put this in the General Discussion.

So we know that ki/energy blasts are a major characteristic of the DB series, but do we really know that much about them? Unlike more recent shonen out there, there really isn't that big of an explanation given as to how one would tap into using one's ki. Sure Gohan gives some sort of explanation to Videl, but even that's not exactly the most in-depth of explanations. What I especially found interesting about the scene was that the manga version never actually shows Gohan ki ball.

Anyway, here are some things I've been wondering about ki blasts in general:
- Some characters wear gloves and yet it doesn't seem to affect their blasts at all. What's up with that?
- Goku's been shown to be able to shoot off a kamehameha from his feet. Does this mean that anyone could shoot a ki blast from anywhere if they really needed to? And if that's the case, wouldn't that make "special moves" like eye beams and mouth blasts well... not really that special at all?
- On the topic of mouth blasts, the hell do those work? With exception to Gotenks, only villains (and I guess ex villains in Piccolo's case) have been shown to pull them off. Unlike regular hand ki blasts, these seem to actually be coming from inside the user's mouth as opposed to being formed in front of the mouth then being released (kinda like with kyuubi Naruto's mouth blasts).

So yeah, there's some stuff to chew on. In and out of universe explanations are welcome .

[ImmortalSandwich]

While there's very little actual explanation for any of this in DB itself, I just assume that you can fire a ki blast wherever you concentrate the energy to, hands, mouth, eyes, feet, etc, though the most practical way may be the hands, because it's much easier to aim where the blast goes. My guess anyway.

As for the gloves, I would assume the blast would be emanating outwards from the hand, maybe an inch or so off the hand, and since the blast isn't touching the gloves themselves, it doesn't damage them?

[Kendamu]

Toriyama stated in a Shonen Jump interview that he used real cultural examples of Ki (specifically mentioning the Chinese and Chi) for coming up with the basic model for Ki in Dragonball. From there he made it visible to make it cooler looking & easier to understand. Attack poses were based on what looked the coolest.

[Herms]

-- On the topic of mouth blasts, the hell do those work? With exception to Gotenks, only villains (and I guess ex villains in Piccolo's case) have been shown to pull them off.

Oozaru Gohan shout blasts from his mouth too. In fact, giant characters in general seem to use mouth blasts rather than hand blasts. I think Golden Oozaru Baby was the only giant character to shoot blasts from his hands, though maybe Oozaru Vegeta did one too.

[ShinRogafuken]

Well, to be honest, take Tai Chi lessons like I do and you'll understand ki completely.

And yes, Chi=Ki.

[Herms]

Well, to be honest, take Tai Chi lessons like I do and you'll understand ki completely.

DragonBall's ki is quite different than that, though. Unless people who take Tai Chi lessons learn to fly and shoot explosive blasts from their hands. In which case I really should have signed up for that instead of bicycling.

[Bussani]

Some characters wear gloves and yet it doesn't seem to affect their blasts at all. What's up with that?

If ki can come through your skin, I don't see why a glove would stop it. But other than that, the ki might not be coming directly through your arm. Toriyama said he made ki look visible because it's cool, but it isn't always visible, as kiai shouts and Kikoho show. It's possible a ki blast from the hands his actually forming from the ki released from all over your body, I guess.

But yeah, clothing definitely doesn't stop it.

Goku's been shown to be able to shoot off a kamehameha from his feet. Does this mean that anyone could shoot a ki blast from anywhere if they really needed to? And if that's the case, wouldn't that make "special moves" like eye beams and mouth blasts well... not really that special at all?

On the topic of mouth blasts, the hell do those work? With exception to Gotenks, only villains (and I guess ex villains in Piccolo's case) have been shown to pull them off. Unlike regular hand ki blasts, these seem to actually be coming from inside the user's mouth as opposed to being formed in front of the mouth then being released (kinda like with kyuubi Naruto's mouth blasts).

Pretty much. Like ImmortalSandwich said, anywhere you can focus ki. Unlike some other shounen, Dragon Ball never explains just how ki flows through your body -- that is, the meridians or ki pathways that it flows down. Pretty much anywhere it flows/gathers would be a good place to gather ki. Eyes and mouth are just as good as anywhere else I guess.

Technically all ki attacks are 'special moves'. Firing a blast from the mouth or eyes has the advantage of being unexpected though.

Edit:

Well, to be honest, take Tai Chi lessons like I do and you'll understand ki completely.

And yes, Chi=Ki.

Someone told me once that there is a difference. Like chi = energy, something else = spirit, etc. While ki is all of them combined. And then Toriyama goes and says that ki is made up of different types of energy/emotion as well!

There are some interesting notes on ki in the new Super Exciting Guide thingy which Herms and Hujio were kind of enough to translate for us.

[ShinRogafuken]

Well, to be honest, take Tai Chi lessons like I do and you'll understand ki completely.

DragonBall's ki is quite different than that, though. Unless people who take Tai Chi lessons learn to fly and shoot explosive blasts from their hands. In which case I really should have signed up for that instead of bicycling.

Well, to be honest, they do teach you to shoot Chi Blasts from your hands. (By the way, chi is basically thermal energy.)

However, this Chi is used for healing people, so the blasts are supposed to heal illnesses, etc. However it can be used for fighting/hurting also. The only thing is is that the energy is invisible, there's no color (but trust me, you can FEEL it).

I actually highly recommend Tai Chi classes to Dragon Ball Z fans because...well you'll understand the show more.

[Bussani]

chi is basically thermal energy.

That's the first time I've heard it put that way.

but trust me, you can FEEL it

Yeah, I feel thermal energy all the time.

[ShinRogafuken]

Yes, actually, it is pretty interesting that there is SCIENCE and RELIGION behind Dragon Ball Z. The science is the chi/ki/thermal energy and its usage, and the religion is that chi is a huge essence of the Buddhist beliefs.

Seriously guys, take Tai Chi classes! They're great

[ImmortalSandwich]

Thanks for telling me that, ShinRogafuken! I'm gonna take Tai Chi lessons so I can learn to use my Ki, just like Goku does!

[ShinRogafuken]

Thanks for telling me that, ShinRogafuken! I'm gonna take Tai Chi lessons so I can learn to use my Ki, just like Goku does!

Was that supposed to be sarcastic

Well anyways, taking Tai Chi lessons will never get you on Goku's level, or anywhere near, but basically it will teach you how to use Ki/Chi (for small purposes) and might make the fighting and Ki usage in DBZ make more sense.

[Dayspring]

Well, to be honest, take Tai Chi lessons like I do and you'll understand ki completely.

DragonBall's ki is quite different than that, though. Unless people who take Tai Chi lessons learn to fly and shoot explosive blasts from their hands. In which case I really should have signed up for that instead of bicycling.

Well, to be honest, they do teach you to shoot Chi Blasts from your hands. (By the way, chi is basically thermal energy.)

However, this Chi is used for healing people, so the blasts are supposed to heal illnesses, etc. However it can be used for fighting/hurting also. The only thing is is that the energy is invisible, there's no color (but trust me, you can FEEL it).

I actually highly recommend Tai Chi classes to Dragon Ball Z fans because...well you'll understand the show more.

It sounds like:

Science's POV: Chi = thermal energy

Religion/mantra's POV: Chi = Ki = Spiritually important energy

Dragonball's POV: Ki = genki + youki + shouki, where genki = Chi



To answer the questions at hand, I think Oozaru use mouth blasts instead of ki blasts from the hands because a mouth blast is a typical kaiju ability, meaning it comes as naturally to them as running does to us. If a ki blast is made from concetrating your energy, you're using shouki and genki to make a ki blast. Whereas if a mouth blast is a natural ability of an Oozaru, it would only be using genki to make a ki blast.

As for eye-blasts and gloves, I think you have the ability to expell ki anywhere from your aura, while your aura runs all along your body like a force field of energy. As mentioned earlier, ki blasts from the hands are probably just the easiest to manipulate and aim. Meanwhile, by shifting your aura to guard your clothes, you avoid them getting destroyed by your opponent's and your own ki blasts.

[Kaboom]

However, this Chi is used for healing people, so the blasts are supposed to heal illnesses, etc.

You mean Evolution got it RIGHT?!

[Bussani]

Honestly, I think calling chi thermal energy is oversimplifying it. Or trying (poorly) to make it seem more scientific.

Edit:

However, this Chi is used for healing people, so the blasts are supposed to heal illnesses, etc.

You mean Evolution got it RIGHT?!

Well yeah. There are a lot of new age healers who supposedly use their ki/qi/chi to heal people. I don't know why you'd do it in the form of a kamehameha though...

[Kaboom]

Well yeah. There are a lot of new age healers who supposedly use their ki/qi/chi to heal people. I don't know why you'd do it in the form of a kamehameha though...

Well, the Kamehameha is essentially nothing more than charging and unleashing practically ALL your ki/chi in a single blast. Guess if it were a healing technique, it'd be a last-ditch, all-or-nothing type measure. Like the chi equivalent of a defibrillator.

[ShinRogafuken]

Well yeah. There are a lot of new age healers who supposedly use their ki/qi/chi to heal people. I don't know why you'd do it in the form of a kamehameha though...

Well, the Kamehameha is essentially nothing more than charging and unleashing practically ALL your ki/chi in a single blast. Guess if it were a healing technique, it'd be a last-ditch, all-or-nothing type measure. Like the chi equivalent of a defibrillator.

Well, remember, there is hurting and healing chi/ki/qi.

[Herms]

Dragonball's POV: Ki = genki + youki + shouki, where genki = Chi

Toriyama said that ki in DB also included emotional things like courage (yuuki), sobriety (shouki), and vigor (genki), not that those three things comprise the entirity of DB ki.

[Kendamu]

Thanks for telling me that, ShinRogafuken! I'm gonna take Tai Chi lessons so I can learn to use my Ki, just like Goku does!

Well anyways, taking Tai Chi lessons will never get you on Goku's level, or anywhere near, but basically it will teach you how to use Ki...

True. Then again, you can learn how to use Ki in a Karate class. They don't Kiai & break stuff with their hands & feet for nothing.

[Dayspring]

Honestly, I think calling chi thermal energy is oversimplifying it. Or trying (poorly) to make it seem more scientific.

In all fairness, "the energy inside you that makes you feel hot" only really implies either thermal energy or arousal.

Although, arousal can lead to both healing and destructive effects.

However, this Chi is used for healing people, so the blasts are supposed to heal illnesses, etc.

You mean Evolution got it RIGHT?!

Well yeah. There are a lot of new age healers who supposedly use their ki/qi/chi to heal people. I don't know why you'd do it in the form of a kamehameha though...

To blast the virus out of someone's body, of course!

@Herms: oh, poop. I misunderstood what yuuki meant. Thanks for the clear up.