What is ki?

[smiley]

So Toriyama says that ki is composed of various sub-components such as shouki, yuuki, etc.

So, concerning this, I have a lot of questions. When people think of "shouki" and "yuuki", do you see these as forms of energy? Or do you think these literally refer to courage and sanity/character? The same terms that are used in real life? If so, do you literally think being brave or not deviating from one's true character will make you more powerful? I personally find difficult to visualize a character gaining courage and someone commenting "Look! His ki is rising! He's getting stronger". You could say that they've gotten stronger, I suppose, just as you could do in real life, because although their actual strength will remain the same, they will be capable of utilizing it far more efficiently than they would if they were cowardly and lacked confidence in their actions. But they didn't literally get more powerful.

Which brings me to another question. What is ki? Genki is described as energy, which is what most people think of when they visualize ki, and these other sub-components of ki apparently have nothing to do with energy. And yet, supposedly, ki is what you get when you add all these up. So what is this 'ki' you get when you combine its various sub-components? Is it also energy? So, then, the degree one's courage or sanity actually determine the quantity of energy one possesses? Ki means "spirit" (I think), so, perhaps, it's actually a character's soul? Or maybe something more metaphorical/symbolical?

It's perhaps worth to consider the following.

Note 11: Genki and yuuki, shouki
The word “energy” [genki; also “health”, “vigor”, etc] is well known, but if you had an illness [byouki], would you not have energy? That’s difficult to answer. There are some people who have a healthy body but no energy, but there are also some people who are full of energy even when ill. What’s more, even with people who have about the same amount of power, there are some who, when attacked by Piccolo Daimao for instance, will stand firm and tough it out, while others will run away trembling in fear. If you think this way, you might understand how different kinds of “ki” are very important in battle. In the world of Chinese kenpo disciplines such as Tai Chi, much importance is placed on the training and control of ki.

Notice how Toriyama refers to two characters with different degrees of courage (yuuki) as having "the same amount of power". And also, given the context, the previous discussion of "genki", it seems that this "amount of power" actually refers to the quantity of genki. But in any case, he definitely treats two characters with different degrees of yuuki as being equally powerful. Or did the character who ran away suddenly become less powerful because of his drop in yuuki? I doubt it.

So, what do you think?

[Ketchup_Revenge]

I've always understood ki to be a combination of physical and spiritual energy, but given the evidence supplied by the logic of Dragon Ball, the true concept of ki rarely seems to be portrayed. In the series, the physical side of it seems to be much more pronounced than the spiritual one.

I'm not sure how to put it into words, but it seems like ki is an individual force in itself. It's neither physical, or spiritual, but can be thought of as both simultaneously, or even neither.

[Bussani]

When people think of "shouki" and "yuuki", do you see these as forms of energy? Or do you think these literally refer to courage and sanity/character?

Sort of both? But it depends on how you look at it.

Genki is described as energy, which is what most people think of when they visualize ki

Ah, but genki isn't "energy" as in...electricity, or fuel, or what have you. It's more like energy as in...being in high spirits. Like the other components, it's more of a feeling than something tangible.

I have to zoom off to work, so I'll get into this more deeply later on!

Edit:

If so, do you literally think being brave or not deviating from one's true character will make you more powerful? I personally find difficult to visualize a character gaining courage and someone commenting "Look! His ki is rising! He's getting stronger".

That's generally how ki works in fiction, so I don't have much trouble visualizing it happening. I'm not sure how much of a difference it can make, of course (because I don't think the three examples Toriyama gives are the only contributors to your ki, so a fluctuation in one might not mean a lot in the long run), but yes, if someone's lost their courage and drive and confidence, I think it's natural for their ki to waver. I feel like the term "fighting spirit" describes ki really well in just two simple words.

That said, I think it can be looked at in two ways: these elements (courage, etc) directly accounting for a portion of the power, or these elements merely influencing the power. Maybe the actual amount of power could stay the same, but how it presents itself and how potently it can be used fluctuates? Let's use Videl as an example: she didn't even know what ki was, and probably couldn't control its size the way the heroes do (much like most of Freeza's men), yet despite this, Gohan couldn't detect her ki until she began fighting. Maybe her amount of aura didn't change in a literal sense, but how perceivable and potent it was did? I've come to like using sound as an analogy for ki, and the thing about sound is that it's a bit subjective; you can have a sound that's completely quiet to your ears, yet actually really powerful (i.e. a high amplitude). A simple example of this would be a dog whistle.

[smiley]

Ah, but genki isn't "energy" as in...electricity, or fuel, or what have you. It's more like energy as in...being in high spirits. Like the other components, it's more of a feeling than something tangible.

Yeah, I am starting to lean towards this interpretation. I'm getting the impression that the word genki is never used interchangeably with ki except with reference to the Genki Dama?

However, I'm not entirely certain. The fact genki is translated as "liveliness" and "spirit" makes me think it could plausibly refer to something like spiritual energy, although I'm aware it's not used like that in everyday Japanese. On the other hand, I find it hard to believe "courage" and "character" could be perceived as forms of energy. But I could be wrong. It's entirely possible that genki is, like you said, just an emotional state.

So, do you think shouki and yuuki could be turned into an energy blast like the Genki Dama?

[Ketchup_Revenge]

One thing that never made any sense to him is that if genki and ki aren't the same thing, then why was everyone sending their ki to Goku when he was making the Genki Dama against Boo? Unless the phrase is used interchangeably, or Viz's translation is wrong.

[smiley]

Genki, yuuki and shouki are, apparently, both types of ki, as well as sub-components of it. Not sure if that makes sense.

[Ketchup_Revenge]

Genki, yuuki and shouki are, apparently, both types of ki, as well as sub-components of it. Not sure if that makes sense.

It does make sense, but I believe my real question now would be what makes Genki different than ki itself? Toriyama stated that they were different, but he never really explained what that difference was.

[Bussani]

So, do you think shouki and yuuki could be turned into an energy blast like the Genki Dama?

If Ranma ½ is to believed, definitely. That manga has ki blasts made out of raw depression and confidence.

Seriously, in Dragon Ball, I don't really know. I wouldn't be overly surprised if they could be, but that said, I'm not sure they'd be big enough sources to draw upon by themselves to do anything meaningful.

One thing that never made any sense to him is that if genki and ki aren't the same thing, then why was everyone sending their ki to Goku when he was making the Genki Dama against Boo? Unless the phrase is used interchangeably, or Viz's translation is wrong.

It does make sense, but I believe my real question now would be what makes Genki different than ki itself? Toriyama stated that they were different, but he never really explained what that difference was.

It's sometimes referred to as ki, but Goku also asks them specifically to send him their genki. What Toriyama said is that ki is made up of "such spiritual forces" as genki, shouki, yuuki, etc, so if we combine that comment with how genki is sometimes just referred to as ki, I come to the conclusion that genki is a type of ki and a contributing factor to the total ki you have. That is, genki is a ki, yuuki is a ki, shouki is a ki, and if you put them all together, you have a whole bunch of ki.