The basic question about which various Chinese philosophers (and not just them) have pondered about is whether CHI exists independently from matter, i.e. whether CHI (life energy) exists thanks to matter or if matter exists thanks to life energy. One group of philosophers believed in matter, however, others thought that all matter was an illusion. According to some Confucius's philosophical theories, most recent Chinese philosophers think that life energy, i.e. CHI is an extension of matter.
Even the ideogram for CHI is questionable for many and, so, it is interpreted in different ways. Among other things, a connection with other well- known learnings in the Chinese culture (e.g. Feng Shui) and its understanding of basic life elements (a term for different energetic transformations vital for creating life) is established. These are the five elements which are crucial for creating life- wood, fire, metal, water and soil. However, these elements are a connection to certain seasons of the year, as well as to a famous philosophical thesis - the principal of duality - yin and yang (male - female, light - dark, hot - cold etc.).
It is interesting that even in ancient Greece philosophers thought that the five elements were necessary to create life. However, the difference was that they included ether (air) instead of wood, and wind instead of metal. There is a possibility that both cultures were wrong. It is clear that the ideogram CHI shows how you must have wood in order to make fire, you must put a pot (metal) on that fire and there must be water inside the pot. The water will also contain rice (as a product of the soil) and above it, as a result of heat, i.e. cooking the rice, emits steam (ether). When all of this adds up, a simple answer to the number of basic life elements is revealed- there are six.
The knowledge about CHI - life energy has been used in Chinese traditional medicine since its very beginnings, and it is believed that this knowledge is connected to certain learnings from the Indian culture and medicine. According to them, ancient Chinese doctors believed that life energy, i.e. CHI moves through the human body by passing twelve basic channels - meridians. This is how, with the help of Indian medicine ajurveda and Tibetan medicine, one of the main medical methods of Chinese medicine was created - acupuncture (lat. Acus – needle, pungere – sting, poke). It is a therapeutic technique which uses a needle to poke into specific points on the patient's skin in order to establish a balance of vital (life) energy CHI which flows through the organism.
The term CHI (QI, KI, KHI) is closely connected to martial arts and is considered to be one of the main learnings needed to practice various styles of Eastern martial arts. In all Eastern martial arts, the existence of life (vital) energy CHI is not put into question. The knowledge and the usage of CHI life energy in practicing certain martial arts has one of the most important roles, especially in those martial arts that have a so - called „inner“ system of fighting (nei chia), for example, Tai chi chuan, QI gong or in Japan KI - aikido.