THE CHI

Chi is derived from African-Igbo origins. In Nigeria, Chi refers to a type of guardian angel. Chi is also a vital force that Taoist and other Chinese religions believe to be inherent in all things. The unrestrained circulation of Chi and a balance of its negative and positive forms in the body are believed to be essential to good health in traditional Chinese medicine.

The Nigerian Chi is mostly used as a reference to a higher spiritual body or Supreme Being so they have names like “Chidi Ebere” (God the merciful), “Chineke” (God the creator) but  in China, Chi means a vital force or “life force”. In Kunfu Panda 3, the Chi represented the life force of the kunfu masters.

Similarly, in some Nigeria books, Chi was related to life force. A perfect example can be found in Buchi Emecheta’s Joy of Motherhood where the bareness of Nnu was attributed to the chi of the slave girl that was forceful buried with her mistress. Chi is sometimes used as a name for lesser gods by some tribes in Nigeria and these lesser gods are a representation of the Supreme Being. They turn to their Chi for all kinds of help including medicinal purposes.

Tai chi literally means “Supreme Ultimate Boxing”, herein Chi is also used in this Chinese context as “supreme” and is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for both defense training and health benefits.

The discussion here is who the true originator of the “Chi” is or can we safely conclude that the Chinese and the Nigerians have something in common ancestrally???

A.C.O