<--- | ---> Qi (chi) is the life essence, or energy, that enlivens all things. The concept of qi is found throughout Chinese traditional arts, ranging from medicine and acupuncture to gong fu and feng shui. Qi is divided into two types: cosmic qi and human qi. Cosmic qi encompasses air, movement, gas, weather, and force, while human qi implies breath, manner, and energy. The two types of cannot be clearly separated; in fact human qi is strongly influenced by cosmic qi. The Chinese believe that everything that lives has qi. As one grows old the body degenerates due to the gradual lose of qi. That is why internal martial arts like Xingyiquan are not only effective fighting systems, but also very beneficial to ones health. The practitioner learns to cultivate and use ones qi for power, while at the same time strengthening the internal organs and heightening the mind and spirit, which leads to a long and healthy life. Qi flows through the human body along pathways called meridians. Acupuncture doctors free up blocked or stagnant qi by inserting needles along the meridians into specific areas of the body called pressure points. At higher levels of martial arts training, one learns how to strike these points, which can render an opponent unconscious or even kill. <--- | --->