Its a knock-out!

It was at a braai the other night when someone asked if we knew one could knock a person flat without touching him.

Everybody knew that of course: The suggestions ranged from shooting him, spiking his drink with witblits and telling his wife he's been cheating on her was quickly offered. (None of these methods requires touching the subject)

Quite predictably he called us a few names and then went on to tell the story about the martial arts expert who could knock someone flat with just the force of his mind. Like a Bruce Lee / Uri Geller cross-bread.

Apparently the martial artist would gather some "Chi" (life energy or something), concentrate the energy, roll it into a ball and then "throw" it at the victim...which would then knock him flat on his back.

At that stage of the evening, the guys were all more than a little "relaxed" and the idea did not sound strange at all to any of them. In fact, more than one demonstrated how they think a "chi-throw" would work...which lead of course to some minor arguments about irresponsible use of dangerous skills and how it was rude to threaten a buddy with a chi shot in the mouth.

Eventually, we heard the whole story: A couple of TV journalists made a documentary about this martial artist who ran a school where he thought (and demonstrated) that mind power is more potent than physical power or weapons.

Of course journalists are not trusting souls and they did not take him on his word, so they devised an experiment:

The master would take stand behind a non-transparent sheet. The journalists would pick a random victim from his students and place the sacrificial lamb on the other side of the sheet. Three video cameras would tape the action: one from left behind the master, with the sheet and the victim in view, the other from the right and the third from behind the victim.

Both journalists would be eye witnesses. The experiment started:

The master took a while to wind up his "stuff" and signaled that he was ready. The trembling student reluctantly took his place. The master took several deep breaths, moving his hands in and out from his chest.

Then, in a sudden movement he raised his head and shoved his hands out. On the other side of the sheet the student flew backwards.

Wow!

The journalists were flabbergasted. Neither of them saw any cheating. No signaling. No nothing. They reviewed the the tapes - in slow motion - several times.

There was no cheating.

Closer inspection showed that the student started falling backwards a fraction of a second before the master did his outward thrust.

Spooky.

They repeated the experiment with another student. Same result.

Either the master was a relative of Darth Vader or they were missing something. No way they were going to believe something they could not see and explain.

The only way to find out for sure, the journalists reasoned, would be if either of them were the target. That way they would KNOW that no cheating was involved and they could experience the phenomena first hand.

At first the master refused to repeat the experiment and it took days to convince him to do it once more for world-wide fame.

They used the same location, the same non-transparent sheet, the same camera placement.

Both journalists were visibly nervous. One of them took position behind the sheet.

The master did his wind-up thing: Several deep breaths. Rhythmic and elliptical movements of his hands almost as if he is slowly gathering air and bringing it into his chest.

Then there was a pause of a few seconds where he stood absolutely still.

In a sudden movement he shoved his hands outward and lifted his head.

Then: Nothing.

Squat.

No falling over whatsoever. Not even a gentle sway. No-thing.

The journalists were happy. The guy behind the sheet was positively ecstatic. The master was more than a little peeved.

So, begs the question: did the martial arts guys cheat?

Not in any detectable way. The best explanation the journalist could come up with is that there were some kind of telepathic signaling (and sympathy) going on. To put it simply: it really worked because both the master and the student absolutely believed that it would.

That believe translated directly into real things: actions. The belief defied rationality.

This begs another question:

While we stand behind this non-transparent future, and the economy / politics / government is waiting on the other side...do we believe that we are going to be knocked flat?