"Hmm - I understand chi as the energy that powers that host of different mechanisms. Like the gas that runs your car, powering all it's different mechanisms - not to be confused with the mechanisms themselves"
It seems to me that would mean that chi powers the physical techniques too, the muscular strength, the timing, the speed and all that, which doesn't help me understand where the non-muscular strength comes from, or how to use it.
I *can* use it, sometimes at least, and I don't really need to know how it works, but I'm curious.