“Chi” or “qi” (both are pronounced “chee”), unless you are speaking Japanese, in which case it is “ki”. The so called “intrinsic energy” might be better though of as the sum total of all the momentum in a body, or system of bodies.
If the teacher doesn’t like questions, then you might be in a cult. Questions are important, and should never be dismissed outright. If the teacher treats all questions with respect, then over time, the more questions a student asks, the more the teacher and student will learn. They will learn which questions are important, and . . . read more