Greetings..
I have witnessed clear and convincing evidence that a person can effect physical change without direct touch.. not to the degree of throwing someone without physical leverage, but.. to the degree that i accept the potential to develop those energies toward such a notion.. to avoid the prejudice, positive or negative, regarding Qi, i simply refer to the things i have witnessed as energies..
A great misconception regarding Yi Qi is that it refers to "touchless" effects.. where my understanding is that it refers to "putting yourself where your mind is", like seeing the opening and rather than activating muscles to fill the opening, you simply "know" the opening is filled with a decisive application.. and, to the degree you believe it is, it is.. of course, there is much foundational training to insure you have the vehicle necessary complete that concept.. if i see an opening in traffic and attempt to move into it with a '63 VW running on 3 cylinders (an untrained body), the result will be similar to thinking i can effect a "touchless throw" without a lifetime of quite serious training and good fortune..
NLP is simply a politically correct reference to hypnosis, and yes, one can effect change in that manner.. but, in the street that is a luxury seldom afforded.. in the ring, you have time before a match to lay the foundations for such programming to be effective and the rules of a match favor such a notion much more so than a street encounter.. careful presentation of your image, an attitude of awareness and confidence, and a non-confrontational but fearless demeanor will likely neutralize most thoughts of conflict by potential aggressors.. and a good sense of humor can save face for both parties..
Be well..
TaiChiBob.. "the teacher that is not also a student is neither"