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Chi is the natural energy field of every creature, something like a soul. Exercise is good for it, and in DBZ you can manipulate it to do odd things. Direct a force downward and boom, flight. Concentrate enough into a kata, you've got a kame-hame-ha. You can use it to move faster, project shields of energy, and aid in feats of strength.

All told, it's basically Pyrotechnic Tactile Telekinesis.

... Tactile Pyrokinesis. Yes. YES.

Superman manipulates gravitons and has a short range tactile telekinetic field. So far as we know, he has no chi-manipulation powers. All his powers are the result of his unique metabolism. The closest power he has to any of the DBZ energy attacks would be his heat-ray vision, which is (depending on the era) a modulated microwave/x-ray blast, or solar radiation focused and released.

By comparison, a kame-hame-ha is the focusing of chi in a kata that produces a powerful wave of energy. The focusing actually causes his power level to raise as he's performing the attack.

... don't even ask how Instant Transmission works, it was developed by mysterious aliens and we never saw how he learned it. It's genuine teleportation and genuinely instant, so we know it's not just a potent form of superspeed. Probably he forces his physical form into some kind of hyperspace and, in a non-temporal environment... no no, sounding ridiculous even to myself.

I always considered Saiya-jins like melee wizards, and Kryptonians like tanks.

Saiya-jins are designed to fire energy beams and attacks like mortars, projectiles. They're kinetic and vortex in nature. Meaning in comic physics, they're similar to Cyclops eye-punches. But they can range between punches and BURNINATION, depending on concentrations. Much the same way that explosions don't catch you on hot fire, but they blast waves.

And I've always figured that Saiyajins store a fraction of their potential in their bodies to reinforce them to keep them from exploding themselves. Since it's like a foot soldier throwing a nuclear grenade.. you need a soldier that can survive the shrapnal.

In my opinion, the Saiya-jin concept once it reaches a certain point is geared as a shooter. It displaces what would go to reinforce the body as resources into their ability to attack and move quickly.

Whereas a Kryptonian is built under the idea that they need to withstand everything, recover quickly and move fast.

They both have similar abilities. They're just distributed differently. Saiya-jins are big guns, Kryptonians are shields and fists. Thus Superman's higher priority to physical invulnerability, speed and melee make him on par with a Saiya-jin, even though he can't punch somebody from across the room with an energy wave