Malta Chen Taijiquan Association

by Sifu Waller, North East Kung Fu


What is qigong?

Qigong is an umbrella term applied to any exercise that cultivates the flow of energy around the body.

Other spellings commonly used - qi gong or chi kung.
It is pronounced 'chee gung'.

Qigong is usually translated as 'breath work' or 'energy work'.

Qi?

The topic of 'qi' is a little controversial.

Although many exponents can demonstrate the effectiveness of qigong exercises, there is little scientific evidence to explain exactly what happens to the body when exercised in this way.

The lack of empirical research does not disprove anything. It simply means than our understanding of the phenomenon is limited.

Our school perceives qi as being the energy that fuels your body.


Health

People usually train qigong in order to improve their health.

A committed regime of ongoing qigong training usually transforms your health.
Your body becomes stronger, more mobile, balanced, flexible and supple.
Stamina and awareness improve significantly.

Energy levels are boosted.


Immune system

Your immune system grows stronger.
The common viruses, colds, flus and diseases that are making the rounds often have little effect upon you.
Instead of a week in bed you have a sore throat and a runny nose for a couple of days.

Students who train qigong every day seldom experience any of the 'bugs' that are affecting everyone around them.
Their bodies are stronger and more resilient.


Everyone is different

The effects of qigong differ from person to person.

It depends what you eat, how often you exercise, how well you perform the qigong.
If your health is bad to start with, you have a lot further to go than somebody who is already fairly healthy.

Persevere.


Different kinds of qigong

Broadly speaking, qigong can be seen as being:

Standing

Moving

Soft

Hard

There are other potential ways of considering qigong but these categories provide an overview.


Standing

The most common form of qigong is standing.
This is often referred to as 'standing post', 'standing like a tree' or 'zhan zhuang'.

Standing qigong simply involves adopting a specific posture and holding it for an extended duration.
A person usually holds for at least 15 minutes.
Some practitioners may hold for 40 minutes or longer.

There are many variations of hand and foot positions and a wide variety of stances.
The different postures are believed to affect different energy meridians within the body.
Each posture exercises different muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments.


Moving

Moving qigong exercises are straightforward movements designed to mobilise the joints and build strength.

These exercises can be exceptionally mild. Other exercises can be significantly demanding.
It is common to start gently and work towards the more powerful exercises.

A common example of moving qigong is 'ba duan jin'. This is widely practiced throughout the world.

Tai chi could be seen as a form of moving qigong.
However, tai chi is far more than just qigong. It is a martial art and it contains neigong.


How

Moving qigong utilises the body in a very different way to how we normally use the body. The larger muscles of the torso and legs do most of the work.

This way of moving was designed to amplify the effect of your actions whilst reducing the effort involved.
The network of connected body parts creates a relaxed framework of strength.


Soft

All qigong are soft in nature.
However, in this context, the word 'soft' means easy or gentle.

Gentle forms of qigong are important when a person is unaccustomed to exercise or is recovering from an operation/accident/illness.

Forcing must be avoided at all costs.
Do not seek to rush your progress or push for a result.
Be patient. Be gentle.


Hard

Hard qigong is all about strength-building.

If you are wanting to seriously improve your health, look for qigong that possess a neigong component.
Adding neigong qualities will strengthen the effect of the qigong.

These forms of qigong exercise are physically challenging and will prepare your body for vigorous self defence work.
Most of the qigong practiced in our school could be classed as being 'hard'.


Western

In the Western world we have no conception of how hard Chinese and Japanese people traditionally train.
We are soft and lazy.

Our culture is idle and pampered. We want everything doing for us.

In the martial arts, the hardship and the work is the whole point of the training.
You are not working towards a goal. You are simply working.


Mind

Qigong requires the practitioner to become 'one-pointed'.
You must remain in the present moment and pay attention to what is happening right now.

For many new starters this is extremely difficult.
It runs contrary to our TV culture, with videogames, mobile phones, the web, caffeine, sugar and power drinks.
Slowing your thoughts and being in the here and now may feel like torture.

If you struggle with a basic qigong exercise, then you are probably a bit messed up.
Qigong brings you back to a more natural condition of presence.
But it does take time.


Breath

As you become more skilled at qigong, the role of the breath becomes increasingly important.
There are a number of different breathing methods employed in qigong:

Abdominal

Reverse

Pre-natal

Turtle/tortoise

Some approaches do not advocate any specific pattern/method/way of breathing.


Yoga?

Qigong exercises are unlike yoga.

There is sometimes an element of stretching and/or holding with certain types of qigong.
However, the general approach of qigong is much gentler than yoga.

Yoga may favour awkward balancing positions or strenuous positions.
These are rare in qigong.

'Hatha' means willpower. It has a connotation of 'forcing' which is not taoist.
Qigong and tai chi encourage 'allowing', not forcing.


Care

Health and safety must come first.
If you feel ill or cannot continue, it is important to stop.

Do not stop simply because you lack motivation.
Laziness will not lead to an improvement in health.


Access to all

Typically, qigong can be performed by anyone.

You start off doing a small duration and build-up your endurance slowly and gradually.