What Is Qìgōng?
Qìgōng (氣功 sometimes spelled ch’i kung) is an ancient Chinese health practice. Although such practices are well documented over the last three millennia, the term Qìgōng itself is relatively recent, with no known attestations before the 1930s. An older way to refer to the training is Xíng Qì (行氣 promoting or circulating breath).
Language and Meaning
The word qì in Chinese has several layers of meaning. It primarily means ‘breath’ and is, by extension, used to denote metabolic energy produced in the body through respiration.
The word gōng means ‘work’ or ‘skill’ and is the same word as in the term Kung Fu (功夫 Gōngfu). Kung Fu is the result of training to master a specific skill acquired through hard work. Qìgōng can thus be understood as training to improve metabolic energy in the body through the practice of breathing techniques.
Practice and Connection to Tai Chi Chuan
Qìgōng is sometimes referred to as Chinese yoga. It involves the practice of specific postures, moving or still, intended to improve physical and mental conditioning over time.
This type of training is much older than the martial aspect of Tai Chi Chuan (also spelled Tàijíquán). The art of Qìgōng is studied by Tai Chi Chuan practitioners and is a primarily important aspect of Tai Chi. Each Qìgōng routine is designed to improve and enhance the body’s performance in a specific way, this then feeds back into improvement in other aspects of Tai Chi Chuan. Qìgōng is sometimes referred to as training of the ‘essences’ of Tai Chi Chuan.
Qìgōng is a powerful aid to meditation. Improving not just physical coordination, but its resulting calmness, relaxation, focus and concentration ability contribute directly to improvement in the martial aspect as well.
Wu Style Lineage and History
China is a large country with a long history, and many different styles of Qìgōng have developed. The Wu style’s Qìgōng routines are not imported from another discipline. The Wu family inherited their system directly from the Yang family in the 19th Century, and while for a long time it was kept secret from all but family members and highly advanced students, it has recently been taught more openly. This internal style-specific ‘Tàijígōng’ has its roots in Taoism, as does Tai Chi Chuan generally; the same school of thought that developed acupuncture, acupressure, Chinese herbal medicine and other traditional Chinese healing techniques.
The 24 Dynamics
In Wu style classes students are introduced to the Wu family’s 24 Qìgōng forms, referred to as the ‘24 Dynamics’. These forms include warm-ups, cool-downs, stretching, coordination skills, and require little space to perform. They form the core curriculum of the programs our Academy hosts through hospitals in rehabilitative care.
