Qigong and Tai Chi are similar in many aspects, but they also have many differences.
Tai Chi is a type of martial arts, and some people call it “flexible martial arts”. The specific content of Tai Chi, in addition to the boxing routine, also includes basic skills, pushing hands, free-hand fighting and weapon routines. As a martial arts content, its main function is attack and defense.
The similarities between Tai Chi and Qigong are mainly:
First, with the development of society, Tai Chi, as one of the martial arts schools, has gradually reduced its combat role in social life, and has highlighted the fitness value and traditional art performance value of Tai Chi exercise. Tai Chi masters have the view in “The Song of Thirteen Postures” that “the purpose of detailed analysis is to prolong life and stay young forever”. Therefore, in terms of Tai Chi also having a fitness effect, it has similarities with Qigong.
Second, from the perspective of the origin of Tai Chi, it not only comprehensively absorbs the strengths of many martial arts, but also absorbs the essence of ancient health-preserving exercises such as Daoyin and Tuna, making some essentials and methods of Qigong training an important part of the basic skills of Tai Chi.
Third, from the perspective of the requirements of Qigong training, Tai Chi training also emphasizes the guidance of thoughts, requires a calm mind and a relaxed body, and also requires the adjustment of the body, breath, and mind. From this perspective, Tai Chi can also be listed as one of the Qigong exercises.
Fourth, theoretically speaking, they each use the ancient Chinese Yin-Yang theory as a guide, and use the Chinese medicine meridian theory to explain the phenomena that occur in their respective exercises.
Qigong and Tai Chi have many similarities, but due to their different ultimate goals of formation and development, they differ in many aspects:
First, from the perspective of formation and development, Tai Chi itself is a kind of boxing, and it has gradually developed in the continuous practice of fighting; while Qigong is mainly formed and developed in medical practice to achieve the needs of fitness and health preservation.
Second, from the perspective of exercise methods and essentials, Qigong mainly achieves the purpose of fitness by relaxing the body and mind to achieve a state of tranquility, and regulating the mind is its core content; Tai Chi starts with body movements, and through the process of “from relaxation to softness, accumulation of softness to hardness”, it develops a flexible, continuous, and penetrating twisting force.
Third, from their ultimate purpose and function, Tai Chi achieves the perfect combination of mind, qi, and force through continuous practice of “leading qi with mind, and attracting force with qi”, so that mind, qi, and force can be achieved in combat; the ultimate purpose of Qigong is medical effect, which is to strengthen the body and prolong life after practicing Qigong.
In short, Qigong and Tai Chi are similar but not exactly the same. Qigong has become an important part of Tai Chi’s basic practice, and some methods and essentials of Tai Chi have also become references for Qigong practitioners to create Tai Chi Qigong.