The Difference between Tai Chi and Qigong - Part 2

When thinking about how to train our bodies, we should remember that physical fitness and health are closely linked, but are not the same thing. We can be fast, strong and flexible, but can still have serious health problems. While physical fitness can help to improve our health, it isn’t a guaranteed route to fixing our health issues.

Through Qigong, we can find the same principle applied the other way round. The beginner exercises are very gentle and low impact. They do not require much strength or speed, but the impact on our health is noticeable after only a short period of training. Where sports and athletics push us to develop high level fitness, Qigong pushes us to develop high level health. As our health and Qigong develops, our physical fitness will develop with it, but this is not the main objective.

Taijiquan comes closer to a middle ground. The first aim of any good martial art is always health. Without health, we cannot defend ourselves. Taijiquan however also pushes us to develop our physical fitness more acutely than Qigong. With its long low stances, jumping kicks and Fa Jing (releasing energy), Taijiquan pushes you to train harder than Qigong. The relaxation and spiral movements of the forms help develop our health too, but this is paired with a more physically engaging set of movements, particularly in some higher level forms.

Qigong focuses primarily on health and ridding our body of illness. Taijiquan is martial art that requires fitness but also health. While the physical demands of either skill are always adjusted to the persons ability, Qigong is generally more Yin to Chen Taijiquan being more Yang.