Qigong is the ancient Chinese art of energy cultivation. It is especially beneficial for boosting health, vitality, internal power, and mental clarity.
Tai Chi is a form of Chinese Kung Fu. It’s a martial art that emphasizes softness, internal energy development, and spiritual cultivation. It also happens to be good for the health.
Which one should you learn?
Or should you learn both?
In this video, I’ll give you 5 good reasons to learn qigong, and 5 good reasons to learn tai chi.
If you don’t yet know either art, then I recommend that you click here to get started for free.
Here’s the video:
In the video, I mentioned this article: The Difference Between Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Chai Tea
This article may also be helpful: The 15 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Qigong
If you have questions or comments, please post them here in the blog (scroll down), not on YouTube.
I don’t get notifications for YouTube questions, so I prefer to answer all of the questions here in the blog. Thanks! From the heart, Sifu Anthony
Thank you Sifu, this was a great video so much information and very helpful, as I have said before I did pursue Taiji a while ago and stopped, if you teach me Taiji then I would take it up again, for me it’s a teacher thing, and i’m sure you understand what I mean without going into detail, many thanks.
I understand, David. With your background in yoga, and your massive qigong enthusiasm, I think you would excel in tai chi. Hopefully, I’ll have something for you soon!
Excellent video Sifu!! You explained it very articulately which will in turn help me as I explain the similarities and differences to others. I too pursued Tai Chi for a while, but the instructor would absolutely NOT discuss the martial implications/relationships. This was extremely frustrating as I had previously done some mixed martial arts practice, and the visualization/relation would have been quite helpful. I think I’d enjoy revisiting Tai chi from a teacher with a mindset such as yours. Thanks again for such an excellent video.
Hi Kelly. I understand your frustration. I’ve always talked about the meaning behind the moves, even in beginner classes. So when I learned that teachers don’t do this, even after years of instruction, I was shocked.
Students really seem to appreciate having at least some idea what they’re doing with the moves. It helps to learn the form, and it also motivates you to go deeper into the art.
Recently, the call to learn Tai Chi has really taken my soul. I have been practicing and studying Qigong on my own, with the aid of some books by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, for several years now, but as a kinesthetic learner i really need to be in a classroom/hands-on setting in order for me to really progress. I would love to take some classes to progress my learning in medical Qigong and i would love to begin learning the art of martial Qigong.
Tai chi is a beautiful art, and I hope that you find a good teacher. I may consider teaching an online course on tai chi, but it would only cover fundamentals. Partner work is essential to go deeper.
Martial qigong, on the other hand, can be learned online.
Many thanks Sifu, as usual.
My Taijiquan teacher would not allow me to do push hands on account of the lower back damage I have. At the time I was not able to walk or sit and it took 5 years for the back to settle so I can walk . So I “stole” some aspects of combat from the others who were practicing push hands. This gave me more confidence in teaching Taijiquan , (for beginners of course.) and more understanding of the sequence and flow of the forms.
Qigong on the other hand not only healed me, but gave me the depth I was missing in Taijiquan… it’s like swimming in water versus practicing swimming moves on sand. It also strengthened my observation of the environment as well as my balance ( which started in Taijiquan but it became tenfold with qigong).
Question: are the warrior’stances Qigong or tai chi or a bridge between?
So glad that you found the healing you need with qigong!
To answer your question, variations of the warrior stances (zhan zhuang) are found everywhere — in Taijiquan, in qigong, and in other Chinese martial arts like Xingyiquan and Shaolinquan.
Very beautiful video Sifu! As you know I’ll love very much to study ALSO Tai chi, that I practiced years ago with a teacher who did not talk about the meaning behind the moves. But I also want to go deeper and deeper into QiGong, of which I fell in love, thanks to your teaching
Thank you for the kind words, Debora. You’ll have the chance to learn more qigong and also tai chi from me online. And then I hope to meet you in person one day!
Really enjoyed the video! I also look forward to learning both the fundamentals of Tai Chi and martial qigong with you, too.
Excellent video i agree with all your points. Could you do an article or video on bagua(and xing yi maybe) vs tai chi and qigong? Obviously tai chi, bagua and xing yi and classically linked together as a whole but its pretty rare to truly see what each is specifically best for and what one is best for certain scenarios.
Thank you and have a great day
Hi Austin. Although I studied Baguazhang briefly, and although I still practice some of the exercises, I’m not an expert.
What I might do is a video on internal martial arts in general. That’s more up my alley.
What other styles of Kung Fu would you recommend for health besides Tai Chi Sifu? I’ve heard good things about Wing Chun. And just moving at all is good. I’m curious about your opinion. Thanks.
I recommend that you choose a teacher, not a style. The teacher is far more important.
A bad tai chi teacher can literally be bad for your health. Karate is not known for its health benefits, but movement is medicine and a good Karate teacher can motivate you to move and stretch and even meditate.
And avoid schools where you will take punishment. This is the norm in some schools. Sparring is one thing, but you shouldn’t be taking heavy blows on a regular basis.
These teachings are very beautiful. But an intelligent person must understand that everything they achieve in this life will be lost at time of death, whether 70 years from now, today or tomorrow. I do not know if tai chi and quigong recognize that we are eternal spiritual energy inside this temporary vehicle, called a body; but if these disciplines are pursued with the desire to find out who and what we really are, then they are meaningful. Otherwise, like all things in material world, wealth, beauty, power, fame, knowledge……all will be swept away by force of nature. Tai chi and quigong cannot stop that. Therefore let us pursue these wonderful teachings while inquiring after the real meaning and purpose of life. We use nice vehicle. Take nice care of it. Goal is to reach destination. Tai chi, quigong is best care of material vehicle, this body. If we take good care, healthy body, healthy mind, it can help us to reach real destination.
This video came at a good time for me. I have studied qigong for the past 5 years and my health has improved dramatically. I have just added a class in tai chi taught by the local Kung Fu instructor. I love the challenge and definitely want to peruse both lifelong. I totally agree with you that learning qigong first was best. I was so sick I could never have learned tai chi. I am so grateful for the healing I have found in Qigong.
Thank you for making this delineation. It is helpful.
I know your post is a few years old now, but this video has been very useful to me today, May 2020. Thank you. Gemma in Ireland.
Glad it was helpful Gemma!
Thank you for your video Sifu Anthony! Without realizing it, I have incorporated some aspects of Qigong in my practice with energy medicine.
I am just beginning to learn more about Qigong and Tai Chi, and would love a good instructor for Martial Qigong and/or Martial Tai Chi. How can I go about finding one near me?
Hey Josef. Glad the video was helpful! If you want to learn more about qigong, including martial qigong, then my Qigong 101 program is honestly perfect. It only opens once year, so your timing is perfect. Use the link below to get some freebies and also get on the email list. And then keep and eye out for my Self-Healing Workshop in early January. You don’t want to miss that, and it’s free.
https://academy.flowingzen.com/learn-the-best-qigong-exercise-ever
Thank you!