Martial Arts Qigong is different from spiritual and medical practice since it begins with the purpose of augmenting a person’s Martial Arts practice or solving common problems in the Martial Arts such as healing training injuries, becoming stronger or more flexible etc..
Martial Arts Qigong exists in three broad categories:
内功 Neigong/Inner Skill:
Neigong is not really a type of Qigong but it is a popular practice derived from Daoyin used to limber up the body so it becomes more flexible.
All styles of Martial Art have Neigong with many using variations on the 易筋经 Yi Jin Jing/Tendon Changing Classic, a Daoist Daoyin method created by 紫凝道人 Zining Daoren, a priest who lived in the 1700s.
It was later transmitted throughout North China and was incorporated in a number of texts such as the 内功图说 Neigong Tu Shuo/Discussion of Inner Skill Image which was used as a warmup for Martial training.
Because Zining Daoren pseudonymously wrote under the name Damo (the famed Indian monk who taught important Buddhist teachings in China) the text was taken as Buddhist. According to famed martial arts historians such as Kang Gewu and Meir Shahar the text is based on Daoist practices and has little to no historical relation to Damo.
Other Daoyin methods such as 八段锦 Ba Duan Jin/Eight Silk Brocades are also practiced by many martial artists.
外功 Wai Gong/External Skill:
Wai Gong is the external training skill of Chinese Martial Arts and includes strength, power and speed training.
呼吸法 Hu Xi Fa/Breathing Methods:
Hu Xi methods are many and can be done under a number of circumstances.
Breath work is used to strengthen the core of the body, improve performance in high cardio training, and increase physical strength.
Breath methods may include:
– 自然呼吸 Ziran Hu Xi: natural breathing does not follow any rules and the breath is allowed to come and go freely.
– 腹式呼吸 Fu Shi Hu Xi: Abdominal Breathing draws the inhalation to the Lower Abdomen in order to strengthen the core of the body and stabilize movement and posture.
– 胸式呼吸 Xiong Shi Hu Xi: Chest Breathing is used to encourage maximum breath capacity and improve cardio vascular capacity.
– 顺式呼吸 Shun Shi Hu Xi: smooth style breathing is a form of abdominal breathing where the abdomen expands on inhalation and relaxes on exhalation.
– 逆式呼吸 Ni Shu Hu Xi: Reverse Style Breathing uses drawing in of the abdomen on inhalation and release on exhalation.
– 吐纳 Tu Na: Spitting and Grasping in Martial Arts is different from other Qigong because the inhalation allows power to be collected in the body while the exhalation assists in the violent Expulsion of power when strength is released.
– 闭息 Bi Xi: Breath Holding is used as a training method to build internal power.
– and more..
站装 Zhan Zhuang/Post Standing:
This method involves standing in set postures to relax, strengthen and connect the body.
Zhan Zhuang is 基本功 Jiben Gong/Foundation Practice and not Qigong, but many martial artists use it in conjunction with breath work to generate Qi sensations and wellbeing.
Qigong Project 