Qigong and neigong are at the heart of all the practices of the North American Tang Shou Tao. This is one of the features that distinguishes the method of internal martial arts. What this means is that all the exercises, forms and drills require that the practitioner remain calm and meditative, adhering to the rules of internal cultivation.
These rules are simple and straightforward, but not easy to implement, especially in the context of martial arts. Some examples of these rules are: every movement must begin and must finish with the breath and the breathing must always be easy and smooth, not forced. The whole body must move together, ”everything moves or nothing moves.” The tongue is on the roof of the mouth, Huiyin is lifted and Baihui pushes up. The body must never be allowed to become stiff.
By following these instructions, the body naturally develops strong and healthy qi. It is as simple as that and this is the emphasis of qigong and neigong as it is trained in the association.
The association’s curriculums include qigong sets to be practiced by the old, the weak or the sick to improve health, overcome illness and heal from injury, as well as qigong sets to be practiced by practitioners of tuina and acupuncture to help them become better healers; and, of course, the numerous exercise sets that accompany martial arts training are all considered neigong if done properly.
