Neigong/Qigong

[xingyiguy]

What is the difference between neigong and qigong? What are their differences and similarities?

[Josh Young]

The difference between nei and chi.

Is it not true that all neigong are chigong, but not all chigong are neigong?

[Dvivid]

Nei means 'internal'. It pertains to energy-building exercises specific to soft-style or internal martial arts. Or to internal qigong exercises, such as sitting meditation.

Qigong is a much broader term that pertains to ALL kinds of energy work including both internal and external, including those for soft, soft-hard, or hard martial styles.

All neigong are a type of qigong.

[xingyiguy]

Thanks. The reason I asked is because I posed the same question to my teacher. He said that neigong is for fighting and qigong is for health. Because his English is not very good, it was difficult for him to explain further. Though, he was able to expound that neigong is when the yi moves the qi to create jing in the arms and legs.

I was able to find a further explanation in Dr. Yang's Root of Chi Kung (I did paraphrase):
Neigong is internal gongfu as opposed to waigong, external gongfu.
Neigong is martial arts training which specializes in internal gongfu, which builds up the Qi internally first and then coordinates the Qi with martial techniques.

Waigong emphasizes developing the muscles, with some build-up of Qi, in the limbs.

Qigong is any training or study with Qi which takes a long time and a lot of effort. Study of any of the aspects of Qi (heaven, earth, man) should be called Qigong. The term is usually used today only in reference to the cultivation of human Qi through meditation and exercise.

From the above explanations from Dr. Yang, it does clarify and verify what my teacher said.

As this has helped me, I hope helps other students as well, since the concept of qi is a difficult one to convey and understand.

[joeblast]

Also, think of a 'fundamentals' paradigm here - your internal organs are more fundamental than your muscles, so that is a clarification to 'building qi in the limbs' within the waigong context - muscle/tendon in general, you have plenty in the torso as well as the limbs So within the context of neigong, the power of the internal organs is considered as well as the bones and dan tiens. If you do enough cultivation you can start to differentiate between wai & nei