Q: What is Qigong?

A:When you know more about the history and culture of whatever you are studying, then the more you will appreciate that skill.

The name ‘Qigong’ is actually two Chinese words: Qi and Gong. ‘Qi’ is a Chinese word referring to vital energy or breath and ‘gong’ is a Chinese word for exercise or skill. Most commonly in the west, these words are often spelt in another way; ‘chi’ and ‘kung’.

Not all Qigong is the same though; ‘Qigong’ is a collective term for breathing exercises. The term was coined in the 1950’s.

My Sifu (teacher) is called Michael Tse and he began his studies in China in 1984 with Grandmaster Yang Meijun. She was one of the most famous Qigong Grandmasters known and was the 27th generation holder of the Dayan Wild Goose skill! Sadly, she passed away in 2002 aged over 100 years old. Wild goose Qigong is now one of the top ten approved Qigong styles adopted by the Chinese government for the promotion of health and the healing of illness. It is used in many of their Qigong hospitals for healing patients today. Dayan Gong can improve health by opening the channels in the body in order to release toxins and negative energy that cause illness. Qigong is for health.

Q: What is the Tse Qigong Centre and how does this relate to the regular classes?

A: In 1990, Michael Tse founded the Tse Qigong centre in the UK in order to promote the traditional Chinese skills that he learned. The centre also produces a magazine called Qi Magazine as a way of further bringing proper understanding of Chinese skills and knowledge to the west. Qi magazine complements the Tse Qigong Centre by helping students gain a better understanding of the various skills they are learning. It also shows how the skills relate to other parts of Chinese culture. There are many different forms of Kunlun Qigong and Martial Arts taught through the Tse Qigong centre. For more information on a regular Tse Qigong class in your area please visit www.qimagazine.com

Q: How much do the lesson’s cost/membership cost?

A: Lessons are £5 per hour and membership costs £25 for 1 year. Membership includes a Tse Qigong centre polo member's shirt.

Q: Do I have to become a member? Can’t I just learn when and where I want?

A: Yes just like joining any club or organisation you have to become a member and there is a fee. This means that you can join the Tse Qigong Centre and learn all the forms taught in the syllabus. All Qigong and Chun Yuen forms taught are unique to the Tse Qigong Centre and only Michael Tse or representative qualified Instructors of the Tse Qigong Centre are authorized to teach those forms. This ensures that all the skills taught are kept to a high and safe standard with all recognized and qualified Tse Qigong instructors. Therefore to attend the classes there is an annual charge of £25.

Q: What are the benefits of doing Qigong and can a beginner get benefits straight away?

A: Physical tension aches and pains, stiff joints, heavy or tired all day are just some of the signals from your body that you may need more energy. Causes could be a bad posture, hectic lifestyle, poor diet or any permanent physical condition one has to live with. Qigong has gentle exercises suitable for all levels of fitness and ages. With regular practise these movements can smooth a person’s Qi and stimulate the body’s own natural healing responses. In time, Qigong can help both our mind and our body to become healthier.

Q: How long will it take to catch up with everyone else in the class?

A: Each class is taught in a traditional Chinese way, this means that everyone learns at their own pace so there is no expectation or competitiveness to achieve certain goals within a set period. With Qigong the main goal is for your body to become healthy. How long that takes depends on each individual case and situation.

Q: How long will it take before I complete the Balancing Gong and/or Healthy Living Gong forms?

A: This connects with the last answer, everyone learns at their own individual pace, so it would depend on each individual student as to how many forms the student can learn and develop.

Q: How long should I practise for and when is the best time to practise?

A: The most common method is to practise twice a day, once in the morning and then in the evening. The best time to practise is when you’re practising! In other words practising anytime is better than not practising at all.

Q: Can I show my friends and family members the movements that I am taught?

A: No. Everyone who joins the Tse Qigong Centre has to sign a form stating that they will not teach any movements they are taught to anyone. This is because the student has not trained to become an instructor and does not know enough about the skill and movements to pass the skills on properly. Even if the student has a good intent to help their friend or family member with their health problems, still, the outcome would not be good as the student would teach the movement incorrectly and the skill would not be taught in the correct way and so the friend or family member would not get the health benefits they needed. The best solution in this situation would be to encourage the friend or family member to join a class near them. Then the person will get the professional help and tuition they need and will know that they are being taught the skills in a correct and safe way. In this case the person will be able to improve their health which would not be the case if the person studied with someone unqualified. To check on all qualified Tse Qigong instructors throughout the UK please visit the Centre website or contact the Tse Qigong Centre.

Q:  How should we breathe when doing the Qigong? I was taught to breathe through the mouth.

A: Many people are confused about how to breathe when doing Qigong. When we are performing exercises like soft Qigong – Balancing Gong, Healthy Living gong etc we should always breathe through the nose. When a person is quite healthy then it should not be a problem to breathe in and out through the nose. When we breathe through our nose the internal organs and whole body will be more relaxed and so the Qi will sink naturally to our centre. Dayan Qigong uses special movements to guide the Qi so there is no need to worry about breathing in at some move and out at another.

Q: Is all Qigong the same?

A: No. ‘Qigong’ is a collective term and so there are many different methods and styles in the world. Every type of style of Qigong has its own methods and results. This is why we should not mix things up when we are learning Qigong. It is better to stick with one type of Qigong and not learn lots of different types at the same time. If a person mixes up certain methods or movements then this can cause problems. It would be like a Football player trying to play Football following Rugby rules! We can all imagine what would happen in that situation.

Q: Does the Qigong that you teach use visualisation?

A: No, the Kunlun Dayan Qigong system does not use visualisation. Instead of using techniques involving the mind the movements naturally guide the Qi around the body so we don’t have to worry about these things, all we have to do is relax and do the forms and meditation, remember that letting go and letting things happen naturally is a Daoist way.

Q: This site mentions Chun Yuen Quan, what is this and how does this relate to health?

A: Chun Yuen Quan is a set of warm-up exercises and forms that are performed at the start of each class. This is to warm up the whole body and to help the energy and Qi flow smoothly around all the joints and bones. These exercises can be enjoyed by everyone and are more dynamic than the Qigong movements. The Chun Yuen movements compliment the Qigong movements and the syllabus is suitable for all age groups and helps the joints, posture and blood circulation in the body. Chun Yuen Quan forms include Xing Sau, Damo staff and five tiger broadsword.

Q: Should I practice Qigong if I am ill?

A: Qigong practice can help us release the stale energy and gather fresher Qi, so yes, if you want to recover quickly, then you can do some Qigong.  However, if you find that you get to a point where you are actually using up your energy to practice ( you are feeling more tired than when you began to practice) then it would be better to stop and do some meditation. The next day when you are more rested then you can carry on with your practice.

Q: What is the difference between Qigong and other forms of exercise?

A: The difference is Qigong uses relaxation combined with movement and breathing to cultivate Qi. Other forms of aerobic type exercise use more tension to create muscle and burn fat.  Qigong movement should be natural and not too slow so that the movement and the energy stagnate.

Q: Is it suitable to practise out of doors?

A: Read the following PDF download.


‘Everything in life is about balance. We need to balance our lives, sometimes moving and sometimes exercising and resting (stillness). If we do not move, we will have problems, and our joints will become stiff, like a rusty door hinge. Qigong is the oil for our bodies, lubricating the joints when they get rusty. The gentle relaxing movements of Qigong are good for all ages and levels of fitness’
Tse Sifu.

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