{{short description|Chinese philosophical concept}} {{about|the term 'nèigōng' ''內功''|the term 'nèigōng' ''內宮'', "inner palace"|Imperial Chinese harem system}} {{Tone|date=April 2026}} {{italic title}} {{Infobox Chinese | size = 275 | title = ''Neigong'' | t = 內功 | p = nèigōng | j = noi gong | w = nei kung | kanji = | hiragana = | romaji = | hanja = | hangul = | rr = | vie = | hn = 內功 | l = internal strength or skill }}
'''''Neigong''''' (internal strength<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Ng |first1=Pei-San |title=Strength From Within: the Chinese Internal Martial Arts as Discourse, Aesthetics, and Cultural Trope (1850-1940) |date=2016 |page=1|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1916572523|id={{ProQuest|1916572523}} }}</ref> or internal skill<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell|first1=Damo|title=Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change|date=2014|page=18|publisher=Singing Dragon |isbn=978-1848190658|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WEsSBQAAQBAJ}}</ref>), also spelled ''nei kung'', ''neigung'', or ''nae gong'', refers to a series of internal changes that a practitioner goes through when following the path to ''Dao'', and these changes may be achieved through practices including ''qigong'' or tai chi.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mitchell|first1=Damo|title=Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change|date=2014|page=14|publisher=Singing Dragon |isbn=978-1848190658|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WEsSBQAAQBAJ}}</ref> ''Neigong'' is also associated with ''xingyiquan''.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Ng |first1=Pei-San |title=Strength From Within: the Chinese Internal Martial Arts as Discourse, Aesthetics, and Cultural Trope (1850-1940) |date=2016 |page=3|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1916572523|id={{ProQuest|1916572523}} }}</ref>
Neigong practice is normally associated with the so-called "soft style", "internal" or ''neijia'' Chinese martial arts, as opposed to the category known as ''waigong'' {{lang|zh|外功}} or "external skill" which is historically associated with Shaolin kung fu or the so-called "hard style", "external" or ''waijia'' Chinese martial arts.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} Both have many different schools, disciplines and practices and historically there has been mutual influence between the two and distinguishing precisely between them differs from school to school.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
==Internal martial arts== {{unreferenced section|date=May 2023}} [[File:内经图 Diagram of the Internal Texture of Man Диаграмма из "Трактата Желтого Императора о внутреннем" (9441066681).jpg|thumb|The ''Neijing Tu'' ({{zh|s=內经图|t=內經圖|p=Nèijīng tú|W=Nei-ching t'u}}) is a Daoist "inner landscape" diagram of the human body illustrating ''neidan'' "Internal alchemy", ''Wu Xing'', Yin and Yang, and Chinese mythology.]]
The martial art school of ''neigong'' emphasises training the coordination of the individual's body with the breath, known as "the harmonisation of the inner and outer energy ({{lang|zh|內外合一}})", creating a basis for a particular school's method of utilising power and technique.
''Neigong'' exercises that are part of the ''neijia'' tradition involve cultivating physical stillness and or conscious (deliberate) movement, designed to produce relaxation or releasing of muscular tension combined with special breathing techniques such as the "tortoise" or "reverse" methods. The fundamental purpose of this process is to develop a high level of coordination, concentration and technical skill that is known in the martial arts world as ''neijin'' ({{lang|zh|內勁}}). The ultimate purpose of this practice is for the individual to become at one with heaven or the ''Dao'' ({{lang|zh|天人合一}}). As Zhuang Zhou stated, "Heaven, earth and I are born of one, and I am at one with all that exists ({{lang|zh|天地與我並生, 萬物與我唯一}})".
Martial ''neigong'' is about developing internal power. One way to possibly achieve this is to train particular exercises regularly where the breath is matched with movements of blood or to effect the movement of blood throughout the body. Through these exercises it can be possible to move the blood to a particular area during a particular movement to have a particular result. One of the benefits of martial ''neigong'' exercises is the relaxation of blood vessels, nerves, muscles and sinews to help the body move more freely. With the body moving freely and an excess of blood moving to a particular area with little or no effort, the practitioner can possibly develop many benefits. These benefits may include: * faster recovery from injury to the hands * an ability to hit with more force * an ability to move faster (speed is crucial in martial arts) * the health benefits of being relaxed * an increase in connection to your legs, spine, arms and head * increased stamina * increased athletic ability and health * regulation of blood pressure * actually experiencing the channels of the body as they truly are, which can possibly be different from the books * developing an authentic ''dantian'' that is consciously nourished and deliberately formed which is not defined in the books * greater sensitivity for sparring and fighting
==In popular culture== {{unreferenced section|date=May 2023}}
''Wuxia'' and ''xianxia'' fiction often portray the training of neigong as giving practitioners superhuman powers. For example, one may use ''qi'' to attack opponents without physical contact, fly with ''qinggong'', or harden the body to resist weapon attacks. These can be seen in novels by Jin Yong and Gu Long, films such as ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'', ''Shaolin Soccer'' and ''Kung Fu Hustle'', as well as video games such as ''The Legend of Sword and Fairy'' and ''Xuan-Yuan Sword''.
==See also== * Silk reeling * Daoyin * Traditional Chinese medicine * Wushu * Zhan zhuang
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== *Blofeld, J. ''Taoism, The Quest for Immortality'', Mandala-Unwin Paperbacks London, 1989. {{ISBN|0-04-299008-4}} *Cheng, Tinhung. ''Tai Chi Transcendent Art'', The Hong Kong Tai Chi Association Press Hong Kong, 1976. (only available in Chinese) *Hausen, J. and Tsaur, A. ''The Arts of Daoism'', Purple Cloud Press, Auckland. {{ISBN|979-8678358714}} *Wile, Douglas ''Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the late Ch'ing Dynasty'' State University of New York Press, Albany, 1996. {{ISBN|0-7914-2653-X}} *Wu Gongzao. ''Wu Family T'ai Chi Ch'uan'' ({{lang|zh|吳家太極拳}}), Hong Kong, 1980, Toronto 2006, {{ISBN|0-9780499-0-X}} *Keen, Thomas. ''Iron Vest Qigong''. {{ISBN|978-1-60243-000-6}} *Danaos, Kosta, ''Nei Kung, The Secret Teachings of the Warrior Sage'', Inner traditions, 2002, {{ISBN|0-89281-907-3}} *Chen Kaiguo and Zheng Shunchao, ''Opening the Dragon Gate. The Making of a Modern Taoist Wizard.''. {{ISBN|0-8048-3185-8}} *Miller, Dan and Cartmell, Tim "Xing Yi Nei Gong: Xing Yi Health Maintenance and Internal Strength Development", Unique Publications, North Hollywood, 1999. {{ISBN|0-86568-174-0}}
==External links== *[http://neigong.net Neigong.net is a site devoted to original texts of neigong, neidan, neijia and qigong] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ5cuv8PwYw Video of Nei Kung practitioner, John Chang] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20151117174654/http://xingshenzhuang.com/ website for Xing Shen Zhuang practice as a foundation training] *[http://cookdingskitchen.blogspot.co.il/2015/08/internal-martial-arts-explained.html Explanation of Nei Gong in the practice of standing postures (Zhan Zhuang)]
{{Qigong}} {{Meditation}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Chinese martial arts terminology Category:Meditation Category:Qigong Category:Neijia Category:Taoist practices Category:Taoist philosophy