Qi Gong began in China, and it’s history is somewhat unknown. Most experts say that it is 5000+ years old. Tai Chi is around 700 years old and was sourced from Qi Gong. The three major categories of Qi Gong are: Medical Qi Gong for health and wellness Spiritual Qi Gong: for a meditative mind Martial arts Qi Gong: Tai Chi falls in this category, although it is mostly used for wellness rather than martial practice. Every movement in Tai Chi can be used as a “block” and “strike”, even if it is practiced as a body/mind/spirit practice. Both practices use water-like movements that generate from the body’s center, and both cultivate internal energy, or Qi, for health and awareness. In Tai Chi, you will memorize anywhere from 15 movements to 108 sequential movements. In Qi Gong, you will repeat one movement for a while using breath then move onto another movement. It is decidedly easier to practice Qi Gong than Tai Chi.