Dragon & Tiger in China

Dragon & Tiger is an effective self-healing system that can be done by anyone. Due to the health benefits and its accessibility, millions of people in China practice it along with other forms of Qigong and Tai Chi.

The elderly population in particular use Qigong as a way to alleviate pain developed from aging and years of stress on the body. Some have even used it to prevent and battle against cancer, as qigong can help mitigate the negative effects of radiation and chemotherapy.

MEDICINAL ROOTS

Dragon & Tiger has its basis in Chinese acupuncture and the Chinese concept of chi, or “energy”.

Dragon & Tiger movements follow the meridian lines mapped out in acupuncture, lines which acupuncturists use to insert needles to stimulate and balance chi flow throughout the body.

According to Chinese medicine, sickness comes from blocked chi; health from flowing chi. Blocked chi is the result of stress, tension, or imbalance from the body and mind. For a damaged area to heal, chi blockages must be released so that: 1) unnecessary tension relaxes in order to prevent re-injury and 2) blood and chi circulation improves to speed up the healing process.

Instead of inserting needles, Dragon & Tiger uses movements traces through the meridian lines, giving it a full energetic “massage” to sooth out stress in the nerves and muscles.

A key goal in Dragon & Tiger is to release harmful tension in the body. With time and practice, it can a powerful way to ease years of habitual strain and stress, which lies at the root of common ailments such as neck/lower back pain, joint & muscle pains, fatigue, etc.

It’s name, “Dragon & Tiger”, reveals the very purpose behind this set: to develop agility and flexibility of a dragon, and the relaxed power of a tiger.

TRACK RECORD IN HISTORY

Qigong’s widespread popularity in China first began as a government policy after 1949 (cultural revolution). National programs for Tai Chi and Qigong were then set up across the nation in order to prevent a potential health crisis in the country – China’s population had doubled from 400 to 800 million, and the number of medical personnel had decreased due social/political reasons.

For individuals who suffered chronic pain caused by overwork or poor lifestyle, hospitals would direct them to a tai chi or qigong teacher. Patients were expected to practice for 3 months before they are accepted for another doctor’s appointment. It’s been estimated that between 100 and 200 million people practiced tai chi or qigong daily.

The programs were a success. Those who had chronic pains had a method to ease and even heal their ailments; those who were healthy had a preventive method from developing “lifestyle sickness” due to stress, tension and other causes.

Dragon & Tiger in particular was passed down from Zhang Jia Hua, a former vice president of the All Qigong Association and a doctor in Chinese medicine. She saw the enormous medical benefits in Dragon & Tiger (which had been around for 1,500 years as a powerful self-healing system), and qualified over 20,000 instructors who in turn spread it to over 20 million people in China during the 1960-1970s.

Unlike some qigong sets, Dragon & Tiger was easily accessible and safe to do for the general public. Nearly anyone despite their age and health condition can experience the same benefits that can be found in longer, more complicated qigong forms.