But they work differently. They serve different needs, and they suit different people at different points in their journey.
If you’re trying to decide where to start, or wondering whether to add a second practice to the one you’re already doing, this is worth reading.
Two practices, two effects
The clearest way to understand the difference between Lohan Qigong and Sinew Qigong is through a simple image. Lohan is like nourishing the roots of a tree. Sinew is like forging the trunk.
Lohan nourishes. It ccalms, harmonises, and restores. It works at the level of the body’s energy channels, opening Qi flow, revitalising the organs, settling the nervous system, and creating the conditions in which deep healing becomes possible. After a Lohan practice session, most people feel genuinely restored – not tired and not wired, but energised and grounded in a way that’s difficult to replicate with anything else.
Sinew forges. It strengthens, invigorates, and transforms. It works at the level of the body’s physical structure, particularly the tendons, fascia, and connective tissue, building internal power from the inside out. The 12 classical movements use dynamic internal tension to condition the entire body without external load, developing the kind of deep structural resilience and whole-body connected strength that martial artists spend years chasing through other means.
Both practices use breath, intention, and movement. Both cultivate Qi. But the quality of what they produce is different in ways you feel within the first few weeks.
Who Lohan Qigong is for
Lohan Qigong is the right starting point for most people, and particularly those who are dealing with any of the following. Chronic stress, burnout, or nervous system depletion. Recovery from illness or injury. Poor sleep or low energy that doesn’t improve with more rest. A body that feels worn down rather than worn out. An interest in traditional healing wisdom and the deeper philosophy of internal practice.
It’s also the system that Sifu George recommends for beginners regardless of background, because building healthy Qi flow and a settled, aware internal state creates the foundation everything else is built on. You can’t forge a tree that has weak roots.
The 18 Lohan form was a closely guarded secret of the Shaolin Temple for hundreds of years. After the burning of the temple, its original scriptures were rescued and passed secretly down through trusted lineages until they reached Master John K. Saw, and through him, to Sifu George. This is not a watered-down wellness practice. It is the real thing, taught in its authentic form.
Who Sinew Qigong is for
Sinew Qigong suits people who are already reasonably active and want to go deeper, not harder. This includes martial artists who want to understand and develop real internal power, rather than just external technique. Athletes and fitness practitioners who have hit a plateau or keep dealing with repetitive injuries. People in their forties, fifties, and beyond who want to maintain their physical capability long-term without the joint stress of conventional training. Anyone drawn to the warrior tradition of the Shaolin monks and curious about what their training actually produced.
The thing that surprises people about Sinew is that it asks something real of you. The dynamic tension work can be demanding and the breathing practices require genuine focus. But it doesn’t require you to be an athlete to begin. If you have willingness and consistency, the results you’ll have with this art form could be significant.
Passed down through Master Wong Seng Choong, a martial artist of exceptional internal strength, the Sinew Qigong system is preserved here in its original, undiluted form. Diluted versions of these practices exist everywhere. This is not one of them.
Can you train both?
Yes, and many practitioners do. The two systems complement each other in a way that makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Lohan keeps the energetic roots healthy and the nervous system regulated. Sinew builds structural power and physical resilience on top of that foundation. Training one without the other is still deeply valuable. Training both creates something rarer.
A useful approach for many people is to begin with Lohan, allowing the body and nervous system to settle, open, and restore, and to add Sinew once that foundation is established. But this isn’t a rigid rule. Some people come to Sinew first, drawn by the physical challenge and the martial connection. The practices will meet you wherever you are.
The honest answer
If you’re exhausted, depleted, or recovering from something, start with Lohan. If you’re physically active, want to build lasting internal strength, and are ready for a practice that demands real engagement, Sinew is calling your name. If you’re not sure, Lohan is rarely the wrong answer, because a body with good Qi flow, a settled nervous system, and open energy channels is a body ready for anything.
Both paths lead somewhere real, and both courses are available online now. No prior experience needed, just your body, your breath, and the willingness to show up.
