Singapore "13 Style Tai Chi", "Keep-Fit Tai Chi 18 form" & "Tai Chi for Health"

Last lesson, one of my classmates mentioned an article from the Chinese newspaper Lian He Zao Bao 联合早报 published on 21 March 2010 that Singapore came up with another new 13 style Tai Chi. Previously, we also encountered that there were Singapore18 form Tai Chi and Tai Chi for Health. We were curious and asked our instructor, Gladys.

Gladys is always full of grace. She shared with us graciously that the routine of Singapore 13 style Tai Chi, was composed by the Singapore Wushu Dragon and Lion Dance Federation 新加坡武术总会,  the routine integrated the forms abstracted from Chen style陈式, Yang Style杨式, Wu style吴氏, Wu style武式, and Sun style 孙式. The routine was introduced to all the instructors that it was easy to learn because there were less forms to memorize, smooth, fluent, and it took shorter duration of only less than 3 minutes to perform. We were amazed to hear the instructors had only 90 minutes to learn and master the routine during their training. Our instructor had also showed us by demonstrating this latest Singapore 13 style Tai Chi very gracefully.

The Singapore 18 form Tai Chi was known as the "Singapore Keep-Fit Tai Chi". It was introduced then in regard to the "Sport For Life" programme launched by our Prime Minister to encourage Singaporeans to keep fit.

The Tai Chi for Health Programmes were created by Dr Paul Lam, a Sydney-based family physician and taiji master. The National Arthritis Foundation brought him in and had previously conducted workshops to train Tai Chi instructors. Dr Paul Lam developed various Tai Chi routines, like Tai Chi for Arthritis, Tai Chi for Osteoporosis and Tai Chi for Diabetes, the movements were designed with flexibility to cater to the medical conditions of the patients. Dr Paul Lam's Tai Chi were supported by various research foundations to give medical evidence to be effective. Click here to find out on his Support for the Tai Chi for Health programmes and articles.

So lucky I am, happened to find this link, a newsletter on "How Tai Chi for Health has helped the Singapore Community" Dr Lau Tang Ching and Gladys Tan, Master Trainers, Singapore