This is a post by our guest blogger, Silkreeling who is also a keen player of Chen Style Taijiquan.

“I have to share this with someone”, I said to myself, looking at the dim sum dumplings packed in the styrofoam box that had just been distributed. The portion resembles more like a main meal rather than mid-afternoon refreshment. If anything, it is an indication of how well the event had been managed. “Taiji for Osteoporosis” is a public forum organised by the Osteoporosis Society of Singapore, which is backed by the Lee Foundation, Tote Board and the National Health Group. Dr Paul Lam from Sydney was the main speaker.

Dr Paul Lam, a western doctor and lecturer at the University of New South Wales, has been practicing different styles of Taiji for over 30 years. His rehabilitation Taiji programs – for conditions – have been well received worldwide, which are only now just making headway into Singapore.

The specially designed osteoporosis program is easy to learn, safe, enjoyable yet effective and therefore suitable to help prevent, or improve Osteoporosis conditions.

“Not all Taiji are suitable for people with Osteoporosis. For example, the Chen style might even be harmful for those with such conditions”, he qualified. And in response to a question about how the various Taiji styles compare in terms of their rehabilitation effectiveness he said, “It’s hard to compare due to the diversity involved; but the program that we are running has been specially designed with that purpose in mind”.

The popularity of his osteoporosis program can be said to be due to the research evidence that it works. Ended in 2006, the Central Sydney Taiji Trial for 700 elderly people showed a strong correlation between confidence and fall prevention.

“Fall prevention is important because most of the time people with Osteoporosis don’t feel anything but once they have fallen, their bones will easily snap due to the brittleness caused by their condition”, said Dr Lam when talking about how Taiji can help prevent fall. Balance, strength and confidence are factors that can help prevent a fall. Studies, including the Atlanta FICIT study in 1996, have shown that regular Taiji practice can improve all of that as well as reducing bone loss, or even increasing Bone Mass Density (BMD).

Dr Paul Lam, of Teochew descent, sees himself as a bridge between the old Chinese tradition and modern western medical science. Looking at the evolution of Taiji, this may be the beginning of a new wave where forerunners such as Dr Lam himself, is introducing Taiji mainly as a rehabilitation tool to the world. The first wave development is popularly seen as the bringing of a Village Family Martial Art into capital Beijing in the late 19th Century. The second wave development is marked by the pivotal figure Yang ChengFu and his contemporaries, who taught Taiji publicly for the first time in 1910s Beijing.

Towards the end of the forum, Dr Lam impressed the near capacity crowd at the Teochew Building with his play of the various Taiji Forms. We were also showered with health information pamphlets, sample vitamin pills, salt/sugar substitutes etc as part of a health starter kit.

Dim Sum Taiji

To me the 10 different dim sum dumplings packed for each participant can really be used to sum up the takeaway message for the afternoon. Just as the different dumplings have different appeal, Taiji can also be multi facet when served on the 21st century platter. Regardless of your personal needs and goals, there will always be a Taiji form suitable for you. Whatever the reasons you have for Taiji play, don’t forget to share the goodness around.