Better Health Tai Chi Chuan has reached an important milestone in its Tai Chi journey…25 years of Friendship and Tai Chi for Health. To mark this special occasion, we have hold a series of celebrations in November 2010.

You can read a forward by Dr Paul Lam below, and click here to watch a Youtube video by Sybil Wong.

Dr.Paul Lam and his instructors, would like to invite former instructors, past, current and future students to join us at our annual demonstration and weekly classes. To register your interest please call 9533 6511 or Email: service@taichiproductions.com

 

Forward by Dr Paul Lam for the 25th Anniversary of Better Health Tai Chi Chuan

I started tai chi to help manage my arthritis more than thirty years ago. Haven enjoyed and benefited from it I started recommending to my patients. The conception of BHTCC was during a medical consultation in my room 25 years ago. One of my patients was Scottie Porter who followed my advice. After trying a few tai chi schools he was not happy with the way it was taught. He urged me to start a school and offered to help me, so that was how it all began. There were 8 students in the first class. One of them was Ian Etcell. The classes were held in a small community activity hall in Peakhurst.  After several years we grew out of that and moved to Narwee Primary School hall. As the school expanded we moved to different halls, last year we moved to Kingsgrove High School.

In 1989, we formally incorporated as Better Health Tai Chi Chuan. The focus of BHTCC has always been health improvement, and our approach was academic in gaining knowledge and skill. In 1994, we were formally incorporated as a non profit organisation. All instructors taught in an honorary basis and all profit went to pay for the running cost, and anything pertaining our mission.

Several significant events happened after the incorporation:

1. The making of the 24 Form video.
One day a student came and asked whether he could video me to help his learning. Being a keen photographer, the request prompted me to consider producing an instructional video. With the help of instructors from the school and friends we produce the first instructional video. That set up a basic structure for the later professional produced videos. Since the school was a non profit organisation, I established Tai Chi Productions to produce teaching material. The instructors and students of BHTCC have given Tai Chi Productions total support enabling me to produce many excellent quality instructional DVDs, books, CD and charts. They have been very useful to not only our own students, but also for users around the world.

2. The first tai chi annual one week workshop in 1999.
For a long time I had this concept of gathering tai chi enthusiasts around the world to learn and enjoy tai chi in a friendly interactive environment. My instructor colleagues were initially doubtful but they gave me total support. Now with 13 annual successful workshops behind us we know that Better Health Tai Chi Chuan has much knowledge to share. We have helped to improve tai chi for thousands of tai chi practitioners, and since most of them are teachers – they in turn have taught many more.

3. BHTCC has become one of the most respected tai chi schools in the world, not just our depth of skill and knowledge in tai chi, but also the way we apply tai chi principles to work together harmoniously with others. We are still a very academic school, with the same mission as when we started and that is to provide an enjoyable and supportive environment for all to learn and grow through tai chi. Over the last 25 years we have refined teaching methods and extended this mission to the tai chi world.

Over the years, BHTCC has impact directly and indirectly through the many people we train and others who have in turn been trained, we estimated that we have touched the lives of over two million people. We are very proud of the fact that for a small academic school we have contributed significantly. Everyone who has been a part of Better Health Tai Chi Chuan have contributed to make this happened. I like to thank all past and present participants and instructors, and to congratulate all of us for what we have achieved. There is nothing more enjoyable and fulfilling than make a positive difference to other’s life and at the same time improving our own.