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Saturday, 27 Jul 2024
Establishment of Chen Shi Taijiquan Association (Singapore)

Chen Wangting (1600-1680), the founder of Chen-style (Chen Shi) Taijiquan, was the ninth generation of the Chen family in Chenjiagou in Wenxian County in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and was known as the "ancestor of Taijiquan".

 

The Chen Shi Taijiquan martial art was first brought into Singapore by the Singapore National Wushu Federation (SNWF) in 1983. At that time, Mr. Lee Khoon Choy (Li Jiongcai), the Minister of Home Affairs (the then President of SNWF), had led a Wushu delegation to China for cultural exchanges. He saw Chenjiagou’s Taijiquan and was very impressed. He implored the Chinese government to send a Chen Shi Taijiquan coach to Singapore to teach Taijiquan.

 

Under the invitation of SNWF, the China Sports Association sent one of their highly acclaimed "Chenjiagou's Four Great Taiji Masters", Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai, to conduct training in Singapore. Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai trained nearly 400 students during a six-month period.

 

In 1984, after Grandmaster Zhu has returned to China, his students continued to work hard. Under their diligence, Chen Shi Taijiquan eventually sank its root in Singapore, and started to grow and flourish.

 

The contributions of Grandmaster Zhu Tiancai were much appreciated, and he was honoured as the founder of Chen Shi Taijiquan in Singapore! Together with more than 10 other Taijiquan enthusiasts, the Chen Shi Taijiquan Association (Singapore) was officially established in 1985.

 

Over the past few decades, with the objective to promote the traditional Chen Shi Taijiquan sport, the leaders of every Committee have continued to keep to their responsibilities. Besides conducting Taijiquan classes throughout the year, Association members also actively took part in the National Wushu Demonstration and Taijiquan Competitions organized by SNWF; performed in celebrations organized by community groups; participated in National Day carnivals as well as many other performing events. In addition, the Association has sent teams to overseas countries such as China, Hong Kong and Malaysia to take part in Taijiquan exchanges and competitions, and their results have been outstanding.

 

As the population of Singapore increases, Chen Shi Taijiquan is also increasingly gaining popularity in the community. To keep up with times and better develop and organize the activities of the Association, the Committee strength has grown over the years from the initial 14 to current 23 members. In 2019, the Association also welcomed its first non-ethnic Chinese member to join the Committee, reflecting the true spirit of Singapore and the Association's mission to promote the sport of Taijiquan to all, regardless of race, language or religion.