Parkour is commonly also known as ADD (l’art du deplacement). However, some practitioners argue that the lesser-known ADD is the foundation upon which parkour was built. One notable difference between them is that ADD involves a lot more crawling exercises, says Tan Shie Boon. The ADD practitioner and Director of ADD Academy Singapore teaches seniors between the ages of 50 and 70.
He was first introduced to ADD at a workshop held by Yamakasi, a pioneering ADD group from France. “I found myself deeply drawn to it. It felt more artistic and respectful of individual expression than my dance education. It also felt powerful and raw,” he recounts. “We were doing movements that were so stimulating, abnormal, and surprising. I felt a little more human.”
He threw himself into the sport and a year later became proficient enough to teach. But coaching seniors came about serendipitously. He was having supper with his students after class one evening when a stranger in her 60s asked what he did for a living, so he showed her a couple of videos. She turned up for his class the very next day and went on to attend lessons twice a week. It didn’t take long for a newspaper to pick up the story about an elderly woman practising a sport typically associated with the young and venturesome. With media exposure came an influx of enquiries about the class from other seniors.
Believing ADD’s crawling exercises to be helpful in minimising the risk of falls in seniors, Tan eventually decided to dedicate his time to only coaching seniors.
While ADD can be dangerous— advanced practitioners execute stunts like wall runs and precision jumps, after all— Tan’s students hone their skills in the basics. Having to think on their feet and heighten their spatial and bodily awareness allows them to develop greater physical confidence. “This means they will be more ready if they fall because they’ve picked up reactionary techniques in class,” Tan explains.
Previously known as Movement Singapore, the academy is now known as ADD Academy Singapore as it is now affiliated with the founders of ADD. Tan holds his 90-minute classes in public spaces such as void decks in Ang Mo Kio, West Coast, Haig Road, and Serangoon Community Park. They take place every morning from Tuesday to Sunday and average five students per class.
However, coaching seniors is not without its challenges. One of the most important aspects of engagement is keeping things fresh.
“Because of their age, they tire more easily, so I have to constantly think of new ways to make them curious enough to try more things even when they’re tired.”
Tan Shie Boon on coaching seniors
In addition, seniors tend to be more impacted by injury both physically and emotionally. “Not only does recovery take longer, but it also sometimes fills them with a sense of guilt,” Tan explains.
Still, he wouldn’t change a thing. “My favourite thing about teaching older adults is that they appreciate my work much more than younger adults do. Seniors who enrol in ADD classes tend to have an open mind.”
Unlike traditional Blue Zones, where longevity is primarily attributed to cultural traditions, Singapore’s recognition as a Blue Zone 2.0 is largely a result of deliberate government initiatives and urban planning. However, Tan hopes that we will invest more in living healthily rather than engineering longer lifespans.
“The government is doing a good job promoting active ageing and the elderly in Singapore are generally healthy. But it’s way more important to have quality of life over quantity, isn’t it?”
Photography Mun Kong
Art direction Ed Harland
Hair Yue Qi using GHD
Makeup Sarah Tan using Shu Uemura
Photography assistant Melvin Leong
