INSTRUCTORS
MASTER JIAMIN GAO
Because Master Gao has won so many competitons in China and all around the world, she was named the "Queeen of Taichi". It is her form posters that dot countless martial arts school walls both in Asia and America.
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MASTER SHAOWEN YU
Founder of U.S. Wushu Center and former member of the Beijing Wushu Team, Master Shaowen Yu grew up in China, where he began his training China where he began his training with the Beijing Wushu Team at a very young age. Jet Li was his teammate.
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MASTER JIANFENG CHEN
Sifu Chen Jianfeng comes from China's Fujian Province, where he began learning Wushu at a very young age. He began training with the Fujian Wushu Team, under the famous teacher Master Gao Jiamin, when he was 11 years old. He later became an important member of the team, as they competed in Chinese national tournaments.
Sifu Chen is skilled in both external Wushu (Kung Fu) and Taijiquan (Tai Chi), and has won medals in the highest national and international competitions. He performs a variety of hand and weapons forms, including drunken sword, and he has been teaching at the U.S. Wushu Center for many years.
OTHER INSTRUCTORS
In addition to Master Yu and Master Gao, we also have other truly outstanding instructors. All of them have been to China for trainings, and have won many competitions around the nation.
Larry Rothman
Mr. Larry Rathman began as a student at the U.S. Wushu Center when it opened in 1993. He was one of Master Shaowen Yu's first students in Portland, and began teaching at the Center several years ago, as the school grew and expanded through several different locations.
Larry especially likes to practice the Taiji Competition forms – the 42-Combined Hand and Sword Forms – and various forms of Bagua, an internal Chinese Martial Art based on moving circularly and changing direction. His favorite Bagua weapons include the Fan and the Large Broadsword.
Larry has been to China several times to study with Masters of Bagua and Taiji, including Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang and his top student Chen Xiang; and Fourth and Fifth Generation Bagua Masters Zhao Dayuan and Yang Shiming.
Larry has competed and won medals in several competitions - in 2006 he won 5 gold medals and the Internal All-Around title at the University of California Chinese Martial Arts Tournament in Berkeley.
Jim Haydon
Mr. Jim Haydon has been studying Tai Chi and Qi Gong for many years and has studied with Master Shaowen Yu and Master Gao, Jiamin at the US Wushu Center since 1996. In addition, he has studied both Tai Chi and Qi Gong forms with Grand Master Zhao, Da-yuan and Grand Master Chen, Xiang from China, and Master Bryant Fong.
Jim has won numerous medals in compettion including Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in Ba-Gua, Chen, Sun, Yang, and other Internal Weapons and Hand forms as well as an Internal Group Gold medal. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and a Master's Degree in Teaching from the University of Chicago and has earned a 2nd Degree Black Belt from The U. S. Wushu Center.
Master Shaowen Yu and Master Gao, Jiamin gave Jim a Chinese name, Xuan Han.
Julie McKim
Mrs. Julie McKim has studied Tai Chi (Taiji) with the Master Shaowen Yu at the U.S. Wushu Center since 1998. She has learned forms in the following styles: Yang, Chen, Sun, Wu, Ba-gua, as well as many qigong techniques.
She has competed in the UC Berkely Martial Arts Tournament in individual and group forms winning several medals.
Traveling to China with the school has added to her interest and her training. She has enjoyed the introduction to Chinese culture and of course the wonderful food. She is pleased to have studied Chen styles with Grand Master Chen Xiang and Bagua with Grand Master Zhou Da-yuan and Master Yang Shi-ming, as well as with Master Bryant Fong from San Francisco.
Through her taiji studies, she has learned much more than the physical movements. She looks forward to each class.
