Yu Liu

By Chinese standards, Liu Yu led a charmed life as a professional wushu athlete (martial artist) on the Jiangsu Province Professional Wushu Team (1974-1985). Although the reality was altogether different, this didn’t stop Liu Yu’s quiet determination to become a champion. She later applied the same zeal to her college studies, winning the titles of China’s National Collegiate Taiji Champion in 1986 and City of Beijing Student of the Year in 1988. In 1989, she graduated from the Beijing University of Physical Education with a B.S. in Wushu and Physical Education. Since making her home in the U.S., Liu Yu served as the Head Coach of the U.S. Wushu Team from 1997-99 and continues as a judge at worldwide wushu tournaments. She resides in San Luis Obispo, California, where she is the owner of the Wushu Taichi Center. She is pleased to share her remarkable story, revealing the hidden side of Chinese sports training as well as the Chinese culture, and she does so with ample charm.