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Zhang Fang with his teacher Wu Bin
at the 1999 World Championships in Hong Kong
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The origins of Helsingin Wushu are
intertwined with Zhang Fang (Wushu 7 duan), the head coach of the
Finnish Wushu
Federation. Zhang Fang came to Finland in February 1990. He began
training in wushu at the age of 12 with well-known wushu masters such
as Wang Huai (王怀), Li Bing Ci (李秉慈), Wu Bin (吳彬) and Xie Zhi Kuei
(谢志奎). He continued both his training and studies in Beijing's
Dongcheng elite sporting school (东城体校) and Shi Sha Hai Ti Xia (什刹海体校)
sports school, his basic training was followed by a successful
competition career. Amongst other achievements, he won the Chinese
youth wushu team championships, competing in the same team as the now
famous movie star Jet Li (李连杰).
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Both during and after his competition
career, Zhang Fang has worked as a full-time teacher and coach of
wushu. He graduated from the Beijing Sporting Polytechnic with wushu as
his major subject. In 1989 Zhang Fang received teaching certificates
from the highly respected Yang and Chen style masters Yang Zhen Duo
(杨振铎) and Chen Xiao Wang (陈小旺).
From 1990 up to the present day, Zhang Fang has worked
as the only professional full-time taijiquan and wushu teacher in
Finland. He played a key role in founding the Finnish Wushu Federation
in 1991. During the same year Zhang Fang led the Finnish team to
Beijing to take part in their first World Wushu Championships. He
regularly teaches wushu all over Finland, including Kuopio, Oulu,
Jyväskylä, Lappeenranta, Vaasa, Seinäjoki ja
Järvenpää.
In 1995 the Wushu Centre Zhang Fang was set up in
Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki. 1997 saw him awarded the "Outstanding Judge
Award" in Rome on behalf of the International Wushu Federation. In 1998
he was granted Finnish citizenship, and he now speaks fluent Finnish in
addition to excellent English. In the same year his Finnish language
book "Taiji 24 liikettä ja niiden sovellukset
käytännössä" (24 movement taiji with practical
applications) was published, and in 2005 his DVD "Special Wushu
Collection Of Shifu Zhang Fang" was released, with footage of the
master himself performing routines.
Zhang Fang brought taijiquan to the attention of the
Finnish people on the TV and radio, in newspapers and magazines, and
through countless public performances. He has specialised in Yang and
Chen style taijiquan, as well as changquan, broadsword, staff, sword,
spear and international wushu competition. His students have won
numerous medals in international competitions.
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Jet Li second from the left, back row
with Zhang Fang on his right, 1974
Visiting the IWUF headquarters in 1991
The Finnish national team at the 1993 Wushu World Championsips in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia
Zhang Fang with grandmaster Cai Long Yun (蔡龙云) in Shanghai
2006
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Zhang Fang with the Chinese deputy
sports minister Li Zhijian (李志坚, third from the left) and the head
secretary of IWUF Wang Xiaolin (王晓林, first from the left) in Finland in
2004
