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.

Mr. Kerry Edmondson   is a second-degree black belt of Tai Chi at U.S. Wushu Center. He began studying Tai Chi with Master Shaowen Yu in 1994. His study of Tai Chi was the key that unlocked a real interest and appreciation for not only Chinese martial arts, but of Chinese culture, as well. He has traveled to China on two occasions to train with Master Feng, Zhiqing, Master Zhao, Dayuan and Master Chen, Xiang in the Beijing. 

Kerry is a very proud to be part of the U.S. Wushu Center where Master Shaowen Yu and Master Gao Jiamin have worked hard to maintain a standard of excellence in teaching and performance of Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Wushu and other internal styles.

Bai Feng is his Chinese name, given by Master Gao.

 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.. 

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.

Mr. Nathan Leavitt  joined the US Wushu center in 1998 and studied wushu and taiji together for about 5 years. He is currently specializing in the Yang 16-style and the 42-combined straight sword forms. He won  the gold medal in the 16-style when he competed at Berkeley, CA in 2004. 

Taiji practice aroused his interest in Chinese culture to such a degree that he actually took two Mandarin speaking classes and joined the US Wushu Center in two of their annual trips to China. It is truly a pleasure to go to China and be able to study with the same masters that Master Shaowen and Master Gao Jaimin studied with during the training of their youth.