Shifu Fong Zhang
Originally from China, Shifu (“Shifu” is a traditional title for a martial art teacher.) Fong Zhang was introduced to Tai Chi at age 7 by her father, a life long Tai Chi Practitioner. She learned Yang Style Tai Chi as well as a love and appreciation of this ancient art from him.
Later, Shifu Fong sought to improve her knowledge of Tai Chi and learned from several Tai Chi Masters. One of them was Master Li Jun Feng, the former coach of Beijing Wushu Team, who had trained many famous world champions and movie stars, such as Jet Li and Donnie Yen.
Looking to improve the depth of her skill, Shifu Fong later trained with several Tai Chi masters, gaining a deeper understanding of Tai Chi and its origins. She practices Yang Style, Chen Style, and Sun Style Tai Chi as well as Tai Chi weapon forms. Her favorite weapon is Straight Sword.
In addition to physical training, Shifu Fong studied some of the classical literature of Tai Chi as well as the Traditional Chinese Medicine to gain a broader understanding of the art and its relationship to health
For close to 20 years, Shifu Fong has been practicing Tai Chi extensively. In that time she volunteered to teach Tai Chi at community centers and public high schools. In 2019, Shifu Fong joined Aiping Tai Chi Center - Austin as an Assistant Instructor and became the Lead Instructor in 2020.
Shifu Fong pays close attention to the details of the movements in her classes. By doing this her students build a strong foundation for their Tai Chi practice. She also enjoys sharing her tradition and culture in her Tai Chi classes. She likes to incorporate the Chinese language as well as the cultural aspect into her teaching. Students will not only learn the movements themselves, but also the Chinese name of each movement.
Additionally, Shifu Fong’s teaching focus is the health and wellness aspect of the Tai Chi practice. She strives to promote Tai Chi as an effective practice to improve one’s health and wellbeing.
Shifu Fong strives to improve her skills in Tai Chi through regular practice and continuous learning from great Tai Chi masters. Her recent achievement includes six gold medals and a Grand Championship in an International Tai Chi Competition in the U.S.
Shifu Fong’s other educational credentials includes a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Austin, as well as studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) from an accredited graduate TCM school. She has over 15 years of public service experience.
Shifu Fong also enjoys traveling, camping, and spending time with her family. She has traveled back to China regularly with her family where she continued her training with great Tai Chi teachers. She has also traveled to over 45 states in the U.S. and parts of Canada and enjoyed the greatest sites in North America.
