Professor Sun Han Xiang (Lily)

Professor Lily Sun has been practicing Wushu (Chinese Martial Arts, including Tai Chi) for over 40 years starting in her local Provincial Sports School in China. In 2016, she was awarded a Chinese Wushu Association 8th Duan in Wushu (9th Duan being the highest). She graduated from Wuhan Sports University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Physical Education specialising in Wushu. Due to her outstanding performance both academically and technically, she was offered a permanent teaching position at Wuhan University, attaining the level of Associate Professor of Chinese Martial Arts before moving to Australia. She was also invited to judge at numerous National Wushu Championships by the Chinese Wushu Association (CWA), and has coached many students to gold medal level both here and in China.

Professor Sun competed in many Chinese National Wushu Competitions receiving numerous awards and accolades including gold medals at the 2nd National Worker’s Games, the 1985 National Wushu Games and at the 1983 Hubei Province Wushu Competition. Despite her personal successes, Professor Sun is very empathetic regarding her teaching style, embracing people who want to compete as well as people who “just want to have fun”. She has published numerous books and theses on wushu and its health benefits, and continues to study the benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong in the broader community.

In 1992, Professor Sun was certified as a National Wushu Judge, one of only two women to be internationally certified in Sanshou (Chinese full combat fighting). She has represented China as a National judge on numerous occasions and has also judged in local championships here in Australia. Professor Sun was the first female judge appointed to represent Australia when she attended the 9th World Wushu Championships in Hanoi, Vietnam as an International Sanshou Judge and won the Outstanding Judge Award for her role as Head Judge at the 1st Singapore International Traditional Wushu Competition. She also gained another first for women in Wushu, being one of the first people to be awarded a 7th Duan in Wushu when the new international Duan Wei grading system was introduced, and more recently, the first person outside of China to receive recognition as an Examiner and Trainer under the CWA’s new Duan Wei System. Professor Sun now calls Australia home and is happy to hold Australian National Coaching Accreditation certification.

Professor Sun was approached by Blitz Publications’ Editorial Contributor Boon Mark Souphanh, who wanted to write “5 minutes with Lily Sun” in a question and answer session, stating that they didn’t get enough opportunities to write pieces featuring prominent Wushu masters in this country. He was very excited about the prospect of interviewing Professor Sun and prepared a great piece “Bringing Wushu to the West” which was published in Blitz Magazine’s November 2013 Issue Volume 27 No. 11.