Tang
Laiwei began training wushu at the age of seven and was the youngest member of
the Beijing Wushu Team when it was formed in 1974. Under the coaching of Wu Bin
the Beijing Wushu Team won ten straight All-China Wushu championships and produced
many individual champions. In this time, Master Tang won almost thirty medals,
including ten gold and in 1986 he was the All-China Men's All-Round Champion and
won the Wu Ying, the highest award in Wushu. His skill with the spear is reknowned
and he competed in many styles and weapons including: changquan, sword, broadsword,
3-section cudgel, double broadsword, baguazhang, xingyiquan.... As a member of
the Beijing Wushu Team, Master Tang had the opportunity to travel to the United
States in 1974 and 1980 and to Africa, Japan, Europe and Australia. He has also
worked in several films, including "North-South Shaolin" (Nan Bei Shaolin), the
third of the famous Shaolin Temple films. After retiring from competition Master
Tang immigrated to Australia in 1988. He now works in the fitness industry and
coaches wushu and tai-chi at the Whitehorse Aquatic and Recreation Centre and
at Monash University.