Known best as Coach Xu, the Federal Way resident is renowned for leading successful swimming programs in the United States and China.
Through his work with the Chinese national swim team, Coach Xu (pronounced “soo”) trained Olympic medalists and helped popularize the sport in his native country. He was named China’s best swimming coach in 1986, among his list of accomplishments.
In 1989, Coach Xu came to the United States as a business scholar and visiting coach for the women’s swim team at the University of Tennessee. He also coached swimming in Richmond, Va., and Long Island, N.Y.
But the key ingredient to Coach Xu’s lifelong success and good health may be his devotion to Chinese martial arts.
Currently at age 63, Coach Xu teaches tai chi at Three Trees Yoga in Federal Way.
Tai chi has deep roots and therapeutic value in Chinese culture. Tai chi integrates a variety of slow movement sequences and breathing techniques that promote strength, balance, coordination and overall well-being. The Chinese philosophical concept of yin-yang — which describes the balance and connectivity between opposing forces — is central to the study of tai chi.
Coach Xu began practicing tai chi when faced with possible stomach surgery in 1971, and became a qualified instructor in 1975. He credits tai chi for helping him forego surgery and recover fully.
Coach Xu has studied tai chi with Fu Zhongwen, the legendary Chinese master who died in 1994 at age 91. Likewise, his daily routine includes tai chi. When demonstrating basic forms, Coach Xu’s arms and legs glide in slow motion from one position to the next. He pauses in one form, balancing on one leg in a frozen kick position, with arms extended toward the sky.
Coach Xu’s interest in health led him to study qi gong, a meditative practice similar to tai chi, with greater emphasis on the “qi” (the Chinese term describing “energy flow”). Coach Xu went on to teach at Shanghai Qi Gong Institute while also teaching qi gong to cancer patients. He found that qi gong improved patients’ attitudes, outlook and physical recovery.
Swimmers under the coach’s tutelage were more relaxed at competitions, and experienced faster recovery during training, thanks to his knowledge of qi and other traditional Chinese practices, he said. In addition, Coach Xu has studied acupressure, acupuncture and massotherapy, a traditional Chinese massage treatment.
As a retiree, his primary goal is to help older adults live healthier lives.
Coach Xu has been working with the Oregon Research Institute to examine how tai chi improves balance and physical fitness in older adults. Specifically, the institute’s tai chi program focuses on preventing falls, which is a primary cause of injuries for one-third of Americans ages 65 and up. Research shows that adults over age 65 who practice tai chi regularly can reduce their risk of falling by 55 percent — a fact acknowledged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In everyday life, Coach Xu praises a philosophy of prevention rather than treatment. He values the virtues of balanced living by taking everything in moderation.
“You must always keep a balance so that you can enjoy the whole life,” he said.
Learn more
To learn more, contact Three Trees Yoga and Healing Arts Center: (253) 740-2186.
