Federal Way woman: Kung fu master

Federal Way resident Wei Qi He, the wife of renowned swim and tai chi instructor Coach Xu, is one of the world's most revered masters of wushu — commonly known as kung fu.

Her fame as a top female competitor in the Chinese martial art eventually led to a performance before President Richard Nixon at the White House in 1974. Her wushu teams at the Shanghai Sports Palace performed more than 300 demonstrations in front of dignitaries including the presidents of Germany, Jordan, the Philippines and Cambodia.

She has won gold medals and has choreographed martial arts sequences for movies. For six years, she helped train future action film star Jet Li.

Born in Shanghai in 1948, Wei Qi He was called one of the wushu world's living legends in a June 2004 cover story for Inside Kung-Fu magazine.

In 1998, Wei Qi He was honored by the Wushu Institute of China and China's Commission of Sports and Athletics for her overseas promotion of the martial art. In 2000, she was interviewed by Peter Jennings for the "ABC Evening News."

Now living in Federal Way, she is often asked if or when she will teach wushu locally. Ideally, she'd like to find a venue, such as the King County Aquatic Center, that serves as a hub for kung fu and tai chi instruction.

"It could really put Federal Way and the aquatic center on the map," she said.