24th WTQA Festival 2026
A celebration of Wushu, Tai Chi and Qigong
The 24th WTQA Festival was held on Sunday 30 August at Carwatha College in Noble Park North. After two consecutive Festivals in a demonstration-only format, the Committee decided it was time to return to competition.
When we introduced the demonstration format, we saw a significant increase in participation. Keen to retain that enthusiasm, this year's Festival was promoted as a competition that also welcomed demonstration-only entries. We intend to alternate between competition and demonstration formats in future years.
Setting up for the day
When the doors opened, a swarm of volunteers surged into the venue and set to work. The early stages of setting up a Festival always look a little chaotic, and this year was no different! There was, however, an excited buzz in the air and a sense of anticipation about how the day would unfold.
The registration table was busy from the first minute, with groups of people who had car-pooled arriving together. Weapons were inspected for safety and permits checked, while medals, trophies and certificates were laid out ready for the presentations.
In the kitchen, volunteers organised food and drinks, with snacks, tea and coffee available throughout the afternoon and lunch provided for volunteers.
Two competition areas were taped out within the stadium, making for a fairly cosy set-up. Tai Chi and Qigong occupied one arena, with Wushu on the other. Judges' tables and chairs, computers and scoring systems were set up, electrical cables were taped down, and the music and microphone systems were tested.
Rows of chairs for the audience were arranged, moved around and eventually found their positions.
Briefings were held for athletes, judges, scorers and timekeepers, and lunch was quickly consumed. The controlled chaos gradually resolved into a quiet calm as the 1 pm start time approached.
Opening Ceremony
MC Jenny Harrison of Rising Moon Tai Chi School welcomed everyone and began her address with an acknowledgement of the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation. After the usual housekeeping matters, Jenny thanked President Sam Au and the organising committee for all their hard work behind the scenes to make the day possible.
As is traditional, the "Sportsmen March" music began and the judges and athletes marched onto the arena before the judges were introduced.
We are grateful to all of the judges who gave their time and expertise to the Festival:
Sifu Boshi Liu – Head Judge, Wushu – https://www.facebook.com/HHKUNGFUCLUB/
Master Su Legato – Head Judge, Tai Chi and Qigong – https://www.legatotaichi.com/
Sifu Tara Brayshaw – Head Judge, Tai Chi and Qigong – https://www.jinli.com.au/
Master Tong Low – Wushu – https://www.wtqa.org.au/committee_low
Sifu Doris Deng – Wushu – https://www.facebook.com/HHKUNGFUCLUB/
Sifu Simon Pedelty – Wushu – https://www.wtqa.org.au/committeepedelty
Sifu Nathaniel Nguyễn – Wushu – https://www.wulongtaichi.com.au/
Sifu Lucy Keenan – Tai Chi and Qigong – https://www.wulongtaichi.com.au/
Senior Instructor Noel Schmidt – Tai Chi and Qigong – https://www.celestialtaichi.com.au/
Sifu Glenys Savage – Tai Chi and Qigong – Academy TCM – Wu De Hui
Sifu Tyler Rowe – Wushu – https://chinadragon.com.au/
Unfortunately, Sifu Tyler Rowe was unable to attend on the day due to illness, but he made an invaluable contribution during the Judges' Training Workshop.
Master Su Legato then read the judges' pledge on behalf of the judges and officials. The pledges were reworded this year to reflect the values we want to uphold at WTQA events:
"On behalf of all judges and officials, I pledge that we will carry out our duties with fairness, integrity and impartiality. We will respect and abide by the rules of the competition, judge each competitor fairly and without favour, and uphold the true spirit of sportsmanship and the traditions of Wushu, Tai Chi and Qigong."
Wushu athlete Hayley Dickinson then read the pledge on behalf of the competitors:
"On behalf of all competitors, I pledge that we will participate in this Festival with respect, integrity and sportsmanship. We will abide by the rules, respect our fellow participants, judges and officials, and uphold the traditions and spirit of Wushu, Tai Chi and Qigong."
Special Guests
We were privileged to welcome two special guests from the wider martial arts community.
Master Shao Zhao Ming is President of Kung Fu Wushu Australia and President of Kung Fu Wushu Oceania. Master Shao is a former Chinese National Open Champion and was awarded the prestigious Wu Ying title, the highest level of achievement in Kung Fu-Wushu in China. He was Head Coach of the Australian National Wushu and Tai Chi Team and is an internationally accredited Grade A Wushu and Tai Chi judge.
Sifu Dana Wong is President of Kung Fu Wushu Victoria. Sifu Wong is a highly respected martial artist and instructor with many decades of experience in Chinese martial arts, particularly Wing Chun Kung Fu. He has made a significant contribution to the martial arts community in Victoria, and his dedication as an instructor has been recognised with the Blitz Magazine Hall of Fame Kung Fu Instructor of the Year award.
We were delighted to have both the President of KWA and the President of KWV attending the Festival. Their presence reflected the spirit of cooperation and mutual respect that strengthens our wider martial arts community. Also accompanying Master Shao was a film crew from Manafist Productions, who were filming a documentary on Master Shao and the hidden Yang family Tai Chi lineage.
We were fortunate to again have a team of photographers from the Camberwell Camera Club, led by Geoff Ince. Their photos are displayed throughout this write up along with those from Emily Au, Mun Yuen and Suzette Hosken.
Let the Festival begin!
With the formalities complete, Jenny Harrison declared the 24th WTQA Festival open and invited the Lion Dance team from Hung Gar Yau Shu Martial Arts School (HGYS) onto the arena.
HGYS has performed Lion Dance at WTQA Festivals for many years, and we are very grateful for their continued support and entertainment. Always a crowd favourite, this year we had two little lions learning from the big lions.
The expressive lions naturally draw our gaze, but the percussionists are equally important, with their evocative beats guiding the performance. The little lions proved particularly popular, receiving a rousing round of applause from the audience.
Next came a demonstration of Chen-style Tai Chi by Master Peter Wu of the Chen Style Taijiquan Academy. Following his solo demonstration, Master Wu invited two students to join him and demonstrated several Fa Jin techniques, sending his "attackers" bouncing away.
Then it was time for one of our favourite Festival traditions.
The audience was invited onto the arena to join together for the mass Tai Chi 24-Form. Rising Moon instructors and students led the pace as the large group practised this popular form together to the official music.
And, of course, no WTQA Festival is complete without the traditional group photograph! As always, getting a large group of people into position involves plenty of shuffling, shifting, blinking and smiling. The resulting photograph becomes the banner image on the WTQA website for the year.
Competition and Demonstrations
With the opening ceremony complete, the competition got underway.
The majority of competitors were judged in the usual manner, while some individuals and groups chose to demonstrate rather than receive a score. This combination allowed participants to take part in the Festival in a way that suited their circumstances and experience.
Both arenas were in action simultaneously, with Tai Chi and Qigong on one mat and Wushu on the other.
The range of forms presented throughout the afternoon demonstrated just how diverse our community is.
Wushu
The Wushu arena featured an impressive variety of barehand and weapon forms, including:
Chang Quan (Long Fist): 1st International Chang Quan, Short Long Fist, Small Cross Fist, 2nd International Chang Quan and Wu Duan Chang Quan.
Nan Quan (Southern Fist): 1st International Nan Quan.
Sword: Basic Straight Sword, 1st International Jian Shu, 3rd International Jian Shu, Wudang Jian and Two-handed Straight Sword.
Dao (Broadsword): Basic Broadsword, 1st International Nan Dao, 1st International Dao Shu, 2nd International Dao Shu, 3rd International Dao Shu and Wushu Chu Ji Dao.
Other weapons and forms: 1st International Qiang Shu (Spear), 2nd International Gun Shu, Tiger Head Hook Swords, Qi Xing Quan, Yin Shou Gun (Traditional Cudgel), Wudang Fan, Cheung Style Wing Chun Bil Jee Form, Cheung Style Wing Chun Chum Kil Form, Little Tiger, and Double and Single Pole Form.
Tai Chi and Qigong
The Tai Chi and Qigong arena was equally diverse, with forms including:
Tai Chi 24-Form, Yang Tai Chi (Celestial Form), Yin Water Form, Wudang Bamboo Form, Wudang 9, Wudang 28, Wudang Sword, Fu Chen Feng, Wudang Taiyi Wuxing Quan, Sapphire Tai Chi 56-Form, Shaolin Liu He 24-Form, 36 Dao, Chen-style 24-Form Fan, Chen-style 24-Form Barehand, Ba Duan Jin Qigong, Yang Sheng Tai Chi, Yang Family 13-Form, and Tai Chi for Mental Health and Cognition.
As always, competitors showed great spirit and commitment as they performed their chosen forms to the best of their ability. We see many of the same faces returning each year, and it is wonderful to see their progress. It is equally heartening to see new faces taking the plunge and stepping onto the competition floor for the first time.
Our judges had the difficult task of assessing each competitor fairly and consistently. This becomes particularly challenging when several competitors are performing on the mat at the same time, and we greatly appreciate the concentration, experience and expertise they brought to the task.
Closing Ceremony
Following the competition and demonstrations, everyone gathered together once again for the closing ceremony, where we celebrated the medal winners and overall champions.
Master Shao Zhao Ming thanked WTQA for the invitation and expressed his pleasure at collaborating with the Association. He invited WTQA to work with KWA on events celebrating International Taijiquan Day in March and also informed us of an upcoming international competition to be held in Melbourne in 2027.
Master Shao also thanked WTQA Vice President Suzette Hosken for volunteering at the Oceania Kung Fu Wushu Championships in Brisbane in May.
It is exciting to see opportunities for collaboration developing between organisations, and the future looks even more promising when we work together to support Wushu, Tai Chi and Qigong.
Congratulations to our medal winners
Medals were presented by the Head Judges across the Tai Chi, Qigong and Wushu categories. Congratulations to all of our competitors for their hard work and commitment
Wushu
Wushu Long Fist: Gold – Connor McGowan, Silver – Chunyi (Bessie) Qian, Bronze – Wei Huang
Wushu Nan Quan (Southern Fist): Gold – Gizane (Zani) Micallef, Silver – Clement Teo
Wushu Barehand Forms: Gold – Connor McGowan, Silver – Tysun Luong, Bronze – Stephen Chin
Wushu Dao Shu (Broad Sword): Gold – Gizane (Zani) Micallef, Silver – Clement Teo, Silver – Connor McGowan, Bronze – Henry Tran
Wushu Jian Shu (Straight Sword): Gold – Chunyi (Bessie) Qian, Silver – Mikaela Boatto, Bronze – Wei Huang, Bronze – Terra Suppiah
Wushu Short Weapons: Gold – John Paul Fuller-Jackson, Silver – Hayley Dickinson, Bronze – Manon Sabouraud
Wushu Long Weapons: Gold – Connor McGowan, Silver – Chunyi (Bessie) Qian, Bronze – Wei Huang
Wushu Team Competition: Gold – Wulong Wushu Team
Tai Chi
Tai Chi 24-Form: Gold – Robert Harris, Silver – Warren du Preez, Bronze – Stephin Chin
Tai Chi Barehand Forms: Gold – Thi Thai Do, Silver – Paul Finn, Bronze – Stephen Chin
Tai Chi Weapons: Gold – Thi Thai Do, Silver – Paul Finn, Bronze – Cornelia de Rochefort
Tai Chi Team Competition: Gold – Legato Tai Chi (Fu Chen Feng), Silver – Legato Tai Chi (Yin Water Form), Bronze – Wulong Tai Chi (24-Form)
Qigong
Qigong Team Competition: Gold – Celestial Ba Duan Jin Health Qigong (Ba Duan Jin), Gold – Wulong Qigong Team (Ba Duan Jin)
Overall Champions
Master Shao and Sifu Wong were invited to present the overall champion trophies.
We are pleased to announce the 2026 champions:
Tai Chi Champion: Thi Thai Do
Wushu Champions: Bessie (Chunyi) Qian and Connor McGowan
There was unfortunately a counting error in the initial calculation of the Wushu Champion. Following a review, the Committee decided to recognise both Connor McGowan and Bessie Qian as joint Wushu Champions.
Thank you to everyone involved
A Festival of this size simply could not happen without the many people who work behind the scenes.
President Sam Au thanked the MC Jenny Harrison, the judges, and all of the volunteers for their hard work. This year there were 80 competitors and demonstrators, 37 volunteers including 11 judges, and 20 participating schools. Nine schools entered competitors and demonstrators, while another nine schools supplied volunteers. A further 130 people attended as spectators.
Our volunteers took on everything from registration and judging to scoring, timing, marshalling, music, catering, photography and first aid. Their contribution is a vital part of making the Festival possible, and we sincerely thank every person who gave their time.
Thank you also to all of the schools, instructors, competitors, demonstrators, judges, volunteers, supporters and spectators who contributed to the day.
It was wonderful to see such a diverse range of Wushu, Tai Chi and Qigong styles brought together in one place, with participants ranging from experienced competitors to those simply wanting to share their practice with the community.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back for the 25th WTQA Festival in 2027, which will return to a demonstration format.
Links to the participating schools and organisations are below:
Academy TCM - Wu De Hui, Celestial Tai Chi College, Chen Style Taijiquan Academy, China Dragon / Tai Chi for Life - Seaford branch, HH Kung Fu Club in Bendigo, Hong Kong Club Tai Chi Group, Hongmen Martial Arts Academy, Hung Gar Yau Shu Martial Arts, Jade Lady Tai Chi and Qigong, JinLi Wushu Tai Chi Pty Ltd, Legato Tai Chi, Li Kris Han Kung Fu, Melbourne University Wushu Kung Fu Club, Monash University Wushu Club, Rising Moon Tai Chi School, Sapphire Tai Chi & Kung Fu Academy, Wulong Tai Chi Kung Fu.