Zhang Sixuan, a 9-year-old girl from China’s Henan province, bested some of the world’s most elite kung fu masters to earn the title of “Shaolin Kung Fu Star” at this year’s World Shaolin Games.

There are millions of Shaolin Kung fu practitioners around the world, and every year tens of thousands of them compete for a chance to be invited to participate in the World Shaolin Games Finals. This year, an international cast of 124 kung fu practitioners was invited to show off their skills at a Shaolin temple in central China’s Henan Province, in front of respected kung fu masters and an audience of kung fu enthusiasts. Among them was a 9-year-old girl whose incredible flexibility and mastery of tong zi gong (a form of Shaolin kung fu) stunned both the judges and the crowd, earning her the coveted title of Shaolin Kung Fu Star.

Photo: Dengfeng Release

Considering that of the 124 Shaolin kung fu practitioners who qualified for this year’s World Shaolin Games in Henan only 10 claimed the title of Shaolin Kung Fu Star, 9-year-old Zhang Sixuan’s achievement is nothing short of extraordinary. However, watching her perform her incredible tong zi gong routine, it’s easy to see that she earned the honor through years of hard work.

Zhang’s coach at Jingzhong Martial Arts School in Tangyin County, Henan Province, told The Paper that the young girl has been studying kung fu for 4 years now and stands to improve her skills even more. He praised the 9-year-old’s work ethic, claiming that she had never complained about having to train late into the night.

“Sixuan is very strong and has never cried during training,” Zhao Zhenwu said. “Even if she has to train until 11 pm for a competition, she will never complain about being tired or the training being too hard. She likes martial arts very much and often stays in school to train during holidays.”

Zhang Sixuan went through several months of auditions to qualify for the 2024 World Shaolin Games and competed against 124 “Intercontinental Shaolin Kung Fu Stars” from 47 countries and regions to claim the title of World Shaolin Kung Fu Star.

For more amazing young martial artists, check out Ryusei “Ryuji” Imai, a young Bruce Lee imitator.