Xiaoyang Xu

Xiaoyang obtained his Master’s degree from the Wushu (Martial Arts) School at Shanghai University of Sport (China) in 2025. He is a national level athlete (Wushu Taolu) and has more than 10 years of experience in practicing Chinese Martial Arts. He achieved third place in the 2025 Chinese National Wushu Taolu Championships. He completed his undergraduate studies at the School of Education at Zhejiang University.

In 2025, Xiaoyang began his PhD research within the research unit Sport & Society (SASO) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, under the mentorship of Prof. dr. Marc Theeboom. His doctoral research focuses on the international dissemination of Wushu among youth. The objective of his research is to effectively enhance youth motivation for learning Wushu, sustain their long-term interest in participation, and reduce the likelihood of dropout during training. His research project, titled "I want to be like Kung Fu Panda", aims to bridge the gap between young participants' expectations and their actual experiences in Chinese martial arts.