My journey into Chinese martial arts began in 2000 under Master Qin Ming Tang (秦明堂) at Wushucentrum in Prague, Czech Republic. I started with Shaolin Quan and gradually expanded my training to include Chen-style Taijiquan, Qigong, and Sanda.
Ten years later, my path led me to China, where I was accepted to Shanghai University of Sport. Before beginning my Master’s degree, I spent a year studying Chinese in an intensive language preparation program. During this time, I was also selected to join the university’s Taijiquan and Qigong team under the guidance of Coach Xie Yelei (谢业雷).
Living and studying in Shanghai opened the door to many new experiences. Alongside Wushu, I began training in Judo, Chinese Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, broadening my understanding of movement, grappling, and combat sports.
In 2011, I successfully passed the entrance exams and began my master’s degree in Traditional Chinese Sports, studying entirely in Chinese. The program combined intensive martial arts training with the academic study of Chinese martial arts, history, philosophy, culture, and theory.
After completing my Master’s degree, I continued with a PhD in the same field, graduating in 2017. To this day, I am one of only a handful of foreigners to have earned this degree in China. Those years taught me far more than martial arts techniques. I spent countless hours training, researching, competing, and learning from coaches, professors, and practitioners from different backgrounds. During this time, I also competed successfully in Taijiquan and Health Qigong tournaments throughout China and began teaching students of different ages, backgrounds, and experience levels.
In 2017, I returned to the Czech Republic and joined Palacký University in Olomouc, where I worked at the International Office and taught Chinese martial arts. I also became the coach of the Czech Taijiquan Team. The following year, I led the team to the European Wushu Championships in Moscow, where it achieved the best results in its history at that time. Alongside coaching, I continued to compete and won a gold medal in the Traditional Taijiquan category with my Nan Taijiquan routine.
A year later, my journey took me back to Shanghai. I worked at a private boarding school as a Physical Education and English teacher while continuing to teach Chinese martial arts and pursue my own training.
Shanghai once again provided countless opportunities to learn, compete, and grow. Alongside Chinese martial arts, I competed in Judo, Chinese Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and even stepped into the cage for an amateur MMA fight. In 2021, I earned my green belt in Judo and my blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training across different disciplines reinforced my belief that there is always something new to learn, regardless of style or experience level.
After years of studying, training, teaching, and competing, my priorities began to shift. I returned home, became a mother, and discovered that raising my son would become the most important journey of all.
In 2025, we packed our lives into a few suitcases and moved to Thailand, ready to begin a new chapter. I quickly found my way back onto the mats, training with professional Chinese MMA fighters and spending time in local BJJ gyms. For a while, it felt as though everything was falling into place.
Then I started to feel unwell.
At first, I dismissed the symptoms as fatigue, stress, or the result of hard training. But over time, it became clear that something more serious was going on. What was supposed to be the beginning of an exciting new adventure soon turned into a journey I never expected to take.
In late 2025, I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer.
The diagnosis changed everything. I had to leave Thailand and return to the Czech Republic once again. I am currently undergoing treatment while continuing to teach, learn, and move forward one day at a time.
Today, I share my knowledge and experience through Chinese language lessons, Taijiquan, Health Qigong, and Chinese culture. My goal is not only to teach techniques or vocabulary, but to help others discover the richness of a culture that has shaped so much of my life.
Whether you are here to learn Chinese, improve your Taijiquan, explore Chinese culture, or simply follow along on the journey, I am glad you are here.
