THE MARTIAL ARTS OF VIETNAM

AN OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORY AND STYLES

- AUGUSTUS JOHN ROE -

Copyright © 2016 Augustus Roe

All rights reserved.
- DEDICATED TO ISABELLA -
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

For their assistance in the writing, research, and photography of this book I
would like to thank: Master Thich Bao Huyen of the Dharma Mountain
Lineage, Master Tran Ha Minh of Nhat Nam Hanoi, Master Truong Van Vinh
of the Phi Long Vinh School, Master Ho Tuong of the Ba Tra Tan Khanh
School, Truong, Linh and Thuy of Lieu Doi Village, Master Hoang Thanh
Phong of the Thanh Phong School, Giang Lai of the Bac Viet Vo School,
Master Dinh Trong Thuy of the Vinh Xuan Kung Fu Viet Nam School, Viet
Muay Thai Hanoi, Master Nguyen Thanh Bao of the Sa Long Cuong Ho Chi
Minh City School, The District One Nam Huynh Dao School, Le Thai Duong
of Brothers Judo School, Nguyen Duy Quan and Le Trung Linh of the Nam
Hong Son Hanoi School.

I would like to thank: Le Thanh Ha who single-handedly designed the layout

and concept of the book, Ann Roe for her multiple proofreads and edits
(despite a lack of interest in the subject matter) and Alice Parry, Dr
Christopher Ford, Grant J. Riley, Jasper Roe, Jonathan Chappell, and Joseph
Williams for their assistance with photography, proofreading and editing.
 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION -

CHAPTER ONE - History and Geography of Vietnam

CHAPTER TWO - North Vietnamese Styles and Schools

CHAPTER THREE - Central Vietnamese Styles and Schools

CHAPTER FOUR - South Vietnamese Styles and Schools

CHAPTER FIVE - Ethnic Minority Martial Arts

CHAPTER SIX - Sino-Vietnamese and Chinese Martial Arts

CHAPTER SEVEN - Imported and Foreign Martial Arts

CONCLUSION - The Future of Vietnamese Martial Arts

SCHOOLS LISTING -

GLOSSARY -

RESOURCES -
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
INTRODUCTION

Since the beginning of recorded history, systems of combat training

collectively known as martial arts have developed throughout all corners of
the globe.
Initially, these systems were forged by our ancestors for use in fighting,
hunting and warfare; the term ’martial’ itself is derived from the name
’Mars’, the Roman god of war. In modern times the practice of martial arts is
no longer exclusive to combat—competition, entertainment, physical
cultivation, spiritual cultivation and the worship of gods and deities all
commonly manifest themselves within the practice of martial arts.
In western cultures martial arts are often represented as predominantly Asian
practices, however this is not the case; some of the earliest formally
recorded martial arts belonged to the ancient Egyptians, with wrestling,
boxing and stick fighting systems described in hieroglyphics dating from as
far back as 2000 B.C. Although it is far from being the oldest collection of
combat systems, the Asian martial arts legacy has certainly developed for
good reason—martial arts have played a key role in many cultural and
societal changes throughout Asia that have not just affected their localized
regions but have shaped the face of the human race on a truly global scale.
In the country we now know as Vietnam (an array of other names have all
been attributed to the region including: Van Lang, Au Lac, Dai Co Viet, Dai
Viet, Dai Ngu and Nam Viet), combat skills have been integral for survival
from the beginning of recorded history and many of the traditions that remain
today can trace their lineages back hundreds if not thousands of years.
As with many Asian, and indeed western, countries the evolution of martial
arts in Vietnam has reflected societal changes and played a key role in the
formation of the nation and its culture. As a country famed for its ferocity in
battle, Vietnam is just now beginning the first consistent era of peace in more
than two thousand years of conflict. In modern times, where battles are fought
with technologies and economies as opposed to hands and feet, it is both
interesting and inspiring to see how these ancient practices fit into our world
and connect us with history.

The main gate of Van Mieu Quoc Tu Giam in Hanoi, which hosted the royal court’s examinations
from the tenth century

For thousands of years, the Southeast Asian Peninsula has acted as a melting
pot for cultures and customs. Ever present was the influence of the ancient
and dominating Chinese empires to the north, whilst to the south and west of
Vietnam lay the powerful Siamese, Champa and Khmer kingdoms—which
today make up parts of Thailand, South Vietnam and Cambodia respectively.
Along with these neighboring states were a range of indigenous ethnic groups
distributed throughout the nation and various foreign entities for which
Vietnam’s long coastline and natural resources made it a valuable trading hub
and military vantage point.
Martial arts were often studied as a means of self-preservation for the rural
farming communities who faced near-constant threats of invasions and battles
between various warring factions. Typically, martial arts practices were
passed down through generations of families and religious orders. Through
centuries of trial and error these combat practices evolved, until eventually
becoming practical, defined systems.
From as early as the tenth century, but becoming widespread by the fifteenth
century, formal martial arts training was adopted by the Vietnamese military
and royal courts—based in and around the citadel of Thăng Long (which
represents the foundation of modern day Hanoi). The royal courts mandated
examinations and training in the physical, philosophical and strategic aspects
of the martial arts, including military leadership skills as well as combat.
Along with their use in military training, martial arts were popular cultural
activities that were incorporated into festivals and celebrations, serving as
both performance pieces and a method of exercise and physical cultivation.
From as far back as the twelfth century, foreign visitors and traders from
neighboring countries held the Vietnamese people in high regard for their
physical abilities and martial arts skills. The Chinese envoy Chen Fu who
arrived in Vietnam in the spring of 1293 wrote of the physical strength of the
Đại Việt people and their abilities to run and leap great distances. He
observed and wrote how they appeared to “fly” over obstacles on land and
swim at great speed through water. Even in modern times the general
population of Vietnam are of a relatively small build, but tend to be supple
and flexible with a high level of core and muscular strength in comparison to
their western counterparts.
Today a wide range of martial art styles remain that cover everything from
acrobatic display pieces to battle-hardened and brutal self-defense training.
The martial arts and associated practices of modern day Vietnam have an
extremely diverse range of influences and considering their ties to a long and
eventful history, they are certainly unique.
In this book we will examine some of the most famous styles and popular
schools of martial arts that have developed within the borders of Vietnam.
With the aid of pictures and information gathered directly from the masters,
we hope to gain some insight into the culture of Vietnam, preserve history
and share knowledge with the western world. Throughout the course of this
book we will discuss the following topics:

The History and Geography of Vietnam

Martial Arts from the Northern Region
Martial Arts from the Central Region
Martial Arts from the Southern Region
Ethnic Minority Martial Arts
Sino-Vietnamese and Chinese Martial Arts
 Foreign Martial Arts Practiced in Vietnam
The Future of the Vietnamese Martial Arts

It should be highlighted to the reader that although this book contains

information on a variety of Vietnamese martial arts, it is by no means a
comprehensive encyclopedia of schools and styles, and can be used only as
an introduction to the nation and some of its popular martial traditions.
Furthermore, this book describes only martial arts schools and styles that
have large followings either in Vietnam, abroad or both. Although hundreds
of Vietnamese-lineage styles exist outside of the country, for the most part
they have not been included here.
It should also be noted that, like all modern day countries, the borders,
cultures and identities of the people living in Vietnam are ever-changing. As
a result, any references in this book to specific areas of land, ethnicities or
races are purely descriptive terms and in some cases may not be fully
representative of the current situation

Finally, it must be made clear that this is not an instructional document

and all martial arts training must only be undertaken with the guidance
of a professional and qualified instructor.
NOTES ON THE WRITING OF NON-ENGLISH WORDS
The Vietnamese language is generally written using characters of the Latin
alphabet with diacritical markings indicating tonal inflections and various
vowel sounds. However, with the exception of italicized words and
occasional logographs that are included alongside English translations,
throughout the majority of this book the Romanized spellings of Vietnamese
words are used. Therefore, words such as Hà Nội and HỒ Chí Minh have
been transcribed as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, respectively. All words written
using the Vietnamese script have been included in the glossary for reference,
as have specific martial arts terms written as Romanizations of other
languages, such as Forms, Qigong, Chi Sao and Gi. Furthermore, the terms
Master, Grandmaster and Patriarch Master have been used to refer to an
instructor who has achieved mastery of an art form, the current or former
head of a school or system and the deceased founder of an individual school
or style, respectively.
CHAPTER I

HISTORY AND
GEOGRAPHY OF
VIETNAM
EARLY HISTORY THE HONG B ANG DYNASTY
The area known as Vietnam has been consistently inhabited since prehistoric
times. Evidence of fossil remains and stone tools from as long ago as the
early Neolithic era—several thousand years in the past—have been found in
the northern-central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An. More recent
archaeological discoveries that have been dated to later periods (but still
prior to recorded history), have included an abundance of stone tools and
items such as bowls, plates, axes, knives and hammers. The Đông Sơn
(literally East Mountain) culture began to develop from 2000 B.C. and by
around 1200 B.C it had progressed into a sophisticated and independent
society using bronze casting and agricultural processes. Some of the
surviving bronze tools from this period were cast used highly advanced
technology for the age and included swords, spears, daggers and axes as well
as intricately decorated drums—which are the typical image associated with
the Dong Son culture.
Detailed Dong-Son-age carvings often depict the use of weapons both in
battle and as hunting tools. These weapons would have been heavy and
unversatile, requiring great skill to operate effectively. This in turn would
have required training—through these practices, the earliest incarnations of
Vietnamese martial arts may have begun to grow.
In the ancient legends of early Vietnam, the nation was founded under the
leadership of Kinh Duong Vuong, who was the first in a line of eighteen
hereditary monarchs known as Hùng Vitơng or the Hung Kings. The nation
was ruled by the Hung Kings from 2879–258 B.C. This was known as the
Hong Bang Dynasty (the word dynasty referring to a line of hereditary
rulers). Legend claims that the son of Kinh Duong Vuong named Lac Long
Quan (literally meaning Dragon Lord) and his wife—a Daoist immortal
named Au Co—bore a hundred children. Half of their offspring traveled to
the coastal regions with their father and half to the mountains with their
mother; they developed the skills of agriculture and with this the foundations
of modern society grew. Despite the fictitious elaborations, this story is often
told today as the mythical origins of the Vietnamese people.
 A Dong Son drum on display in the Vietnamese Museum of Vietnamese history

Hong Bang Dynasty daggers and spearheads on display in the Museum of Vietnamese history

THE THUC AND TRIEU DYNASTIES

Following eighteen generations of Hung King rule, An Duong Vuong (also
known as Thuc Phan) succeeded the Hung Kings by seizing control of the
Red River Delta and the surrounding provinces. In 257 B.C. An Duong
Vuong established the first true city in the region and named it Co Loa.
Located around sixteen kilometers northeast of Hanoi, the Co Loa Citadel
remains today as an important archaeological site.
With his new city An Duong Vuong founded the Thuc Dynasty, which
governed the newly formed nation—then known as Au Lac—for over seventy
years before being succeeded by the Trieu Dynasty. The rule of the Trieu
Dynasty was almost as brief, lasting only a little longer than one hundred
years.

CHINESE DOMINATION
AND THE EARLY LY DYNASTY
The powerful and technologically advanced Han Dynasty to the north
managed to seize control of the territories known as Au Lac by 111 B.C., and
with this began almost a millennium of Chinese rule. The Han Dynasty
renamed their new provinces Nan Yue ( ) or Nam Viet in the
Vietnamese dialect. Yue/Viet refers to the people on the outskirts of the
Chinese nation and Nam means southern; therefore, Nam Viet (later revised
as Viet Nam) translates roughly to southern provinces or southern dwellers.
At this time, the nation was primarily based around the Red River Delta
region, where the population expanded rapidly. Nam Viet during this period
also incorporated several southern provinces of what is now modern day
China. However, the central and southern regions of modern day Vietnam
remained separate geopolitical entities.
Under Chinese rule, there were vast numbers of rebellions and usurpations of
the throne. Some of the great heroes of Vietnamese history were rebels who
managed to overthrow the ruling Han, Wu, Liang and Tang Dynasties and
often restoring short-lived independence. Among the most famous of these
heroes were the twoTrung Sisters (Hai Ba Trung), who in 39 A.D. overthrew
the Han Dynasty and briefly seized control. After two years, their uprising
succumbed to Han forces and the sisters became martyrs by drowning
themselves rather than submitting or surrendering to the invaders and in doing
so assured their legacy as Vietnamese heroes.
During this period Buddhism developed a large following in early Vietnam,
although Confucianism was also supported by most of the ruling classes.
Simultaneously many immigrants of Chinese ethnicity were integrated into
Vietnamese society, and along with this demographic shift came an influx of
new philosophies and social structures. Confucian-style examinations of
academic and military subjects, court systems and feudal classes similar to
those of the Chinese empire also became widespread throughout the nation.
In 543 A.D., Ly Bi (also known as Ly Nam De) led a revolt against the Liang
Dynasty and assumed power of the state. Despite being of Chinese descent,
Ly Nam De was seen as being one of the first true emperors of the nation.
Although he died in 547 A.D., his followers managed to maintain power for
almost fifty years and this period became known as the Early Ly Dynasty.
Shortly following the end of this period, control of the country quickly fell
back to into the hands of the dominating Chinese Tang Dynasty. Chinese rule
continued across Vietnam for a further three hundred years.

THE NGO, DINH AND EARLY LE DYNASTIES

By 939 A.D., the Tang Dynasty had fallen into decline and power was seized
by a Vietnamese General named Ngo Quyen. Ngo Quyen ruled briefly, for
just under thirty years. He was followed by a number of rulers in quick
succession who founded the Dinh and Early Le Dynasties; however, they
ultimately failed to establish any consolidated power.

THE LY DYNASTY
AND EXPANSION OF THE NATION
A high-ranking member of the Imperial Guard named Ly Thai To assumed
power from the weak Early Le Dynasty and ushered in one of the first
independent eras in more than a thousand years, this was known as the Later
Ly Dynasty. Ly Thai To established centralized leadership, administration
and stable rule from 1009–1225 A.D. During this period, the capital city was
moved from Hoa Lu to create Thăng Long (modern Hanoi) in 1010 A.D.
During the Ly Dynasty the military of Vietnam—then known as Đại Việt
began its campaign of Nam Tiến (literally translated as Marching South) and
gradually expanded their territory through fierce battles with the southern
Khmer and Champa empires.
The Cham people were a predominantly Hindu society, thought to have
spread throughout Southeast Asia from the Malay Peninsula. In its heyday the
Champa Kingdom, also known as Lam Ap, stretched from the northern Ha
Tinh Province to the southern city of Phan Rang (Panduranga) in Ninh Thuan
Province. However, the Cham cultural influence reached far into Southeast
Asia as they controlled important trade routes both at sea and across the
mainland. The Champa capital city, Indrapura, was located in modern day
Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh province, Vietnam.
The Khmer ethnic group was based in southern of Vietnam, Thailand and
Cambodia during this period. The Khmer empire covered a large amount of
what is now southern Vietnam and was for many years in direct contest with
the Champa kingdom for the southwestern provinces. However, by the
thirteenth century they had abandoned many of their former colonies and
receded further into the area that is modern day Cambodia. Despite the
Khmer being the current major ethnic group in Cambodia and Thailand, they
remain a minority in Vietnam.
Owing much to their advanced military skills, highly developed
infrastructure and agricultural expertise, the Ly Dynasty was successful in
pushing the Cham and Khmer borders ever further into the narrow plains and
highlands of central Vietnam.

THE TRAN AND HO DYNASTIES

By 1225 A.D. the Tran Dynasty was established through the marriage of the
remaining Ly family daughter. Throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries the armies of Kublai Khan’s Mongols attempted numerous
invasions of Vietnam and were subsequently defeated, most famously through
the use of guerrilla tactics by the legendary king and warrior Tran Hung Dao.
Born as Prince Tran QuocTuan, Tran Hung Dao was a national hero who
famously unified Vietnam and its population to fight with fearsome pride and
eventually defeat the Mongol invaders on three separate occasions—in 1258,
1285 and 1288.
Throughout the latter part of the Tran Dynasty, Vietnam was in a near-
constant state of battle with the Champa Kingdom. Vietnam was ever
expanding southwards and the Cham society that originally occupied the
central region was growing smaller and weaker with each decade. Following
more than two hundred years of the Tran Dynasty, the Ho Dynasty came to
power early in the fifteenth century. Due to mandating various reforms the Ho
Dynasty was met with widespread unpopularity, and after ruling for just six
years was overthrown by armies of the Chinese Ming Dynasty

CHINESE DOMINATION AND THE LATER LE

DYNASTY
The Ming Dynasty controlled Vietnam as a province of China for twenty
years and during this time they attempted to instill a stronger sense of
Chinese culture and further deepen Confucian values in Vietnam.
As more and more Vietnamese citizens moved south into Khmer and Cham
lands, coupled with the southern ports prospering from trade with other
Southeast Asian nations, the Chinese influence began to dwindle. In 1428, a
wealthy and well-learned Vietnamese landowner and scholar-official of the
Ming Dynasty named Le Loi gathered a resistance movement and overthrew
the Ming, then ascended to the throne of Vietnam. Le Loi was crowned Le
Thai To, and ushered in the era known as the Later Le Dynasty from 1428–
1788.
The Later Le Dynasty successfully reorganized land ownership and civil
structures, which ensured their long-lasting survival. In 1460, King Le Thanh
Tong came to power. Le Thanh Tong is often considered as one of the most
successful Vietnamese emperors in history. During his reign he furthered the
conquest of the Champa Kingdom by seizing the Champa city-state of Vijaya
(near Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh Province) and even managed to successfully
develop diplomatic relations with China and various other Asian nations. Le
Thanh Tong also established provincial Temples of Literature’ in which the
study of Confucianism, history and philosophy were furthered.
Due to various economic and governmental issues in their homelands, many
ethnic Chinese traders and refugees relocated to southern Vietnam during this
era. A large proportion of which eventually settled within hamlets throughout
the south-central provinces. With this wave of immigration came an influx of
cultural and martial arts practices from both northern Vietnam and southern
China that became influential in the region.

THE MAC DYNASTY, TRINH AND NGUYEN LORDS

Following Le Thanh Tong’s death in 1497 and through to 1527 the Later Le
Dynasty was in decline, and in 1527 the throne was seized by Mac Dang
Dung, a scholar-official who had effectively controlled the Later Le Dynasty
for a decade. Following this upheaval, Vietnam was partitioned into the
northern and southern regions. The south was seized by the Nguyen Lords and
the north by the Trinh Lords—both of which were essentially clans of
provincial rulers and military commanders similar to the Daimyos of feudal
Japan.
The Nguyen Lords, located in the south, conducted considerably more
international trade than the Trinh, and at this time they also received support
from China and other nations with important trade routes in Southeast Asia.
Many former followers of the Ming Dynasty, numbering more than three
thousand people, also established themselves in the southern provinces as
farmers and traders. During this period the numbers of Portuguese, Dutch,
English and French colonists in Vietnam began to increase and throughout the
seventeenth century, with this influx of foreigners, modern firearms were
introduced to the nation.
With trade came religion; French and Portuguese Jesuits were relatively
common in Vietnam during these times. The best known of these early
missionaries was Alexandre de Rhodes, a French Jesuit who was sent to
Hanoi in 1627. Alexandre, among others, learned to speak the Vietnamese
language to a high level and is partially credited with the introduction of a
modified Latin alphabet as a writing system. As a high rate of peasants and
traders were illiterate, this new writing system, which was known as Quốc
Ngữ, rapidly became popular due to its simplicity and accessibility in
comparison to the traditional Chữ Nôm or logographic characters.
With their ever-growing support and numbers, the Nguyen Lords managed to
displace many of the remaining ethnic Khmer from the southern provinces by
1749, and those who did not die in battle or leave of their own accord
eventually assimilated into southern Vietnamese society.
From 1771–1802, the Tay Son Rebellion grew in the central provinces of
Vietnam. In Tay Son Village, Binh Dinh Province, three brothers named
Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue and Nguyen Lu envisioned a new country where
land was distributed fairly and the poor were not punished at the will of
corrupt officials. Their core principle and the slogan of their movement was
“Seize the property of the rich and distribute it to the poor” The rebellion
grew, and in 1773 the oldest brother, Nguyen Nhac seized the city of Quy
Nhon, which became the capital of the newly established Tay Son Dynasty.
By 1778, the three brothers had taken control over the southern region of
Vietnam, including Gia Dinh (Saigon). The ruling Nguyen Clan were all
killed by the Tay Son rebels, with the exception of Nguyen Anh, the sixteen-
year-old nephew of the last Nguyen Lord, who escaped to the Mekong Delta
and subsequently lobbied King Louis XVI of France to back his campaign via
the French missionaries of the south.

A two hundred Dong note featuring the image of Quang Trung

THE TAY SON DYNASTY AND UNIFICATION OF

VIETNAM
By 1786, the Tay Son Rebellion had overthrown the crumbling, provincial
rule of the Trinh Lords and seized all of the north, thus uniting Vietnam for the
first time in two hundred years. Despite repeated attacks from breakaway
groups and Chinese invaders, the second oldest brother Nguyen Hue took the
throne of the first ‘modern’ incarnation of Vietnam and declared himself
Emperor, taking on the name Quang Trung. Under the rule of Quang Trung the
country was united. He used his wise leadership skills to reform the
agricultural and taxation systems and ensured security and education for
many citizens on a previously unseen scale. He also officially mandated the
practice of martial arts and study of classical literature for the military and
ruling classes. When Quang Trung died suddenly in 1792 he was succeeded
by his son Nguyen Quang Toan, who from just ten years old went on to rule
the nation for a further decade.

A scene depicting Quang Trung’s victory against Qing invaders during the battle of Dong Hoi

THE NGUYEN DYNASTY AND FRENCH

IMPERIALISM
By 1802, the French-backed Nguyen Anh (also known as Gia Long) had
recovered control of the country from the weak Tay Son Dynasty, and the
nation’s capital was moved to the central city of Hue. The Nguyen Dynasty at
this time was heavily dependent on French forces. This was the beginning of
French colonial rule and the foundations what would later develop into part
of French Indochina.
Despite a number of rebellions in the early part of the nineteenth century, the
French-backed government continued to rule. Meanwhile an increasing
foreign influence was being instilled in the nation. By 1841, the number of
Catholic converts in Vietnam had reached an estimated 450,000, and many of
these converts were located in the southern provinces. Under the guise of
offering protection for French missionaries and the Christian converts of
Vietnam, the French attacked Da Nang harbor in 1847, killing an estimated
ten thousand Vietnamese citizens. Eventually this led to a full invasion by
Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte III, and in 1862 the Vietnamese government
officially signed the treaty of Saigon, surrendering multiple southern
territories to the French. Following battles for the largest cities of Hanoi and
Saigon in 1882 and 1884 respectively, this treaty was expanded upon and
Vietnam was forced to recognize the full sovereignty of France.
In 1887, France officially established the Indochinese Union, which
consisted of the northern, central and southern regions of Vietnam. Under
French rule these states were referred to as Tonkin, Annam and Cochinchina,
respectively, and by 1893 the Indochinese Union had expanded further west
to incorporate both Cambodia and Laos. This was an unprosperous time for
much of Vietnam due to a high level of poverty derived from economic
exploitation and disease. Cholera ravaged the nation and in combination with
the conditions of poverty, this epidemic led to the death of more than one
million Vietnamese people. The upper classes of the Vietnamese citizenry
continued to prosper through French-supported land ownership, but the vast
majority of the peasant class faced immeasurable hardships under colonial
rule. Along with economic oppression, the Vietnamese people also faced
serious religious persecution; this had the effect of forcing both religious
practices and related traditions—such as martial arts—underground.
Education was also repressed throughout the nation and it was estimated that
by the early twentieth century, a maximum of one in ten children were
receiving any formal education.
 The Mausoleum of Nguyen Dynasty Kings on the outskirts of Hue City

During this period, a nationalized movement began to form under the

influence of Phan Boi Chau and other leaders who had trained abroad and
drew inspiration from similar movements taking place in China. There were
ever-growing numbers of terrorist attacks, assassinations and bombings
targeting the colonial powers during the decades leading up to 1913, when a
number of important nationalist exiles were imprisoned in China by French
request.
Throughout the first few years of World War One, the French colonial
powers managed to maintain control over Vietnam, although by the 1930s
communist and revolutionary ideas were developing strong foundations due
to the influence of a number of foreign-trained nationalists including the
Russian and French-educated Ho Chi Minh. After the fall of France to the
Nazis in September 1940, the Japanese seized control of a number of
Vietnamese border towns, citing them as necessary for supply routes through
China. The Japanese and French reached a ceasefire for a number of years.
However, by 1945, Japan insisted on French submission and the surrender of
Vietnam to their cause. Following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
the Pacific War was quickly over and the Japanese had totally withdrawn
from Vietnam by 1946. The last Emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, surrendered
the throne in 1945 and by the late 1940s the Vietnamese Communist
movement was rapidly forming into an official political party headed by Ho
Chi Minh and his Minister of Interior, Vo Nguyen Giap. At this time there
were a large number of independent communist militias forming around
Vietnam securing lands and by 1954 the French were forced out following a
final military stand led by Vo Nguyen Giap in Dien Bien Phu Province.

THE FOUNDING OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

In an attempt to restore order to a nation which was rapidly dividing into
various pockets of political ideas, Vietnam was partitioned into two states
along the seventeenth parallel—the circle of latitude positioned seventeen
degrees north of Earth’s equatorial plane—approximately running along Ben
Hai River in Quang Tri Province, just north of the central former capital city,
Hue.
The United States-supported government began to rule in the south—then
known as ‘The Republic of Vietnam’, while the Communist party
appropriated control of the north of the country. By 1960, the Communist
forces had begun to enter the south and assume strategic positions of power
and with this the United States’ involvement grew. The first combat came in
1961 and by the end of the year the United States had a military presence of
more than three thousand men; they also provided sixty-five million US
dollars in military equipment and one hundred and thirty-six million in
economic aid to The Republic of Vietnam.
The Republic’s government faced a number of bloody uprisings from local
and northern Communist forces following much discontent with governmental
policy and the oppression of various religious and ethnic groups by the
predominantly Catholic ruling party. In 1963, the President of The Republic
of Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated and a number of quick
succession, but unstable military puppet-governments were put in place.
The Tet Offensive took place in 1967; this was an aggressive attack by the
North Vietnamese during the normally peaceful Lunar New Year period on
over a hundred important cities using eighty-five thousand troops. Following
the Tet Offensive, the political tide in the United States began to turn and due
to vast unpopularity with the domestic population and repeated bloody
losses, the United States began to withdraw troops. By 1973, the United
States officially announced the suspension of offensive action against North
Vietnam.
The northern Việt Minh army continued to battle with the southern
Republic’s army for two more years until finally, in April 1975, the
Communist forces officially liberated Saigon, which was then renamed Ho
Chi Minh City after the father of Vietnamese Communism.
During 1978, following political tension and small-scale battles with the
Cambodian Communist party known as the Khmer Rouge—prolific for their
orchestration of the Cambodian genocide from 1975–1979—Vietnamese
forces entered Cambodia and established control of the capital Phnom Penh.
This played a pivotal role in the downfall of the Khmer Rouge regime.
The Khmer Rouge were backed by China, who as a result attempted an
invasion of Vietnam over the mountainous terrain of the north. The Chinese
forces were quickly pushed back, and with support from the Soviet Union,
some level of peace was eventually established in Vietnam.
THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
From the 1970s to 1980s, while Vietnam was recovering from the economic
struggles of war and international embargoes there were severe famines
across the country that resulted in thousands of deaths. However, by the
1980s the government had begun to stabilize, due in part to almost three
billion dollars annually in economic aid from the U.S.S.R. Despite rife
allegations of corruption and persecution there were various systems put in
place to protect Vietnamese citizens and establish social and agricultural
protocols.
From the economic reforms launched in 1986, and coming into full swing
from the 1990s onward, the Vietnamese government has been actively
encouraging small businesses and private agriculture, which have in turn
generated a great deal of income and international trade. Along with the
improving economic climate, the tourism industry has also developed
incredibly rapidly and prospered greatly. Owing thanks to its great natural
beauty, food, culture and low costs Vietnam has quickly become one of the
most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia.
Despite being officially recognized as a Socialist Republic, nationalist
ideals still play an important role in society. Government-owned and private
companies promote national pride and development as core principles and
the Vietnamese flag—of a yellow star on a red background—flies proudly at
all times from government and private buildings alike.
Modern day Vietnam, although still officially recognized as a developing
country, has a high rate of economic turnover and is being heralded as one of
the great success stories of Southeast Asian economic development. Owing
in part to the affordability of labor and low costs of business and living in
Vietnam, it is becoming one of the top countries for attracting foreign
investment and development. In 2015 alone the nominal GDP of Vietnam was
estimated at almost 215 billion USD.
 Vietnamese flags lining the houses in the streets of Hanoi

GEOGRAPHY AND INHABITANTS

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a long and narrow country located on
the east coast of the Indochinese Peninsula. To the north it borders China, to
the west it borders the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos and the
Kingdom of Cambodia, and to its east lies the Gulf of Tonkin—an arm of the
South China Sea.
Vietnam covers close to 332,000 square kilometers and has a population of
almost ninety million. The nation consists of fifty-eight individual provinces
—regions that have their own administration but are governed by central
leadership. Vietnam can be roughly divided into three sections: the northern
region (mountainous provinces surrounding the capital city Hanoi and the
Red River Delta); the central region (beautiful coastal lowlands to the east
and mountainous highlands in the west); and the southern region (lowlands
surrounding Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta and
its many estuaries).
The north of the country is temperate with four distinct seasons whereas the
south of the nation has a tropical climate and only two seasons, dry and
monsoon.
There are fifty-four officially recognized ethnic groups of the country. The
ethnic Vietnamese known as Viet-Kinh (or just Kinh) are the vast majority
and account for eighty-seven percent of the population, inhabiting
predominantly the Red River Delta, the central coastal provinces, major
cities and the Mekong Delta.
The largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam are the Tay, Tai, Muong, Khmer,
Hoa, Nung and Hmong which count for between one and two percent of the
population respectively. Another forty-six smaller ethnic groups total just
over four percent of the general population. These groups vary in size from
hundreds of individuals to tens of thousands. Officially, Vietnam remains an
atheist nation with the majority of the population citing no specific religious
affiliation; however various forms of ancestor worship are widely practiced
by the vast majority of Vietnamese households. The largest officially
recognized religion is Mahayana Buddhism, whilst other religions with
significant followings include: Catholicism, Hoa Hao Buddhism, Caodaism
(a modern-eclectic southern Vietnamese religion that blends practices from a
variety of systems of worship), Hinduism, Islam and Theravada Buddhism.
An eighteenth century Cham-Muslim Koran
CHAPTER II

NORTH
VIETNAMESE
STYLES AND
SCHOOLS
POINTS OF INTEREST
THE NORTHERN REGION
 The view from Mt. Fansipan, also known as ‘The Roof of Indochina’

Covering an area of around fifteen thousand square kilometers is the Red

River Delta, the most populous area in North Vietnam and home to the capital
city of Hanoi. The Red River and its estuaries have for thousands of years
been the lifeblood of the region, facilitating the development of farming and
agriculture, which in turn has enabled the population of Hanoi to thrive.
Further north of the Red River Delta lies a range of mountainous highlands,
bordering China to the north and Laos to the west.
In Lao Cai Province lies mainland Southeast Asia’s highest peak—Mt.
Fansipan. The summit of Mt. Fansipan stands at an elevation of 3143 meters.
These large, yet sparsely populated provinces are home to many of the
nation’s ethnic minority groups—the Hmong, Dai, Tay and Thai communities
among others all inhabit this unforgiving mountainous landscape.
Formerly known as Thăng Long (Soaring Dragon), Hanoi is the political
and military center of the country. With a population of over seven million, it
is the second largest city in Vietnam. Although smaller than its southern
counterpart, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Hanoi is viewed by many
and strongly promoted as being the focal point of Vietnamese culture and
development.
 Traditionally dressed Hmong girls in Lao Cai Province

Hoan Kiem Lake features a thousand-year-old monument in the center

Since the formation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1975, the

government has actively supported the development of historical and cultural
practices, including many of the region’s traditional martial arts. Hanoi and
the surrounding provinces are also home to many important historical and
geological sites, such as Ha Long (literally ‘Descending Dragon’) Bay in
Quang Ninh Province. The Bay itself is recognized by The United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World
Heritage Site thanks to its magnificent limestone islands, cave systems and
diverse wildlife.
Throughout northern Vietnam there are thousands of martial arts schools and
styles descended from various family, military and religious lineages. In this
chapter we will look at some of the most significant and widely practiced
styles that stem from the northern provinces. Due to the vast but mostly
uninhabitable terrain of the far north, the delta lowlands around Hanoi are
home to the largest populations and as a result the highest density of different
martial arts practices. Many of these northern styles have been influenced by
a variety of sources, and although some claim to have evolved as completely
independent practices historically this is unlikely. The Khmer, Cham and
Siamese (Thai) ethnicities as well as various other Asian nations have all
had a presence in the Red River Delta at certain points in history; therefore,
some degree of crossover between regional cultures and martial arts would
have been inevitable.

The limestone mountains of Ha Long Bay in Quang Ninh Province

The Red River Delta was also, for almost a thousand years, part of the
southernmost provinces of China, therefore Chinese influence on the northern
Vietnamese culture and the direction of its social-political development,
including martial arts, has been significant.
Although external influences are undeniable, many martial arts styles of the
region are unique due to the ways that they have been developed and altered
to adapt to both their environments and the physicality of the practitioners.
Beginning as long ago as the eleventh century and continuing until the Tay
Son Dynasty in the seventeenth century, the royal court based in the ancient
citadel of Thang Long implemented martial arts examinations for military and
governmental positions, some even receiving a ‘Doctorate of War’. This
training played a crucial role in supporting and developing the government
and as a result, the nation.
Throughout the capital city of Hanoi, there are hundreds of battle sites and
temples devoted to honoring the martial arts and famous generals of Vietnam,
some examples of which are:

The temple of the national hero Trần Hưng Đạo in Hoàn Kiếm
District. The temple is built on an island in the lake into which Trần
Hưng Đạo threw his sword after defeating the Mongol invasion.

Chùa Bộc Pagoda, a famous site from the battle of Đống Đa (1788–
1789) in which the Vietnamese rebels expelled the invading Chinese
forces from the capital.

Quán Thánh Temple, which is dedicated to the Daoist deity and patron
saint of martial arts named Trấn Vũ. He is often considered as the
protector of Hanoi.

A sculptural representation of Tran Vu

 The main gate of Quan Thanh Temple in Hanoi

The martial arts detailed in this chapter are some of the most popular or
culturally relevant schools and styles that are widely practiced in the
northern provinces of Vietnam or originally stem from this region.
NHAT NAM SCHOOL
VÕ PHÁI NHẤT NAM

VõPhái Nhất Nam translates as One or First Vietnam Martial Arts,

although the meaning is not literal. The syllable Nhất represents unity and
Nam refers to the southern kingdom, Viet Nam. Although the name and
organization of the style are modern, Nhat Nam is said to have developed
from ancient roots. According to the founders of the modern system, Nhat
Nam is one of very few truly ‘authentic’ Vietnamese martial arts. Although in
the context of the martial arts authenticity is a concept that is difficult to
define, Nhat Nam and its predecessors certainly have a long history
throughout the development of the nation.

Traditionally dressed students perform breathing drills in horse stance

HISTORY
The earliest incarnation of Nhat Nam, which was then known as Võ Hét
(literally Shouting Martial Arts), developed in the provinces of Thanh Hoa
and Nghe An, which are located around two hundred kilometers south of
Hanoi. Võ Hét practices and similar festival performances have been
commonplace in these provinces for hundreds of years. Despite being
geographically close to the Red River Delta, the provinces of Thanh Hoa and
Nghe An were relatively isolated from the heavily Chinese-influenced
capital to the north, and what is now a several-hour drive would have
historically been a massive undertaking on foot through difficult terrain.
Many folk heroes of martial arts whose legacies survive to this day
originated from this area, such as Lady Ba Trieu, a powerful female warrior
who fought off Chinese Wu Dynasty invaders from 225–248 A.D. She is a
highly renowned character in Vietnamese folklore often referred to as the
“Vietnamese Joan of Arc”. From the twelfth century onward the Tran and Le
Dynasties both recruited many legendary generals and warriors from these
provinces. As recently as 1789, Emperor Quang Trung enlisted almost ten
thousand soldiers from Thanh Hoa and Nghe An to assist in his goal of
uniting Vietnam. The local martial arts practices were often taught through
paternal family lineages—handed down from father to son across
generations. Texts in the ancient academies of Thang Long (Hanoi) reference
the martial arts of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An formally as far back as the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. According to the current Grandmaster of
Nhat Nam—Professor Ngo Xuan Binh—the style he studied was taught
through successive generations of his family, often in secret due to dangerous
political climates. The era following the fall of the Tay Son Dynasty in
particular demanded secretive training as during his reign, the Emperor
Nguyen Anh attempted to wipe out all formalized martial arts.
Professor Ngo Xuan Binh trained in martial arts throughout his youth and by
the early 1980s, already a skilled martial artist, he managed to unite several
of the traditional Thanh Hoa and Nghe An schools of Võ Hét. On October
23, 1983, the first Nhat Nam martial arts school was officially opened in
Hanoi. During the 1980s traditional martial arts thrived and Professor Ngo
Xuan Binh soon had a dedicated following of Nhat Nam practitioners.
Currently, the Nhat Nam School is in operation throughout Vietnam, but the
style remains most popular in and around the capital. Nhat Nam is also
formally recognized by a number of Vietnamese cultural and heritage
institutions based in Hanoi.
Professor Ngo Xuan Binh teaches in Vietnam, Russia and other Eastern
European countries, where he has trained hundreds of instructors from all
over Europe along with thousands of students. Currently, there are Nhat Nam
clubs in a number of Asian and European countries including Lithuania,
Poland, Ukraine, France and the United Kingdom. It is estimated that the
followers of Nhat Nam number more than thirty thousand individuals.

CHARACTERISTICS
Due to its origins in agricultural communities, many natural aspects are
incorporated into the practice of Nhat Nam martial arts. Common techniques
of this style include tiger claw hand strikes, rooster-kicks (quick and low
attacks, reminiscent of the animal), and grappling based upon snake-like
coiling and twisting motions. These are reflected in the Nhat Nam emblem
with a snake and rooster fighting in the heart of the image. This also
represents the hard and soft or Yin and Yang elements of Daoist traditions,
which are important principles of Nhat Nam.
Students typically work on flexibility and stance training before moving onto
blocking and evasion drills—avoiding and defending punches and kicks from
their partners, forms—sets of attacking and defensive movements,
applications—practical uses of the techniques they have studied and sparring
—live fighting practice. After mastering basic forms, students are also
trained in the use of traditional weapons such as staffs and swords.
Vietnamese practitioners are typically smaller in stature than their western
counterparts; therefore, weight and height advantages are considered less
important than technical skills—non-linear movements and quick evasions
are emphasized to ensure the best chances of conflict survival.
Some unique aspects of Nhat Nam are:

Breath Control—a specific technique of deep, guttural breathing that

is combined with shouts and vocalizations. This assists with lending
power to the strikes through the use of abdominal muscles, core
strength and the coordination of breathing and motion.
Dual attacks—frequent strikes with both hands, elbows, arms and legs
used simultaneously.
Groundwork—emphasis placed upon rolling, tripping and defense
from the floor against standing opponents.

Professor Ngo Xuan Binh is also a renowned writer who has penned several
books on the philosophy and principles of Nhat Nam. In ‘Nhat Nam Martial
Arts: Volume One’, he explains the key principles of the style as written
below:

To seek for quality, not quantity.

To understand a lot, to act precisely.
To seek for essence, not for form; when you seize the form, do not
forget that the essence hides behind the surface.
Will and courage are more important than consideration.
The action comes from the consciousness.
First, you must strengthen your will and courage, later seek for mastery.
First, understand, and then act.
If you want to defend yourself, you have to understand how to attack.
If you want to attack, you have to know how to defend.
Knowing how to defend and attack are the preconditions of winning.

Master Tran Ha Minh performs tiger claw and snake techniques

UNIFORM
The standard uniforms of Nhat Nam are sleeveless red and black tops with
black trousers. For performances and demonstrations, students occasionally
wear the traditional attire of a red loincloth and bandanna. The uniforms vary
depending on rank and school, but generally do not feature belt systems like
many formalized schools of martial arts; however, masters of the style often
wear white.

Young students in standard Nhat Nam uniform

FACTS
Professor Ngo Xuan Binh is also a famous poet and writer who has
published multiple books on a variety of subjects including history,
poetry and traditional art.
Students often come from all over the world to undertake seminars with
the style’s Grandmaster, Professor Ngo Xuan Binh in both Hanoi and
Russia.
The style of Nhat Nam is recognized as a traditional cultural practice
by the Traditional Vietnamese Martial Arts Committee and the cultural
committees of Hanoi and Thanh Hoa.
VIETNAMESE TRADITIONAL WRESTLING
ĐẤU VẬT

Officially recognized as one of the oldest fighting styles of Vietnam, Dau Vat
is an aggressive form of traditional wrestling. In modern times it is mostly
practiced during the Lunar New Year or Tet holiday festivals. However
various incarnations feature in many other Vietnamese schools of martial arts
and wrestling itself is trained at national and international levels.

Wrestlers in a traditional bout in Lieu Doi Village

HISTORY
According to the official origin story of Vietnamese wrestling, the style was
developed over a thousand years ago.
One day, the founder of the style, who is known only as Mr Doan, was going
about his work as a farmhand just outside a small village named Lieu Doi—
about sixty kilometers southwest of Hanoi. Suddenly a flash flood ravaged
the area causing panic among the locals. Mr Doan immediately ran from the
field to give aid and as he got close to the village, he came across a glowing
sword resting on a red cloth in the surrounding rice paddy. Mr Doan instantly
realized that he had received a sacred gift and tied the sword around his
waist with the red cloth.
In the years following his find, war came to the nation and the strongest
fighters were called upon to defend the country from invaders. Mr Doan saw
his opportunity; he enlisted in the military and quickly developed a reputation
as a fierce warrior. Before battles he would cover himself with the sacred
earth from the village in which his weapon was discovered. According to the
story, Mr Doan’s divine gifts brought him supernatural strength and skills
whilst the earth covering his skin would protect him from spears and swords.
Through the years he taught many local citizens the methods and skills he
developed to defend himself in combat, and how to defeat assailants armed
with a sword or spear whilst unarmed. This martial prowess of the local
inhabitants ensured the prosperity of the region and earned them a reputation
as warriors.
Eventually, after many long years in the military and protecting his
homelands, Mr Doan was killed in battle. He left behind his wife Bui, who
as the legend goes died of overwhelming grief after visiting Mr Doan’s final
resting place. The pair are immortalized in two shrines placed a few hundred
meters apart from each other just outside Lieu Doi Village. For his honor,
dedication and skills Mr Doan is heralded as a hero and the couple are seen
as god-like figures protecting the citizens of this sacred region. Mr Doan and
Bui were affectionately renamed Thánh Ông and Tiên Bà—literally God
and Goddess—and they have been celebrated annually in these martial arts
contests ever since.
Wrestling festivals have been held here for almost a thousand years and local
family archives record Mr Doan as a legitimate historical figure, however as
with many legends, facts tend to be blended with fiction, as stories are
naturally embellished.
The traditions of Dau Vat are passed on from generation to generation,
typically through the paternal side of the family, it is seen as birthright for
children from the region to learn to wrestle and they often do so from a very
young age. Although small communities and groups of dedicated martial
artists strive to ensure Dau Vat’s practices continue, the rate of migration to
the big cities is growing rapidly and in an increasingly cash rich and time
poor society, traditional wrestling is beginning to fall out of popularity.
One of the oldest and most authentic wrestling contests takes place in Lieu
Doi Village, Thanh Liem District, Ha Nam Province. Every two years they
hold the festival on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. The locals view this
tradition not just as a style of fighting or a show of athleticism, but as an
integral part of their heritage. Anyone able-bodied is encouraged to wrestle
as it will be prosperous for the coming year and bring honor to their families
and ancestors. The festival begins with a parade thousands strong trailing out
from the centuries old Sới Vật or wrestling arena and towards the long
single dirt road leading into the village. As they reach the shrine of the
legendary Thánh Ông, village elders perform a ritual of burning incense and
delivering gifts, then pray for the blessings of the local deities to hold the
festival and provide luck for the coming year.

Lieu Doi Village elders praying to Thanh Ong and Tien Ba

 Palanquin Bearers waiting for the contest to begin

The festival officially begins with one of the oldest and most highly
respected members of the village playing the part of Mr Doan. The old man
re-enacts the finding of the sacred sword and cloth, followed by a flag dance
to the beat of a ritual drum.
The citizens from the surrounding four hamlets take their places around the
wrestling ring—a ripped and worn canvas tarpaulin placed on beds of straw
and rice husks. The first few bouts are symbolic, one of which, known as
Trai Rốt or Final Boy, requires the sons of the villagers born on the most
auspicious dates in the previous year to wrestle—this is impractical due to
them being at most one year old; therefore, fathers or even grandfathers fight
on their behalf, with the older men wrestling well into old-age, and some as
late as their nineties.
In contests the competitors are eliminated one by one until a single fighter
remains, the final round then consists of five fights back-to-back. This is a
serious undertaking in which only those hardened by years of continuous
training can hope to prevail. The final involves the winner sitting in the
center of the ring wearing a symbolic red scarf and taking on any challenger
who wants to enter. If the champion remains victorious in five successive
bouts with no break between them, it is thought that he brings great prosperity
to the village and is presented with a red cloth, ceremonial sword and a sprig
of bamboo which symbolizes the new-life of spring.
 A father and grandfather of Lieu Doi Village wrestling in the symbolic Trai Rot rounds

The opening ceremony - A village elder pays tribute to Thanh Ong

CHARACTERISTICS
In traditional wrestling festivals the rules of Dau Vat are simple. Two
fighters compete and begin with a short ceremony. The opponents come to the
center of a large square mat and perform venerations to their ancestors—this
takes the form of a dance-like routine with some similarities to those
performed in other Southeast Asian martial arts such as MuayThai.
Fighters shake hands and when they are instructed by the referee, the
bout begins.
The style of fighting is very rapid, involving short bouts with only a
few minutes for each round, this helps to ensure that the contests are
undertaken with maximum speed and force.
Competitors must uproot their opponents through throws, sweeps and
takedowns—using the legs to trip the opponent, pulling them to the
ground using their own body weight or tackling them from a standing
position.
To win, the wrestler must throw their opponent down belly-up or take
both of their feet from the ground, since losing balance like this would
leave a fighter exposed to further dangerous attacks in a battle situation.
No striking is allowed, much like modern-western wrestling. However,
in the non-competitive form there are many dangerous throws, breaks
and deadly strikes.
Various moves maintain historical relevance, certain positions are
avoided due to vulnerability against opponents bearing swords, and
there are several high-level grabs that are adapted from situations such
as taking charging attackers off horseback.
Wrestling festivals typically run for three days and each competitor has
at least six matches.
Winners are awarded small prizes of ‘lucky money’, an Asian Lunar
New Year tradition in which older generations gift the younger new
banknotes. This is said to bring good luck to both parties. However, the
real prize is thought to be the honor and prosperity the competitors earn
for their families in the coming year.
 Two wrestlers perform pre-fight veneration during the New Year festival in Lieu Doi Village

UNIFORM
Although there is no official uniform for Dau Vat, fighters often wrestle
shirtless wearing red or blue shorts. Historically, wrestlers would wear just
a loincloth; however, this tradition has been updated for practicality and
modern aesthetic values.

FACTS
Although Dau Vat was founded in Lieu Doi, a number of villages in
Vietnam celebrate the Lunar New Year with wrestling contests such as
Lai An Village, Phu Vang District, in Hue which hosts one of the largest
festivals.
Wrestlers begin at a young age, sometimes as early as five years old
and are well-known for wrestling into old-age.
Injuries are common and often include dislocated shoulders, torn
tendons and having ears torn from being head-locked.
NAM HONG SON SCHOOL

VÕ PHÁI NAM H NG SƠN

One of the most famous, traditional Hanoian styles of martial arts is Võ Phái
Nam Hồng Son. Võ Phái refers to school or style, Nam represents Vietnam,
Hồng is taken from Thiếu Lâm Hồng Gia, meaning Shaolin Hung Ga,
which influenced the system and Son meaning Mountain, represents the
spirit of the martial arts, solid yet majestic.
Like many modern day styles, Nam Hong Son has historical roots that have
been rejuvenated and organized into a progressive and usable system. Much
of the twentieth century was enveloped in conflict; therefore, the martial art
systems that were kept alive through this period needed to be effective and
followed with dedication.

Students perform techniques at a festival of traditional martial arts in Hanoi

HISTORY
The Grandmaster and official founder of Nam Hong Son was named Nguyen
Van To. He was born in 1895 in Bach Dang Village, Ha Tay Province, which
is a suburb of Hanoi. According to records of the Nam Hong Son School,
Nguyen Van To lived peacefully with his family until one day when their
village was attacked by a band of criminals. As a result of the attack Nguyen
Van To’s family lost nearly everything they owned. Their village was already
extremely poor, and during this period attacks from bandits like this one often
meant the difference between life and death—without money or goods to
trade starvation was a real possibility.
Nguyen Van To decided to learn martial arts as a way to protect his family
and his fellow villagers. He moved to the capital city to live with his brother
and found work for a French company making tires. Nguyen Van To began to
study a style of Shaolin Kung Fu—at the time this was strictly prohibited by
the ruling French government and had to be practiced in total secrecy. After
almost ten years of training he decided to expand his knowledge by studying
the traditional martial arts styles of Vietnam. Through luck and dedication he
managed to track down three famous master brothers known as Cu Ba Cat,
Cu Cu Ton and Cu Han Bai—Cu meaning great-grandfather or in this case
patriarch master.
After getting to know the brothers, working alongside them and earning their
trust he was eventually accepted as a ‘family member’, which meant he was
permitted to study their style—normally it would be passed down through
family only. After the French occupation ended and Vietnam began to further
open up as a nation, Master Nguyen Van To, supported by his ‘brothers’,
decided to open a school. The founders together decided upon the name Nam
Hong Son.
The first formal school was founded in 1920 in Hai Ba Trung District,
downtown Hanoi. After operating for many years, in 1948 it was destroyed
by bomb blast—an all too common sign of the turbulent era. During the
wartime, Grandmaster Nguyen Van To trained many high-ranking military
officers and generals in martial arts. This helped spread the name and
reputation of the system and its students.
 Patriarch Master Cu Ba Cat

Grandmaster Nguyen Van To passed away in 1984, leaving over three

hundred masters across Vietnam. Nguyen Van Ty, the Grandmaster’s son, is
the current head of the school, which is based in Hanoi.
In the Red River Delta region, the number of practitioners of Nam Hong Son
is estimated at several thousand, with more than fifty clubs operating in
Hanoi alone. There are also multiple clubs run by both Vietnamese and
foreign masters throughout Europe and other western countries, particularly
in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the
United States. Cumulatively these clubs have trained more than ten thousand
students, many of whom continue to compete and win medals in many
international level martial arts tournaments.
 A mid-range kick and groin block

CHARACTERISTICS
The Nam Hong Son School syllabus contains a unique blend of both Chinese
and Vietnamese traditions. Common features of which are quick transitions
from low to high stances and a lot of emphasis placed on strong, rapid strikes
and low kicks which are more suitable for smaller-statured practitioners.
Training focuses heavily on practical nonindentpplications of self-defense
and circular attacks and evasions are favored in a similar manner to some
Chinese Kung Fu styles or even Okinawan Karate.
Classes normally consist of: strength and flexibility exercises, striking and
self-defense drills, form training (set sequences of attacking and defensive
movements), and competitive fighting practice. Nam Hong Son training
includes many forms similar to those of Binh Dinh region martial arts, as
well as multiple animal styles—in all over forty forms are included in the
Nam Hong Son School’s syllabus. Traditional Vietnamese weapons are
utilized in this system as well as others which have been imported such as
nunchaku and folding fans. Demonstrations of the style often feature
displays of ‘hard-body conditioning’ (literally training parts of body to
receive extreme forces or blows with minimal damage). Some of which
include, bending steel bars with the limbs or head, motorbikes being driven
over practitioners’ chests, and bricks being smashed using various body
parts. These conditioning displays are reminiscent of their Shaolin
counterparts.
The central tenets of the Nam Hong Son School are as follows:
 You must be respectful to teachers and classmates; they are to be
treated as brothers.
Martial arts must never be taught to those who will use them for bad
purposes.
One should be humble and learn with humility and devotion.
Martial arts should only be used for defense and never with bad intent.
Students must use their skills to unite against evil and be ready to
defend their country and principles.

Instructor Le Trung Linh and a student demonstrating staff and open-hand techniques

UNIFORM
The ranking system of the Nam Hong Son School differs from many other
traditional Vietnamese martial arts styles. Instead of growing from darker to
lighter shades as the practitioner progresses the belts run: white, black, blue,
green, yellow and red. Red belt is the highest rank available and ranges from
levels one to eight, whilst level nine is reserved for Grandmasters. Students
typically wear black long-sleeved shirts and long trousers.

FACTS
Students begin by learning three basic forms: Khai Tâm Quyền
(Opening-The-Mind Form), Long Hổ Quyền (Dragon-Tiger Form),
Tứ Lộ Đoản Quyền (The Short Four-Way Form)
Many Nam Hong Son instructors teach in public schools and
universities around Hanoi to assist in a preservation program of the
traditional Vietnamese martial arts.

Young students prepare to display their martial arts skills

VOVINAM
VIET VO DAO/VIÊT VÕ ĐẠO

The largest and most easily recognizable style of Vietnamese martial arts is
Vovinam or Việt Võ Đạo. Vovinam comes from the words Võ (literally
fighting) and Nam (meaning Vietnam) pushed together. Whereas Việt Võ
Đạo, a more recent adaptation of the name, translates as The Way of
Vietnamese Martial Arts.
Vovinam is one of the national sports of Vietnam and is rapidly becoming
recognized worldwide as a highly-respected style of East Asian martial arts.
Although Vovinam was officially formed in Hanoi and remains popular
throughout Vietnam, the world headquarters are based in Ho Chi Minh City
and the south of the country generally maintains a larger following of schools
and students than the north.

Master Bui Tien Dat and his students demonstrate some of the famous aerial techniques of
Vovinam
HISTORY
The style was officially founded in 1938 by the late Grandmaster Nguyen
Loc, a resident of the capital city, Hanoi. As a child Nguyen Loc was
encouraged to study various Vietnamese and foreign martial arts by his
parents—living in Vietnam during this era was dangerous and self-defense
situations were often a reality. After sometime, Nguyen Loc began to
combine the styles and techniques he had learned into an efficient and
practical martial art whilst being careful not to disregard the important
cultural and historical features of the traditional Vietnamese martial arts.
During its period of development, Vietnam was operating as a colony of
French Indochina and therefore Vovinam was taught in secrecy for a number
of years. After the French had been expelled from Vietnam Grandmaster
Nguyen Loc moved to Saigon and in 1955, opened Vovinam’s first official
training center.
Although it was developed with the intent of being a self-defense tool, a key
tenet of Vovinam was Vietnamese patriotism. This patriotism was something
that Grandmaster Nguyen Loc had seen displayed in other martial arts; Japan
had Judo, Korea had Taekwondo and Vietnam, looking to further develop
their sense of national identity, found this with Vovinam.
In the early days of its practice, Vovinam went largely unnoticed by the
government; however, as the style increased in popularity so did its support.
Eventually, Vovinam gained national recognition through performances that
dazzled spectators with acrobatic high kicks, impressive feats of strength and
the discipline of its students. It was formally recognized by the Vietnamese
national sports association and certain slogans started to arise that made
clear Vovinam’s bid to aggregate the Vietnamese people.
 Patriarch Master – Nguyen Loc

Some examples of these are: “Vietnamese people practice Vietnamese

martial arts” and “Not a Vovinam disciple, not a patriot”.
Vovinam has spread rapidly both in terms of practitioners and global
recognition since Vietnam opened its borders to international trade during the
early 1990s. Currently there are Vovinam schools in more than fifty countries
across Asia, Europe, North and South America, Australia and Africa. The
International Vovinam Federation estimates there are around half a million
practitioners, excluding those in Vietnam, this puts worldwide figures at well
over a million.
After Nguyen Loc’s death, the development of Vovinam was continued by his
successor the late Grandmaster Le Sang, and it is now headed by
Grandmaster Nguyen Van Chieu operating from Ho Chi Minh City.
 A demonstration of Viet Vo Dao in Dao Tan Park, Ho Chi Minh City during the 1970s

CHARACTERISTICS
Vovinam is a diverse and dynamic martial art that fuses traditional and
modern styles into a practical package. Vietnamese martial arts often tend to
include a lot of both high and low targets, and Vovinam follows this
principle, being famed for its system of twenty-one low kicks and ‘flying
scissor’ takedowns—in which practitioners leap up and wrap their legs
around an opponent’s neck using momentum to send them flying.
Vovinam shares many features typical of Southeast Asian martial arts,
including fast and aggressive knees and elbows, explosive high kicks and
heavy grappling developed from various systems such as, Judo and
Vietnamese wrestling. Students are taught to use a range of weapons—
although often fewer than in other traditional Vietnamese styles as more
emphasis is placed on competitive fighting. Long and short staffs, swords and
halberds are all practiced and students sometimes train with knives and small
blades reminiscent of Malay/Indonesian styles of martial arts.
Vovinam also demonstrates influences from various other East Asian martial
art styles. There is a strong focus on the hard and soft elements or Cương-
Nhu (Ying/Yang), characteristic of Chinese systems, and it has a strong code
of ethics and etiquette similar to that of the Japanese arts.
Vovinam is a well-rounded and complete system and is one of the few
Vietnamese martial arts that covers everything from battlefield weapons and
stand-up fighting to grappling and groundwork. This holistic approach to
combat was a requirement at the time of its inception when a practical style
with practical applications was crucial.

A 2013 commemorative set of Vovinam Stamps to celebrate Nguyen Van Chieu’s appointment as
a Grandmaster

UNIFORM
Vovinam uniforms are influenced by the Japanese Gi (the training outfit often
used in Karate and Judo schools), but are light blue in color as opposed to
the traditional white. The ranking system works through a progression of
colors: beginners wear light blue; students wear a darker blue; instructors
from first to fourth Đẳng—equivalent to the Japanese Dan system in which
several levels of black belt are awarded—wear yellow; fourth to tenth Đẳng
Masters wear red with white stripes indicating specific ranks; and the
Grandmaster wears white. The color schemes are said to represent the skill
sets that develop: blue represents the ocean and the depth of martial arts
study; yellow is said to represent either the skin of the practitioner or the
earth in which roots grow, indicating the depth of the student’s knowledge;
red represents fire or blood indicating the martial arts skill of the
practitioner; and white as the top rank represents infinity or purity.

FACTS
The first woman to receive a ‘Senior Master’ ranking was Master
Nguyen Thi Cam Binh in 1999.
The word Đạo in Việt Võ Đạo is the equivalent of the Chinese word
Dao/Tao or Japanese Do, meaning Path or Way.
Vovinam is one of thirty-six sports included in the Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games, other martial arts are Tae Kwon Do, Pencak Silat and
Wushu; all of which are relatively well-known in western countries.
The Vovinam logo is based upon the Yin-Yang design with a map of
Vietnam in the center and the two largest cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City over the poles of the symbol.
THANH PHONG SCHOOL
VÕ ĐƯỜNG THANH PHONG

One of the most popular martial arts schools in and around Hanoi is the
Thanh Phong School. Although a relatively newly developed system, the
Thanh Phong School has grown a large following in recent years thanks to its
straightforward teaching style and charismatic founder, Master Hoang Thanh
Phong.

Master Thanh Phong leading form practice in a suburb of Hanoi

HISTORY
Master Hoang Thanh Phong was born in 1964 and began studying martial arts
in Hanoi from a young age. He was eventually awarded one of the highest
ranks in Võ Cổ Truyền (traditional Vietnamese martial arts). From the age of
twelve, Master Thanh Phong also studied various Chinese and Southeast
Asian martial arts under a number of renowned masters, including: Hung Ga
Kung Fu under Master To Tu Quang; Northern Shaolin Kung Fu under Master
Nguyen The Xuong Trinh; Shaolin Wing Chun under Master Quoc Dinh;
Pencak Silat under a variety of Indonesian and Vietnamese masters; and
traditional Vietnamese wrestling under Le Ngoc Minh, the current chairman
of the Traditional Martial Arts Association of Vietnam.
In 1985, aged twenty-one, Master Hoang Thanh Phong opened the first school
of his newly amalgamated martial arts system based in Quang Trung Street,
Hanoi. The school gained popularity very rapidly and the master was soon
invited to train the national Pencak Silat team. Between 1991 and 1994,
under the training of Master Thanh Phong, Vietnamese Pencak Silat
practitioners went on to win seven medals at the Southeast Asian Games.
Master Thanh Phong was also recognized by the government for his part in
training three world champions.
In 2008 the Thang Phong School was officially recognized by the UNESCO
heritage committee for contributing to the conservation of the oriental martial
arts. Master Thang Phong also regularly works with branches of the military
and police force teaching seminars on self-defense and combat techniques.
To this day, the students of Thanh Phong School martial arts continue to be
highly successful in contests of traditional martial arts and win hundreds of
events annually.
Currently there are over fifty schools in the capital city and surrounding
provinces with students numbering in the thousands. Every year the schools
train multiple champions and many students compete in national and
international tournaments of martial arts, as well as in the traditional Asian
sport and festival performance piece of Lion Dance. The Thanh Phong
School specializes in the promotion of traditional martial arts by organizing
free training sessions in schools and colleges throughout the north of
Vietnam. The school’s headquarters are based in Dong Xuan Ward, Hoan
Kiem District, Hanoi.
 Master Thang Phong training with the military

Thanh Phong School students performing a traditional Lion Dance in Hanoi

CHARACTERISTICS
Although the Thanh Phong School syllabus has been developed primarily
from traditional Vietnamese martial arts, it also incorporates useful features
from several other styles, particularly Shaolin Hung Gar and Pencak Silat.
As a result, the Thanh Phong School training includes many traditional
weapons and similar performance pieces to Shaolin Kung Fu, such as the use
of Qi skills which enable practitioners to support themselves on spears or
smash iron bars with their heads. Some self-defense principles of Pencak
Silat are incorporated, such as an emphasis on the use of blades and practice
in defending against attackers bearing knives. Classes are typically taught in
a military-like formation, with students moving through forms and techniques
in unison while arranged in lines. This helps to instill the discipline required
in younger students nonindentnd make for a quick and effective way of
learning. It also shows some of the modern, foreign influence that has been
incorporated into the style as generally this method of learning is more
popular in styles such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do.
Although developed from a combination of traditional Vietnamese, Chinese
and Indochinese arts, a unique aspect of the Thanh Phong School is its focus
on the advancement of Vietnam and Vietnamese principles, which are central
to their practices. According to Master Thanh Phong:

“The school aims to develop three key areas: the first is the spirit of the
Vietnamese people; the second is the strength and patriotism of its
practitioners; and the third is the health of the nation so that they can
further their own development.”

The six guiding principles of the Thanh Phong martial arts school are that
students must:

Respect their seniors and peers

Be peaceful and modest
Maintain discipline and unity
Abide by the law and its teachings
Never belittle others or show arrogance
Not do dishonorable deeds
 A student demonstrates ‘hard-body’ conditioning by having a motocycle driven over his chest

UNIFORM
Students generally wear black t-shirts and long pants with a blue, yellow, red
or white sash indicating their status as a beginner, student, teacher or master.
However, since the school highlights patriotism as one of their key
principles, performance clothes are often bright red and regularly include t-
shirts with the yellow star of the Vietnamese flag.

FACTS
Master Thanh Phong promotes his school regularly and often features in
TV shows and films in Vietnam.
The organization estimates that in the last few years alone more than ten
thousand students have trained in this style.
One student of Thanh Phong School, ten-year-old Hoang Gia Khoa
broke the national record by pulling a three-ton car with his neck for a
distance of 143 meters.
Master and student during the record breaking attempt
CHAPTER III

CENTRAL VIETNAMESE
STYLES AND SCHOOLS
POINTS OF INTEREST
 THE CENTRAL REGION

The main gate of the Nguyen Dynasty Citadel in Hue Province

Stretching from Thanh Hoa Province in the north to Dak Lak Province in the
south-central highlands and Khanh Hoa Province at the coast, the central
region of Vietnam covers an area of around 140,000 square kilometers. This
section of the country is a narrow strip, to the east lies the South China Sea
and hundreds of kilometers of incredible coastline and beaches. To the west
are the central highlands, famous for their diverse range of wildlife, cooler
climate and agriculture—growing some of the world’s best coffee, rice,
tobacco and rubber.
Along the coast lie several large cities such as Quy Nhon, Da Nang and the
Nguyen Dynasty capital city, Hue. Inland from the picturesque coastline are a
series of lowlands that represent an important agricultural and natural
resource for the region, providing much of the farmland and space required
for the cultivation of rice.
Although times are now changing, historically the central Vietnamese
provinces were often very poor as a result of supplying the larger and more
powerful states in the north and south of the country. The majority of the
population are of Viet-Kinh ethnicity, however the central highlands are
home to a large variety of different ethnic groups collectively known as the
Degar or Montagnard (meaning Mountain People or Mountaineers in
French). Some of the largest of these groups are the Bahnar, Jarai and Ede.
Towards the south of the region lies the province of Binh Dinh, which is not
only home to beautiful beaches and islands but is also a famous land of
martial arts. For the Vietnamese people, Binh Dinh is as synonymous with
martial arts as Shaolin is with Chinese Kung Fu. Located on the easternmost
tip of the province, Quy Nhon, the capital city of the modern day Binh Dinh
Province was for hundreds of years the site of the former Champa Kingdom
city-state, Vijaya.

An almost impassable highland trail

Since the Champa city-state was founded in the twelfth century, it became a
dominant Southeast Asian trading port with the trade-winds bringing in ships
from Singapore, the Philippines and the Malay Peninsula. Throughout the
short but pivotal period of the Tây San Rebellion (1771–1792) the areas
around Quy Nhon served as vital supply routes to the province and to the
empires in the north and south. The area was also key for the interconnected
economy of the region as it contained an important trade route for betel nut
and areca—crops which are commonly combined to make a traditional
Southeast Asian stimulant that is consumed in a similar manner to chewing
tobacco, sharing both its effect and addictiveness which therefore, had a high
market value.
In this chapter we will look at the traditional martial arts from the central
region of Vietnam, specifically Binh Dinh and its neighboring provinces, as
this location is known as the epicenter of traditional Vietnamese arts. First,
we will provide an overview of the umbrella style of Binh Dinh region
martial arts—which comprises of a huge number of individual schools and
styles, followed by taking a closer look at some of the oldest traditional
schools in this province, and finally an examination of the martial arts of the
Imperial Guard from the former Vietnamese capital city, Hue.

Champa era temples in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa Province

BINH DINH PROVINCE MARTIAL ARTS
(Võ Bình Định / Võ Cổ Truyền / Võ Tây Sơn)

Binh Dinh Province is an area that is renowned for its fighting styles and is
regularly referred to as the ‘Shaolin of Vietnam’ or the ‘Cradle of
Vietnamese martial arts’.
The Binh Dinh region martial arts are often known collectively as Võ Cổ
Truyển (Traditional Vietnamese Martial Arts) or Võ Tây Sơn/Võ Bình
Định (Martial Arts from Tay Son District/Binh Dinh Province). These are
umbrella terms that refer to a family of different styles and schools that all
have roots in the former Champa territory of Binh Dinh Province. Within this
group are many other lineages and schools of Binh Dinh region martial arts
that are named after more specific locations or family titles.
Due to the combination of the region’s turbulent history, the legendary
prowess of Binh Dinh Province’s warriors and a campaign of promotion as a
unique Vietnamese custom and source of national pride, these martial art
styles have spread throughout the nation. There are hundreds if not thousands
of masters from this family of styles—in central Binh Dinh alone there are
estimated to be over six hundred individual schools.

HISTORY
The martial arts of Binh Dinh region have been in a process of perpetual
development for hundreds of years and through them traditions, skills and
knowledge have all been passed down.
Under the umbrella term of Vo Co Truyen there are thousands of variations
throughout Vietnam and across the globe—this draws parallels with the
common development story of modern day Chinese Kung Fu. Chinese
records claim the wandering Indian holy-man Bodhidharma taught a form of
Yoga to the Shaolin Monks and it transformed into the many systems of
Chinese martial arts. (The Bodhidharma story itself is of nonindentisputed
veracity, as neither dates nor archaeological evidence can confirm identities
or locations with any level of certainty.)
As the Viet-Kinh Empire expanded further south and assimilated themselves
into new surroundings and societies, they brought with them the already
thousand-year-old practices of the sword and spear, as well as concepts such
as traditional wrestling and unarmed battlefield combat. Throughout the
years, as the central Vietnamese people faced various wars and invasions,
their practices were put to the test and streamlined through trial and error in
combat, eventually forming a number of systems that make up the basics of
the Binh Dinh region martial arts.
Many of the modern day schools are family styles that have been passed
down through paternal lineages or taught through monastic progressions. As
some styles faded into obscurity, others were resurrected by a resurgence of
the popularity of martial arts following the reign of the national hero and first
emperor of modern day Vietnam, Quang Trung (1778–1802).
Quang Trung is an extremely important cultural icon and is revered as an
almost god-like figure. Famous for his inventive battle strategies, fearsome
fighting ability and fair yet decisive leadership, he is seen as one of the
modern day fathers of the nation and was the first ruler to unite the northern,
central and southern kingdoms under centralized leadership.

The Quang Trung temple in An Nhon Village, Binh Dinh Province

 Visitors burn incense as an offering to Quang Trung

During the short reign of Quang Trung (1788–1792) and the following years,
martial arts practices were mandated for officials and popularized with the
peasant classes as both performance pieces and for practical applications.
Schools of martial arts gained popularity and national examinations were
held awarding titles of Master and Doctor to the strongest fighters and
philosophers. Quang Trung and his brothers are also often credited with the
creation of various techniques and modern forms of Vo Co Truyen. Ngọc
Trản Thần Công (a traditional form of Qigong) and Hùng Kê Quyền
(Golden Rooster Form) are said to have been devised by Quang Trung and
his brother Nguyen Lu, respectively.
Around the capital city of the province, Quy Nhon, there are hundreds of tiny
hamlets that have earned reputations as legendary martial arts villages. Some
of the most famous are the villages of Thuan Truyen, An Thai, An Vinh and
An Nhon, all of which are well-known for producing fierce warriors. Each
village has developed their own individual methods and focuses. As more
and more students over the years have come to learn from the masters of Binh
Dinh and with governmental support for local heritage and history, these
styles have gained popularity and widespread recognition all over Vietnam.
There are many local sayings about the villages in this area relating to their
specific styles such as:

“Roi Thuận Truyền, Quyền An Vinh”:

 “Thuan Truyen Village for Staffs and An Vinh Village for Fists”

“Trai An Thái, Gái An Vinh”:

“An Thai Style for Men, An Vinh Style for Women”

(The latter of these sayings arose because the An Thai style emphasizes
strength and the An Vinh style emphasizes speed).

Binh Dinh Province is famous for its female warriors. According to local
legend the founder of An Vinh Village, named Nguyen Ngac was a
descendant of Bui Thi Xuan, one of the most skilled female warriors of the
Tay Son Dynasty and creator of the double sword fighting style known as
Song Phượng Kiếm (Phoenix Double Sword Form).
Allegedly the An Thai Style martial arts were developed by a second
generation Chinese/Vietnamese immigrant named Diep Truong Phat, who
found refuge in the region. This accounts partially at least for some of the key
differences between the An Thai and An Vinh Village styles.

A traditional staff form

 Phoenix Double Sword Form

During the eighteenth century under the Tay Son Dynasty, once again martial
arts began to transition into popular practices and gradually became
celebrated rather than prohibited. This policy of embracing traditional
Vietnamese martial arts has endured through to modern times. Recent years
have seen these systems repackaged as essential Vietnamese culture and as a
result traditional martial arts have become a lot more accessible to the
general public. Despite the nationalistic motivation for this drive to embrace
and further commercialize Vietnamese martial arts, there is no detraction
from the abilities of the teachers or students, whose skill and dedication is
unquestionable. The Vietnamese government along with other non-
governmental organizations and groups such as UNESCO have supported
many martial arts schools as they are understood as being bastions of
traditional Vietnamese culture that should be preserved.
Binh Dinh region martial arts schools are found all across Vietnam and are
regularly involved in displays and festivals—they perform traditional forms,
take part in competitions, and many schools also practice Lion Dance as part
of their syllabuses. There is an overarching governing body, The Vo Co
Truyen association of Vietnam, of which there are also equivalent
organizations in many other European and American countries. Every two
years in the capital city of Binh Dinh, Quy Nhon, the International Vietnamese
Martial Arts Festival is held. This is a huge event amalgamating traditional
Vietnamese martial arts clubs from all over the world who come to meet,
exchange skills, compete and perform.

CHARACTERISTICS
Although they are referred to as Traditional Vietnamese Martial Arts’ these
styles stem from a wide range of influences: the Chinese, Malay, Khmer and
Cham cultures have all shaped their development over the years. Common
practices in Binh Dinh region martial arts include:

Competitive fighting and sparring

External ‘hard’ conditioning drills—working on developing the
strength of the bones, muscles and skin through repeated controlled
blows, so as to stand up sufficiently to strikes in combat.
Forms—set patterns of attacking and defensive movements.
Partner drills, which are often trained with a focus on ‘automating’
reactions, i.e. practicing to the extent of them becoming near-
instinctual.
Self-defense
Weapons training

COMPETITIVE FIGHTING
Binh Dinh region martial arts typically include a standardized competitive
fighting style in which semi- and full-contact competitions are fought. During
sparring, practitioners wear light gloves, headgear and chest protectors—
similar to the attire of Taekwondo or Karate, and they are awarded points for
the accurate execution of techniques.
Unlike many modern ring-sports, sweeps, trips and grappling are encouraged
and earn points. However, long grappling confrontations will be ended by a
referee or match official and fighters will be stood up and return to striking.
Most contests feature three rounds of three-minute-long bouts and the winner
is the first to defeat his opponent in two out of three rounds—points are
awarded for clear hits and takedowns.
Along with the existence of standardized competitive style another aspect
that marks Binh Dinh region martial arts as unique is the practice of bridge
fighting contests in which two practitioners spar whilst balancing on a thin
wooden beam. This is done with a view to develop balance and ensure
attacks are perfectly executed so as not to lose nonindentooting. The first to
either receive too many blows or lose their footing and fall to the ground
loses.

A kick followed by a hard punch in combination with a foot sweep won the round

FORMS
A common saying in Binh Dinh region martial arts is:”Ngang, Mạnh, Chính
xác”, meaning “Speed, Strength and Accuracy”. This is often the mantra for
practice of technical work such as forms, drills and self-defense.
Different schools and lineages teach a variety of forms. They are generally
not thought of as generic practices, but train the fundamental skills of a
different fighting style in each routine—as a result, these forms/styles are
difficult to master and one form may take many years of practice to perfect.
Advanced forms feature an array of weapons, empty-handed and animal
styles such as the Snake, Crane, Monkey, Phoenix and Leopard. Forms are
often memorized through poems that describe their movements and theory;
these poems both serve as step-by-step instructions and provide students
with a better understanding of the philosophy behind the style. An example is
the form of Tứ Linh Đao which is described in an eighteen-line poem, a
translated extract of the poem follows:

‘Hướng Đông chỚp thấ nghiêm chào

 Chụm về tay phải cầm đao loan liền
Lui chân, tay kéo lên trên
Chém qua trái, phải, vớt liền một phen
Nghiêng về rùa nùρ lá sen
Chém ngang phát cỏ, bay lên Phưưng Hoàng’

“Turn to the east, attention and salute,

The right hand grasps the broadsword,
Step backward, the hand pulls the sword up,
Left cut, right cut and uppercut in a single motion,
Sloping back like a turtle hiding behind lotus,
Slashing horizontally, then rise up like Phoenix”

The Vo Co Truyen association of Vietnam has developed an official syllabus

that (although varying slightly between schools) includes ten to fifteen basic
forms or Bài Quyền that develop many of the core skills required in Binh
Dinh region martial arts. Ten of the key forms are as follows:

Bát Quái Côn — Eight Trigram Staff Form

Độc Lư Thương — Poison Spear Form
Hùng Kê Quyền — Golden Rooster Form
Huỳnh Long Độc Kiếm — Poison Dragon Sword Form
Lão Hổ Thượng Sơn — Wise Tiger Ascending the Mountain
Lão Mai Quyền — Plum Blossom Form
Ngọc Trản Quyền — Jade Jewel Form
Roi Thái Sơn — Thai Son Staff Form
Siêu Xung Thiên — Halberd Form
Tứ Linh Đao — Four Spirit Animal Swords

Many forms of Binh Dinh region martial arts have interesting backstories that
tie into the history and traditions of the region, specifically those which are
associated with the heroes of the Tay Son rebellion (Nguyen Hue/Quang
Trung, Nguyen Nhac and Nguyen Lu). Three of the most famous are as
follows:

HÙNG K Ê QUYỀN
This form imitates the moves of a rooster in battle (cock fighting is widely
practiced in Southeast Asian culture). The origins of this form are said to
come from the youngest brother of Quang Trung, Nguyen Lu—who was sent
to oversee the control of the southern provinces following the Tay Son
Rebellion.
Nguyen Lu wanted to develop a precise martial arts program for his military
units but knew that training in traditional martial arts was too time-consuming
and not practical for the rate of development his army required.
Over the Lunar New Year period he was attending a celebration and began
watching a cock fight. Time after time, the smaller cock would attack the
large proud rooster he was pitted against with vicious strikes, kicking,
scratching and pecking at its eyes—as a result the vicious smaller cock won.
Nguyen Lu, being of a small stature, compared both himself and the
Vietnamese people to the smaller rooster and decided that they needed this
kind of precise aggression to be successful in battle. According to one of the
top masters of this style (Ngo Bong of Quang Ngai Province) it was
implemented among his soldiers and became a quick and efficient system to
prepare them for combat. This battlefield-preparation training subsequently
helped with Nguyen Lu’s domination of several southern provinces.
Inspired by the movements of the cock, the form features low kicks to the
knees and ankle joints, scratching and tearing at the eyes and sharp precise
stabs at vital pressure-points. These movements were designed to inflict
maximum damage whilst remaining possible to perform when dressed in
battle armor; consequently, aesthetically satisfying movements were
abandoned for those which were more brutal and battle-effective.

NGỌC TRÀN QUYỀN

According to legend this form was created by Emperor Quang Trung in the
eighteenth century during his time overseeing the central provinces and
training the military of the region, many of whom (roughly ten thousand men)
were from the Tay Son area of Binh Dinh Province. Quang Trung was a
skilled warrior and wanted to amalgamate his unarmed combat training into a
routine which could be successfully utilized in actual combat scenarios.
The form he developed features a routine of twenty-eight movements and
emphasizes rotating stances and evasive techniques as opposed to blunt force
in a similar manner to Tai Chi or Aikido.
Likewise, the important principles of Ngoc Tran Quyen include a variety of
soft and hard or Cương – Nhu movements that use simultaneous defense and
attack to surprise the opponent, and circular motions which use the attacker’s
own force against them. Defensive moves are soft, stable, and often practiced
slowly, whereas attacks are fast and powerful. The ability to switch rapidly
between these two opposite, defensive and offensive techniques is practiced
throughout the form.

ĐỘC LƯ THƯƠNG
This form translates as poison spear, and according to the traditional Martial
Arts Association of Vietnam, it originated in the western highlands (modern
day An Khe, Gia Lai Province), when the three brothers of the Tay Son
Rebellion: Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue/Quang Trung, and Nguyen Lu worked
together. The three conquered the region quickly during 1770, and as battle-
hardened warriors who were skilled in the use of swords and spears, they
made a collective effort to devise their own fighting system. The product of
their labor was Độc LưThương. Their idea was to allow each unit to be
trained in a uniform battlefield style—thus the form is intended to represent
unity. It is fast and explosive, generally using a six-foot-long spear with a
foot-long tip and contains forty-one moves.

WEAPONS
A range of traditional weapons and everyday objects have been incorporated
into Binh Dinh region martial arts over time, and most schools feature what
is typically thought of as the eighteen standard weapons of the style.
Some schools depending on their origins and preferences vary regarding the
specific weapons they teach; however, it should be noted that many
incorporate short sticks, hidden blades and farming implements, which are
all common features of Southeast Asian styles, as well as broad swords and
spears, which are often associated more closely with north Asian battlefield
martial arts. The eighteen standard weapons are as follow:

Bừa Cào — Rake

Côn Roi — Long Staff
Cung Tên — Bow and Arrow
Đao — Sword, includes two varieties: the Đơn Đao (Broadsword) and
Đại Đao (Halberd)
Đinh Ba — Pitchfork/Tiger Fork
Giản (Thiết Lĩnh) — Scepter
Giáo — Wide-Tipped Spear
Kích — Crescent Blade Staff
Kiếm — Straight Sword
Lăng Khiên — Shield with Broad Sword
Song Câu — Dual Hook Swords
Song Chùy — Dual Maces
Song Tô — Dual Machetes
Song Phủ Và Búa — Dual Axes (or Axe and Hammer)
Song Xỉ — Dual Forearm Blades
Thương — Pointed Spear
Xà Mâu — Serpent Spear
Xích — Chain Whip

Students demonstrate the weapons Chain Whip, Sword and Shield and Halberd
UNIFORMS
The uniforms of Binh Dinh region martial arts schools typically consist of
black, long-sleeved, button-up shirts and black pants, emblazoned with a
particular school or lineage logo. Students also wear a sash that indicates
rank. Beginners wear dark-colored sashes and as their skill improves they
are granted sashes of lighter colors. Masters generally wear white sashes,
with red stripes indicating their level of mastery.
THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS OF BINH
DINH PROVINCE

In this section we will look at some of the famous traditional martial arts
schools of Binh Dinh Province and the Tay Son region. Although there are
hundreds of different groups that teach many variations of martial arts styles,
the following are recognized as some of the oldest and most authentic
schools. It should be noted that the following are examples only and in no
way constitute a comprehensive list.

A traditional martial arts festival in Binh Dinh Province

LY TUONG MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
VÕ ĐƯỜNG LÝ TƯỜNG

Grandmaster Ly Xuan Hy—founder of the Ly Tuong School—now in his

seventies, is regarded as one of the elders of the Binh Dinh martial arts
community and treated with great respect among his peers.

HISTORY
Grandmaster Ly Xuan Hy was born in Phuong Danh Hamlet, a rural area in
the north of the province in 1940. From a young age he was taught martial
arts by his grandfather—the Patriarch Master of the style—known as
LyTuong.
LyTuong was a skilled martial artist who famously developed his own
martial art forms based upon a mixture of his previous studies and the
motions of a cat he had observed skillfully evading capture. He taught these
forms to his sons and grandsons.
Master Ly Xuan Hy, following the teachings of his Grandfather, was
obsessed with martial arts and from the ages of eighteen to thirty-five
traveled through much of the country fighting competitively. During this era
contest fighting was not to be taken lightly, often it was incredibly brutal and
would result in serious injuries.
During these years the master fought over three hundred matches and
according to official reports lost only once to an unknown master in Saigon
in the 1970s. He went on to research further and receive training from the
victor to incorporate into his style. The then Grandmaster Ly Xuan Hy was
invited to demonstrate his style in Russia and Poland during the 1990s and
astounded the foreign audiences with his skills—especially considering his
strength as a shorter and lighter Vietnamese martial artist compared to his
much larger foreign counterparts.
Although he is still practicing and teaching, the Grandmaster’s school is now
run by his son Ly Xuan Van. The Ly Tuong School has trained hundreds of
students and masters—although official numbers are uncertain due to the
organization of the system. The style continues to be taught throughout Binh
Dinh Province and the rest of Vietnam, as well as having branches in Poland,
Russia and several other European countries.

CHARACTERISTICS
Although it includes many standard martial arts techniques such as punches
and kicks, one of the defining and most renowned features of the LyTuong
Martial Arts School is the form of Miêu Tẩy Diện or The Cat Washing its
Face. This form comprises a series of routines imitating cat-like movements,
and unlike some other styles, Ly Tuong’s cat is not aggressive, instead it is
calm and evasive. The Cat Washing its Face refers to use of the paws
(hands) circling or covering the head which gives the practitioner a constant
defense. In addition to clawing and scratching movements, the forms feature
light-footed and quick evasive maneuvers like a cat dodging and weaving.

Young students practicing in Tuy Phuoc Village, Binh Dinh Province

LONG PHUOC PAGODA MARTIAL ARTS
VÕ ĐƯỜNG CHÙA LONG PHƯỚC

Long Phuoc Pagoda is a famous holy site in PhuocThuan Hamlet, Tuy Phuoc
Village, Binh Dinh Province and is one of the region’s top martial arts
destinations. Due to its history as both a renowned holy and martial arts site
the pagoda receives thousands of visitors annually.

HISTORY
Due to the methodical preservation of official documentation, the history of
Long Phuoc Pagoda is well resourced and there is a large archive of antique
books that detail the region’s martial arts from the time of the Later Le
Dynasty to the Tay Son Dynasty (1428–1802). According to their
manuscripts, in 1571, a monk named Hu Minh was undergoing a pilgrimage
and passed through Binh Dinh Province. He chose to stay at the nearby
mountain of PhuocThuan and over the years built up Long Phuoc Pagoda. Hu
Minh researched, preserved and collected famous local martial arts routines;
he added various features to create a new system for the monks in the
pagoda. These martial arts were designed to keep the monks’ minds and
bodies sharp and offer them protection for their order in otherwise turbulent
times. From 1571 to the modern day, martial arts have been passed down
through the monastic lineage for thirteen generations of monks.
Over the years, not only pagoda residents, but disciples from far and wide
have visited the pagoda to pay homage to the monks and study martial arts.
Traditionally, the masters of the pagoda taught only their disciples; however,
in the last thirty years Long Phuoc Pagoda has opened its doors to the public
and taught free classes for anyone interested. According to Abbot Thich Hanh
Hoa this is done to preserve the spirit of Binh Dinh martial arts and spread
the word of the Buddha to people who need it. The masters and students
learn to follow the Buddhist code of only facing violence as a last resort and
train for spiritual and physical well-being. The motto of the school is “Bi,
Trí, Dũng Của Nhà Phật” which translates as “Compassion, Wisdom and
Courage of the Buddha”.
Due in part to their decision to open their doors to the public in 1986, Long
Phuoc Pagoda was officially inducted as one of Binh Dinh’s cultural heritage
sites by Le Thi, the former director of the Sports and Culture Department of
Binh Dinh Province. Many martial arts students and Buddhist disciples now
make pilgrimages to Long Phuoc Pagoda each year. Martial arts and religious
training are still seen as an integral part of life for people in the region and
therefore the pagoda remains an important feature in local society. During
cultural and historical events, Long Phuoc pagoda holds a number of
meetings and exchanges with martial artists and Buddhists alike.

A resident monk of Long Phuoc Pagoda

CHARACTERISTICS
Like many Binh Dinh region martial arts styles, the Long Phuoc Pagoda
School teaches a diverse system that incorporates a wide range of weapons
as well as unarmed methods.
This school in particular is famous for staff fighting. Practitioners were
traditionally monks and staff skills held a lot of credence compared to other
weapons. Staffs were something that would be readily available and easily
accessible for the monks in their daily lives and they are also a weapon that
can be used in a variety of contexts—whereas attacking somebody with a
sword nearly always carries the intent of causing death, a staff could be a
non-lethal alternative. In Buddhism, taking a life without extenuating
circumstances is considered as one of the worst acts possible, therefore these
weapons were looked on favorably.
Finally, unlike the black attire worn by students of many of the local schools
of martial arts, members of the Buddhist congregation of the Long Phuoc
Pagoda School are easily recognizable by their light brown robes—the
everyday color of Vietnamese Buddhists and lay-initiated practitioners.
PHI LONG VINH MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
VÕ ĐƯỜNG PHI LONG VỊNH

The Phi Long Vinh Martial Arts school is one of the most famous of the Binh
Dinh region. Grandmaster Truong Van Vinh, who is now in his late seventies,
continues to run the school in Phuoc Son Hamlet, Tuy Phuoc District and has
become somewhat of a modern day martial arts legend.

HISTORY
The history of the school was never formally recorded; therefore, the lineage
can only be traced back through the paternal family of GrandmasterTruong
Van Vinh.
According to Grandmaster Vinh, family records show that he is the great,
great-grandson of a legendary martial artist named MasterTruongVan Hien
who served as a teacher of both martial arts and philosophy for the three Tay
Son Rebellion heroes Nguyen Nhac, Nguyen Hue/Quang Trung and Nguyen
Lu.
In addition to training the famous Tay Son Rebellion warriors, Master Hien
continued to teach his children and grandchildren, who subsequently kept the
style alive. The modern day incarnation of the school was founded by the
great-grandfather of Master Truong Van Vinh in the nineteenth century. Truong
Van Vinh’s father, Truong Van Can, is also a martial arts instructor, but as he
is now in his mid-nineties he no longer teaches. Vinh began to learn martial
arts aged nine taught by his father and grandfather. At eighteen he began to
demonstrate his arts and quickly developed a well-deserved reputation
throughout the central and southern provinces. His school became
particularly famous for its traditional yet effective style, highly skilled
instructors, students and historic roots.
 Grandmaster Truong Van Vinh at Long Phuoc Pagoda in 2014

The Phi Long Vinh School is still headed and taught by Grandmaster Truong
Van Vinh along with multiple instructors—including his sons—throughout
Binh Dinh and the central provinces. The Phi Long Vinh School also has
thousands of students worldwide and the Grandmaster is proud to have
introduced his family style to multiple countries throughout Asia and Europe.
He has students in Russia, France and Italy as well as Estonia, Slovakia,
Ukraine and much of the former Soviet Union. At the International Qigong
Tournament held in Italy in 2007, Master Vinh was highly praised by the
foreign audience and awarded special honors for his promotion of martial
arts. The Phi Long Vinh School continues to operate from its modest
headquarters in Phuoc Son Hamlet, Tuy Phuoc District, Binh Dinh Province,
Vietnam.
 A Phi Long Vinh School Student demonstrating a form

CHARACTERISTICS
Although the Phi Long Vinh School syllabus contains many different elements
they are most famous for their skills with the Ngọc Trản Quyền form, which
has historically been associated with this lineage through Nguyen Hue/Quang
Trung.
Due to its origins in the farming lowlands and the prohibition of martial arts
for hundreds of years, the style incorporates many low grabs and takedowns;
these would have served practitioners well as often the lower (peasant)
classes would have needed to defend themselves against armed soldiers and
attackers on horseback. There are also many traditional farming tools that are
practiced as weaponry including hoes, shovels, sticks and staffs.
LE XUAN CANH SCHOOL
VÕ ĐƯỜNG LÊ XUÂN CẢNH

A renowned family-lineage style of Binh Dinh region martial arts is that of

Grandmaster Le Xuan Canh and his self-titled school.

HISTORY
Le Xuan Canh was born in 1938 in Cam Van Village, An Nhon District. He
studied martial arts from the age of fifteen and after a year of intensive study
under master LyTuong, he decided to travel around the province and study
more techniques from the famed schools in An Nhon and Tuy Phuoc District.
Although the master rarely competed in martial arts contests, word of his
skills soon traveled and he began to accept students. In 1975, the Le Xuan
Canh School officially opened its doors and has been receiving martial arts
students ever since. Practitioners of this style of martial arts rapidly became
recognized for their performances in contests and competitions across
Vietnam and internationally, earning a high level of respect for their skills,
especially with weapons.
Now in his mid-seventies, Grandmaster Le Xuan Canh still accepts and
trains students in Cam Van Village, An Nhon Province. His school often
participates in local events and festivals, further promoting the traditions and
legacy of the Binh Dinh region martial arts. Furthermore, the Le Xuan Canh
School is one of the six officially recognized cultural institutions of the Binh
Dinh region martial arts.

CHARACTERISTICS
The Le Xuan Canh School is highly regarded throughout the province as they
teach a blend of the traditional Binh Dinh region martial art styles. Dual
weapon techniques are considered as the one of the specialties of the school
and the most impressive are often displayed in forms utilizing double
swords, whips and belts.
According to the historians of the region, the whip came into common use as
a battle tool during the Tay Son era. It was highly effective when used against
horse-mounted attackers—pulling them from horseback or as a strangulation
tool.
Grandmaster Le Xuan Canh has also been prominent in keeping traditional
martial arts performances alive. His students train in Lion Dancing to a high
level and his school has been one of few to continue the practice of ‘Human
Chess’ in which skilled martial artists play the pieces of Chinese Chess and
stage mock-battles as the moves take place. Both of these practices are
commonly held as performances over festivals during the Vietnamese New
Year.

Students dressed as chess pieces waiting for their ‘turn’ to play during a festival in Ho Chi Minh
City
VAN AN PHAI SCHOOL
VÕ KINH VẠN AN PHÁI

The Van An Phai School of martial arts is based in the central province and
former capital city of the Nguyen Dynasty, Hue. The name Võ Kinh Vạn An
Phái translates as The Vietnamese Way of Peace/Security

HISTORY
This style of martial arts was developed as the method of self-defense for the
Imperial Guard of the Nguyen Dynasty, who were based in the citadel of the
former capital, Hue. According to modern day masters of the Van An Phai
School, the system was first developed by a military commander named
Nguyen Huu Canh under the order of the Emperor Nguyen Anh (Gia Long)—
the first king of the Nguyen Dynasty, who ruled the nation from 1802–1820.
During the relatively recent, yet turbulent Nguyen Dynasty, which lasted up
until 1945, the soldiers protecting the royal family and capital were required
to have the skills both to defend Hue from potential attacks and to maintain
control and order among the civilian population, thus ensuring the popularity
and consistency of the training.
Following the downfall of the Nguyen Dynasty by 1945, and the eventual
collapse of the Vietnamese feudal system—officially ending with the
abdication of the throne by Emperor Bao Dai and a complete loss of
authority by 1955. At this time many martial arts including the Van An Phai
School were outlawed, but several former-Imperial-Guard masters continued
to keep the practices alive by training and teaching in secret.
The Van An Phai School was founded by Master Truong Van Thang who
started teaching formally (albeit in secret) in 1945 and officially opened
publicly in 1972. Truong Van Thang was a disciple of Grandmaster Nguyen
Thanh Van, who was trained by the Imperial Guard and appointed officially
as Grandmaster by the Nguyen regime. The Van An Phai School is currently
headed by Master Truong Quang Kim, the son of Truong Van Thang and the
fifth generation of Van An Phai masters. Since 2000, Master Kim has
successfully spread the tradition of Van An Phai to a number of countries,
training masters and students in France, the United States, Italy and Australia.
The school maintains its headquarters in the ancient capital city of Hue and
offers training to many Vietnamese and foreign students. The Van An Phai
School has also established a program for training orphaned and
underprivileged children in martial arts, this is supported by income earned
from performances and displays of Vietnamese culture.

CHARACTERISTICS
The Van An Phai School incorporates many different features into its
syllabus, including Qigong, traditional medicine training and martial arts
techniques, all of which were seen as necessary skills for the soldiers to
successfully protect the dynasty.
This martial arts system features forms and techniques based around animal
movements, some of which are common across many Asian martial art styles
such as Tiger, Leopard, Monkey, Snake, Eagle and Dragon, others are more
uniquely Vietnamese, such as the Cat and Buffalo. Weapons include the
standard eighteen that commonly appear in Binh Dinh schools as well as
several other imported weapons such as folding fans and nunchaku.
One of the unique aspects of this style is its focus on self-defense and conflict
resolution. Deadly strikes are often traded-out for those that will incapacitate
without killing, a feature that may have been incorporated due to its use as a
training and peacekeeping tool of the Imperial Guard. The Van An Phai
martial arts were designed to be explosive and intimidating, and they are
practiced in a very organized manner in which the military origins are clear.
One key aspect of training was to maintain the high level of fitness and
discipline required for Imperial Guard personnel and as a result the style is
generally very dynamic and acrobatic.
 Vo Kinh Van An Phai students demonstrate flying kicks and a staff form

UNIFORM
Although training uniforms vary across individual clubs, students often
perform in traditional guard dress. This features a long robe-like outfit or Áo
Dài made of gold and red silk, typically accompanied by a traditional
Vietnamese conical hat.
Áo Dài—literally meaning Long Shirt or Robe—is the national dress of
Vietnam, although it remains popular attire for women, it is generally worn
by men only during special occasions.

FACTS
Displays of Van An Phai martial arts are often seen on television and in
movies due to their visually exciting performances.
Students practice performance pieces around pagodas and temples in
the ancient citadel in Hue, and many of these are accessible by tour
groups.
Certain forms are designed specifically for female practitioners, as
many held ranks among the Imperial Guard of the Nguyen Dynasty.
The ‘Imperial Guard’ lined up at the tomb of the Nguyen Kings on the outskirts of Hue
CHAPTER IV

SOUTH
VIETNAMESE
STYLES AND
SCHOOLS
POINTS OF INTEREST
 THE SOUTHERN REGION

A Pagoda in the Seven Mountains region of the Mekong Delta

Accounting for roughly a third of the nation’s total area—around thirty-nine

thousand square kilometers—the southern region of Vietnam is home to a
population of more than thirteen million inhabitants.
For many years prior to Viet-Kinh occupation, the majority of the southern
provinces belonged to the Khmer kingdom. Then, from 1862–1954, under the
Nguyen Dynasty and the French colonialists, these provinces became a
subdivision of French Indochina known as La Colonie de Cochinchine or
Cochinchina. Control was eventually regained under the Vietnamese
Communist Party in 1975.
The southern region can be approximately divided into three areas: the
highlands to the north, the coastal lowlands to the southeast; and the Mekong
Delta, which is by far the most densely populated region. To the north of the
Mekong River and its many tributaries lies Ho Chi Minh City, which was
known as Saigon up until the formal establishment of the Socialist Republic
in 1976, and Prey Nokor in earlier years when it was part of the Khmer
Kingdom. Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam with a population of
more than eight million people.
The majority of the population in the Mekong Delta are of Viet-Kinh
ethnicity; however, there is a multiplicity of other ethnic groups with
substantial populations such as the Hoa (ethnic Chinese), Khmer Krom
(Vietnamese-Khmer) and Cham.
To the western border lies Cambodia, and the provinces to the south of Ho
Chi Minh city such asTra Vinh and SocTrang are home to large Khmer Krom
communities.
In the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City reside many Hoa citizens. To the
southwest of the city is a Chinatown area known as Cholon District (Chợ
Lớn ), which is officially registered as having more than eight hundred
thousand Hoa inhabitants, making up more than five percent of the city’s
population. Many of the Hoa population arrived in Vietnam throughout the
years as a result of international trade and migration due to various political
and economic issues.

The view of downtown Ho Chi Minh City from the Bitexco Financial Tower

Further north of the Mekong Delta live multiple Cham, Khmer and other
ethnic minority communities. This region is also home to many Vietnamese
followers of the Cao Dai religion. Cao Dai practices blend beliefs and
concepts taken from Buddhism, Daoism and Christianity among others.
Although these provinces are historically speaking a relatively new part of
the nation, they are integral to the country’s development both economically
and agriculturally. Ho Chi Minh City is known as the economic capital of the
nation whilst the provinces north of the Mekong Delta account for a huge
proportion of the nation’s rice cultivation and are often referred to as “The
Rice Bowl of Vietnam”.
Southern Vietnam has an extremely bipolar climate with scorching heat,
torrential rains and storms, whilst the flood plains, mountains and dense
wildlife-rich forests make for a hostile and unforgiving landscape. These
factors coupled with a near-constant state of conflict for the last several
hundred years, have ensured a tradition of necessity with martial arts. As a
result of the diverse range of ethnicities and religious groups in the region—
which may be due in part to a culmination of south Vietnam’s industrious
trade routes, important strategic military bases and geographical features —
an eclectic spectrum of martial art styles and systems exist. Chinese, Khmer,
Cham and ethnic Vietnamese influences are all visible in terms of the martial
arts techniques used, methods of transmission and their associated practices.
In this chapter we will look at some of the most popular martial arts schools
and culturally relevant styles that were developed in this region.

A Cao Dai Temple in District One, Ho Chi Minh City

BA TRA TAN KHANH TAKHADO
VÕ Lâm Bà Trà Tân Khánh

Ba Tra Tan Khanh or Takhado (Tan Khanh Style) is a martial art that was
developed in Binh Duong Province, southeast Vietnam—immediately to the
north of Ho Chi Minh City. The name Bà Trà refers to a local hero and
skilled fighter, meaning Lady Tra of Tân Khánh Village. The Ba Tra Tan
Khanh tradition is famous for producing skilled warriors, and their logo is
based on the story of two brothers and teachers of the style named Võ Văn Ất
and Võ Văn Giá who became famous for defeating live tigers in combat—
tiger attacks were relatively commonplace in pre-industrialized Vietnam and
those with martial arts skills would have likely been a great asset to village
groups.

A young Master Ho Tuong and students of Ba Tra Tan Khanh

HISTORY
The Ba Tra Tan Khanh style was formed in its present incarnation during the
early seventeenth century, at which time a number of Binh Dinh Province
inhabitants were forced from their homelands by monarchical oppression and
subsequently lacked natural resources such as wood to build houses and
animals to hunt. These pioneers ventured south where they established a new
village and named it Tan Khanh—now known as Tan Phuoc Khanh Town,
Tan Uyen District, Binh Duong Province. The new citizens of Binh Duong
Province had to adjust to their environment and utilize their martial arts skills
to face new and dangerous enemies including wild predators, marauding
bands of thieves and a hostile, unforgiving landscape. In many cases this
meant disregarding old techniques and creating or adapting new ones that
were better suited to their altered needs.
During the 1840s, a local female martial artist by the name of Lady Tra led
the villagers in an uprising against the corrupt ruling governor of the region
and his authorities. Backed by the local population, the rebels held off their
oppressors from regaining control for more than ten years. Eventually they
succumbed to the recently arrived, more powerful and well-equipped French
colonial rulers. During this time the martial arts style adopted its name from
Lady Tra’sTan Khanh Rebellion.
Many martial artists coming from this region were very skillful and
solidified the village’s reputation as an area renowned for its martial
prowess. In particular, Grandmaster Ho Van Lanh (1914–2005) was a highly
regarded martial artist of the Ba Tra Tan Khanh style. After moving from
Binh Duong Province to Saigon he became instrumental in the expansion of
Ba Tra Tan Khanh martial arts throughout Vietnam and abroad from 1950 to
2005. In Saigon, Ho Van Lanh and his students wowed audiences with
incredible performances and won a slew of medals in martial arts contests
across southern Vietnam before 1975. The school then continued in a similar
manner as the nation began to open its doors to the outside world.
Despite the death of Grandmaster Ho Van Lanh, the Ba Tra Tan Khanh
martial arts style continued to grow in local clubs throughout Vietnam,
especially in Ho Chi Minh City and the provinces of Dong Nai, Dong Thap
and Kien Giang
Ba Tra Tan Khanh martial arts are taught all over Vietnam but maintain their
largest followings in districts One, Four and Five of Ho Chi Minh City and in
Binh Duong Province. In Ho Chi Minh City alone the number of white-belt
masters and yellow-belt instructors is around a hundred.
The Ba Tra Tan Khanh martial arts are based primarily in Vietnam but
following the extradition of many southern citizens during wartime, a number
of students have continued to develop the style overseas. There are now
clubs in the United States, Australia, France and other European countries.
Since the 1970s there has been an ongoing program of cultural exchanges
between Vietnamese martial artists and guests/hosts from France, the United
States, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan and Laos.
The main representative of Ba Tra Tan Khanh in Vietnam is Master HoTuong,
who is the youngest son of Grandmaster Ho Van Lanh. The school’s
headquarters are based at the Youth Culture House, Pham Ngoc Thach Street,
Ben Nghe Ward, District One, Ho Chi Minh City.

Master Ho Tuong demonstrates a flying kick

CHARACTERISTICS
The Ba Tra Tan Khanh style has its roots in Binh Dinh region martial arts,
practitioners utilize similar methods of attack and defense; however, many
practical adaptations have been made from its predecessor systems.
Ba Tra Tan Khanh students often practice set attack and defense patterns to
work on kinesthetic awareness (using touch to sense where the opponent is
and predict where they will strike next) and reaction to attack. The syllabus
also includes Qigong training, strength and conditioning exercises,
competitive fighting and demonstrative performances. Some schools include
aspects of physical therapy and nutrition in their practices—although, this
often depends on whether they are focused on competitive or more traditional
skills.
Similar to Binh Dinh region martial arts, the Ba Tra Tan Khanh style
incorporates many low and high strikes by combining deep grounded stances
and aerial attacks. In addition to these, low leg striking, blocking and circular
shifting stances to avoid enemy strikes similar to those found in the Chinese
styles of Baguazhang and Tai Chi are common.
Compared to other traditional Vietnamese arts, some unique aspects of Ba
Tra Tan Khanh include:

Techniques using a range of long and short sticks, in which countering

opponents by controlling the space and direction of the conflict is key.
Empty-handed forms focusing on quick forward and backward
movements, although weapon-based and real-life combat are said to
utilize eight directions.
Stances that focus on constant transition between movements. Unlike
some other martial arts systems in which positions are held for their
aesthetic beauty.
Weapon forms that feature thirty-two basic implements, including
various farming and everyday implements that have been absorbed into
the style through necessity.
Weapon and unarmed combat forms that are taught through heavily
coded sets of poetry and rhymes—although this method of tuition is
used in various Binh Dinh region martial arts schools, it is especially
emphasized in Ba Tra Tan Khanh. The southern accent and vocabulary
often produces highly coded instructions.
Students are regularly required to learn the theory of attacks and forms
before completing the physical movements. This contrasts somewhat
 with the many traditional martial arts in which the movements are
taught first and then analyzed later on.

Ba Tra Tan Khanh knife attacks

A student demonstrates one of the everyday implements included in training

UNIFORM
Students often wear similar attire to that of the Binh Dinh martial arts
schools, predominantly black, long-sleeved shirts and pants, with a sash of
either blue, red, yellow or white indicating their levels as beginner, student,
teacher or master respectively. The Ba Tra Tan Khanh logo is always on
front of the shirts and is often accompanied by the name of the student and
specific school, which makes practitioners easily recognizable as students of
this style.

FACTS
Master HoTuong has provided free classes for youths and those with a
desire to study have in Ho Chi Minh City for over twenty-five years.
Master HoTuong has written many books on Vietnamese martial arts
and remains one of the foremost martial art researchers and historians
in Vietnam today.
NAM HUYNH DAO MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
Môn Phái Nam Huynh Dao

The Nam Huynh Dao Martial Arts School is based in District One, Ho Chi
Minh City. The name refers to the Huynh Family Lineage of martial arts
from the south whilst Đạo means the way or path.

An advanced student demonstrating aerial kicks at Nam Chon temple, Ho Chi Minh City

HISTORY
The Huynh family martial arts style was said to have been founded by
General Nguyen Huynh Duc, a former viceroy to the southern state of the
nation under the ruling of the Nguyen Dynasty (1748–1819). According to
historical documents the Huynh family were well-known for their skills with
traditional medicines—which they used to help many residents of the region.
The current Grandmaster, named Huynh Tuan Kiet, is the seventh generation
descendant of General Nguyen Huynh Duc.
The Huynh family style of martial arts was taught through a paternal family
lineage until it reached the current Grandmaster. In a bid to develop this style
further he combined his family’s martial arts style with training elements of
popular Chinese martial arts such as Choy Le Fut and Choy Gar. With this
his family style of martial arts expanded into a nonindentomprehensive
system and formed the modern day style of Mon Phai Nam Huynh Dao. The
school officially opened on September 16th, 1991 in their first location at the
Nam Chon Temple in District One, Ho Chi Minh City and rapidly gained a
large following.

CHARACTERISTICS
The Nam Huynh Dao style is based on traditional Vietnamese martial arts;
therefore, some of the key features are low stances, acrobatic kicking and a
range of grappling and striking techniques. The Nam Huynh Dao School’s
syllabus includes a large amount of physical conditioning such as;
strengthening low stances, developing flexibility and explosive striking
power, alongside softer elements of breath control, meditation and Qigong.
Elements of Chinese martial arts and philosophy are also present within the
system and the Nam Huynh Dao School highly emphasizes philosophy and
culture as part of its pedagogy. Students must study detailed lessons on
developing values of peace and harmony through their training. Alongside
this, medicinal practices are also taught Traditional medicines and Qigong
practices are a cornerstone of the school due to long ties with the world of
medicine.

UNIFORM
During formal training sessions students dress in black trousers and wear
traditional footwear similar to sandals along with sleeveless black shirts or
t-shirts with colored sashes denoting rank.
Students practice palm-striking techniques
SA LONG CUONG MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
Võ Phái Bình Đinh Sa Long Cương

Sa Long Cuong is one of the most well-known Southern Vietnamese schools

of martial arts. It was developed as a blend of various styles from the Binh
Dinh region and influenced by other Vietnamese and Chinese systems. The
name Sa Long Cương is often translated as Dragon in the Sand; this refers
to Grandmaster Truong Thanh Dang, a famously skilled martial artist from the
coastal region of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan Province.

Master Nguyen Thanh Bao demonstrates punching techniques during a class in Ho Chi Minh
City

HISTORY
Grandmaster Truong Thanh Dang was born in 1895. In 1909 at the age of
fourteen, he was sent by his parents to formally study martial arts in Binh
Dinh Province.
After arriving in Binh Dinh, Truong Thanh Dang trained with many famous
martial artists, including a Shaolin specialist named Master Vinh Phuc and
various masters of the famous martial arts villages of An Thai and An Vinh.
At the time the French colonial government had a strict prohibition on martial
arts and all training had to be done surreptitiously and through informal
mentoring.
Truong Thanh Dang spent years researching and honing the techniques he had
learned from various great masters of Vietnamese styles. Then, from 1925–
1930, he began to consolidate the techniques he had studied into an orthodox
system. Due to the risks associated with teaching illegal martial arts, Truong
Thanh Dang had to move from the coastal Phan Thiet province, where he had
been teaching for the last five years, to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) in 1930,
where he was relatively unknown. He continued to teach informally until
finally, in 1964, the school of Binh Dinh Sa Long Cuong was officially
opened. The school quickly gained a prestigious reputation among the martial
arts community due to the impressive skill levels their students attained.
After the death of Grandmaster Truong Thanh Dang in 1985, at the age of
ninety-one, his oldest son Truong Ba Duong and the school’s director Le Van
Van continued to teach and promote the style, maintaining the traditions and
history of Truong Thanh Dang’s legacy.
Sa Long Cuong is one of the largest single-style organizations of Vietnamese
traditional martial arts with thousands of practitioners throughout Asia,
Europe, Canada and the Americas. The regions with the largest followings
include southern Vietnam, France, Italy, Russia, the United Kingdom and the
United States. Sa Long Cuong is represented in the Association of Traditional
Vietnamese Martial Arts and often invites foreign and domestic practitioners
to partake in contests and exchanges throughout Vietnam.
 Grandmaster Truong Thanh Dang standing in front of pictures of Quang Trung and
Bodhidharma

CHARACTERISTICS
The syllabus of Sa Long Cuong features a blend of techniques derived from
Binh Dinh region martial arts combined with other outside influences, such
as Shaolin and traditional Vietnamese grappling. Students typically learn
punching, kicking and Qigong routines to work on their balance, strength, and
flexibility. Following this they learn forms and self-defense applications that
combine all of the above into combat practice. Despite sharing some forms
with Binh Dinh schools such as: Lão Mai Quyền (Plum Blossom Form)
and Lão Hổ Thượng Son (Wise Tiger Ascending The Mountain), many of
the forms of Sa Long Cuong appear more linear than their Binh Dinh style
counterparts—the intention of the founder may have been to simplify form
training with a view to enable students to learn quickly and effectively. Many
fundamentals of the two systems are similar but there are several key
differences—the Sa Long Cuong style downplays the use of jumping
techniques and prefers to stay grounded, whereas many Binh Dinh styles
heavily emphasize aerial attacks. The Sa Long Cuong style also emphasizes
keeping the arms in a tighter guard—closer to the body—this offers more
protection and highlights an important principle of never overextending
during attacks. Sa Long Cuong students often train with a wide variety of
weapons—including the traditional eighteen of Binh Dinh region martial arts
and others. Training with Song Xỉ double blades is emphasized as both a
defensive and offensive tool and Sa Long Cuong practitioners also train with
long staffs—around three meters. This method of long staff fighting utilizes
the weapon primarily as a linear stabbing and striking implement as opposed
to a more circular defensive tool, which is more common in other styles that
feature long staffs such as Vịnh Xuân Quyền (Wing Chun). This particular
style of long staff usage is said to come from fending off attackers on
horseback by serving as a tool for stabbing at the horse.

Master Le Van Van demonstrates Song Xi and open-handed techniques

UNIFORM
Sa Long Cuong uniforms are usually entirely white; this comes from the attire
of the Nguyen Dynasty generals—they would often wear white when at home
which eventually came to represent their outfits for training. Belts come in
four colors: black, blue, red and yellow. The yellow belt shows various
degrees of mastery which are represented with up to nine red stripes across
the belt before reaching full-yellow.
SEVEN MOUNTAINS MARTIAL ARTS
Thất Sơn Thần Quyền

The view of Forbidden Mountain—the largest of the range

Thất Sơn literally means Seven Mountains, whilst Thần Quyền translates
as Spirit Martial Arts or Spirit Fist and refers to the style practiced by
Buddhist and Daoist groups of this region. The Seven Mountains are located
in the far southwest of Vietnam, close to the Cambodian border and the
border town of Chau Doc—about two hundred and fifty kilometers west of
Ho Chi Minh City. The terrain in the Seven Mountains region is a mix of
densely forested mountains and low lying floodplains that are annually
overrun with the waters of the Mekong River and its many tributaries. These
southern provinces are famous for their floating markets and villages—here,
boats are often the preferred method of everyday transport. Due to the
difficult landscape of the region, this area has historically been very isolated.
Until the arrival of modern infrastructure and development projects
orchestrated by the colonial French and later Vietnamese regimes, the Seven
Mountains region was virtually inaccessible to vehicles and much of the area
could only be accessed on foot or by boat.
The attributes of the Seven Mountains’ geomancy or Phong Thủy (Feng
Shui) is believed by inhabitants to instill in them a pronounced spiritual
vitality. For instance, the channels of the Mekong Delta spread across the
lowlands and enrich the surrounding agricultural lands and village
communities in a similar manner to the meridians in which Qi is said to flow
through the body.

A floating café in An Giang Province Southwest Vietnam

HISTORY
Due to a combination of the Seven Mountains region’s location and history,
the population is composed of a diverse mix of ethnic Vietnamese, Hoa,
Cham and Khmer peoples. Although the Seven Mountains region was a part
of the Khmer Kingdom for hundreds of years, by the early eighteenth century
the first ethnically Vietnamese and Chinese immigrants began to settle the
region and with this new population came a range of traditional Vietnamese
and Sino-Vietnamese martial arts. During pre-colonial times the culture of
the Seven Mountains region was heavily influenced by spiritual practices—
somewhat similar to Japanese Shinto—in which spirits are manifested in
places, objects and creatures. It was not uncommon for communities to
incorporate possession ceremonies, spiritual healers and wandering holy
men into their religious practices. Although this is not entirely unique to the
Seven Mountains, the isolation of the communities and hostile environment
has served to amplify the practice of many of these traditions.
Due to the fact that many spiritual and martial art traditions were spread
through oral means such as poetry, stories and lessons from Buddhist and
Daoist teachers, along with direct tuition from teacher to student, there are
few surviving documents that reference these practices. As the French
settlers of the nineteenth century spread into this relatively undocumented
region, they were surprised to encounter many local masters performing
spiritual healing, exorcisms and exhibiting amazing martial prowess—some
of these encounters and local traditions were then documented for official
records and surveys on religious practices by the authorities in Saigon.
Throughout the twentieth century, the turbulent political climate resulting
from the efforts of factious political parties to consolidate their power, such
as the French colonial nonindentovernment, the Catholic regime of President
Ngo Dinh Diem and the Communist party, led to the persecution of many
religious and ethnic groups of the Seven Mountains region. Consequently, in
more recent years many of the spiritual and martial arts practices were
forced underground, being officially forbidden but remaining culturally
important and taught in the isolation of the mountains.
There are many Buddhist and Daoist groups in the region and across Vietnam
that continue to practice the Seven Mountain martial arts, although many of
the religious or spiritual activities associated with these practices were
forbidden under various states of administration. Due to the dispersion of the
population following periods of war and oppression, there are a number of
Vietnamese and Khmer communities that follow these and similar traditions
in the United States, Russia, France and other European countries.

A long stance of Seven Mountains region martial arts

CHARACTERISTICS
Practitioners of Seven Mountains martial arts often perform movements
inspired by animals and/or powerful spirits. Like many other Southeast Asian
styles, common techniques include: hand strikes, elbows, kicks and knees. In
accordance with the nonindentountainous environment, practitioners move
nimbly through a number of long and low stances. They also utilize short,
sharp strikes that generate a maximum amount of force within a minimal
distance, a characteristic attributed to the limited maneuverability allowed
by the Seven Mountains’ dense jungles and mountainous terrain. Weapons
practiced in these systems vary widely but often incorporate both Chinese-
style battlefield tools—such as swords, spears and axes—and those more
typical of Southeast Asian fighting systems such as daggers, short sticks and
concealed blades similar to the Karambit found throughout Malay, Indonesian
and Filipino martial arts.
Historically the inhabitants of the region faced near-constant threats of war,
dangerous animals, and an incredibly hostile environment, all of which found
expression in martial arts traditions that adapted to become effective and
brutal. Techniques are generally taught with conviction and realism with few
sporting or competitive adaptations that would detract from the
fundamentally practical nature of these techniques.
The forms of the Seven Mountains martial arts share similarities with some
Chinese styles in that they draw inspiration from animals, including the Tiger,
Crane, Snake, Monkey, Leopard and others. However, a key difference is that
practitioners of the Seven Mountains martial arts do not merely learn
physical techniques based on imitating the movements of the animals, but
rather attempt to embody the ‘spirit’ of the creature and allow It to animate
their movements. These practices, although performed in veneration of the
spirit, may appear to outside observers as a form of spirit possession—a
belief not uncommon in some strands of Vietnamese folk-religion.
 Practitioners of Seven Mountains Region martial arts demonstrate Tiger and Snake forms

For the inhabitants of the Seven Mountains region, martial arts and spiritual
practices were intrinsically linked. As spirit veneration of animals and the
landscape itself was seen as integrally important during pre-colonial times,
many of these martial arts practices were developed as a tool for combating
the supernatural as much as they were for physical combat training.

UNIFORM
Although the Seven Mountains martial arts are a well-known style in south
Vietnam, there are hundreds of different lineages which incorporate a wide
range of influences and focuses and therefore the attire worn varies greatly
among schools. Many Buddhist and Daoist practitioners tend to wear robes
or traditional Vietnamese outfits, whilst practitioners of other Vietnamese
schools wear a Karate-like Gi or plain pants and t-shirts.
TINH VO DAO MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
Võ Phái Tinh Võ Đạo

This relatively new martial arts system was developed from an accumulation
of styles. The Tinh Vo Dao School was founded by Master Ho Hoa Hue, one
of very few high-ranking female martial artists in Vietnam. Võ Phái Tinh Võ
Đạo is commonly translated as The Way of Martial Purity and in recent
years has become highly respected in both Vietnam and abroad, attracting
thousands of foreign as well as domestic practitioners.

HISTORY
Master Ho Hoa Hue was born in Binh Dinh Province, although she lived in
An Khe District in south-central Vietnam for most of her life. In 1946, whilst
still young, Ho Hoa Hue’s father—who fought as a member of the resistance
opposing French rule, was killed. Following her father’s death she returned
to her homeland of Binh Dinh to live with her grandparents. Her grandfather
was himself a martial arts master named Ho Van Cao and through him, as a
young girl, Ho Hoa Hue became interested and eventually adept in martial
arts.
Following her grandfather’s death, she received training from a martial arts
master of the Tay Son region called Pham Dong and the famous Ba Tra Tan
Khanh master, Ho Van Lanh. Ho Hoa Hue also trained in Shaolin Kung Fu,
Vinh Xuan (Wing Chun), and Boxing under various different teachers. After
returning to Saigon with the rank of Master, Ho Hoa Hue participated in
numerous martial arts contests and went on to defeat one of the top female
martial artists of the day, named Bich Lien, in less than one minute. This
served to solidify her reputation among the Saigon martial arts community.
Over the following years she continued to win consecutive championships
and contests. By the age of forty she had developed a prominent Saigon
martial arts school. In recent years, Master Ho Hoa Hue has established
herself as an ambassador for martial arts. She has toured throughout Europe,
America and Africa promoting Vietnamese arts, and together with her
students has established schools across Vietnam and many European
countries.
Currently the style of Tinh Vo Dao is taught by Master Ho Hoa Hue at various
locations in Ho Chi Minh City. They are famous for having a cosmopolitan
student base and being proactive in seeking out clubs from all over the world
with whom to exchange skills and knowledge. Throughout her career, Master
Ho Hoa Hue has introduced Tinh Vo Dao and other traditional Vietnamese
martial arts to over sixty countries and recent estimates put the school’s
following at over ten thousand students.

Master Ho Hoa Hue

CHARACTERISTICS
The Tinh Vo Dao School features an array of techniques developed from
traditional Vietnamese arts as well as useful features of other systems that
have been absorbed into the system. The syllabus contains a complete
methodology of traditional forms, contest fighting, self-defense and weapons.
From the Shaolin and Vinh Xuan (Wing Chun) influences, eight Qigong forms
are incorporated along with wooden dummy training for contact and self-
defense practice. As well as using traditional Vietnamese weapons, other
tools such as umbrellas, hatchets, butterfly knives, fans and nunchaku were
nonindentppropriated into the system. This fusion can be attributed to the
requirements of living in dangerous times and from the wide range of
students who have joined the schools of Tinh Vo Dao.

Master Ho Hoa Hue demonstrating a punch and kick combination

UNIFORM
The uniform of Tinh Vo Dao is similar to that of other Binh Dinh schools and
is composed of long black shirts and pants with sashes ranging from light to
dark. The emblem of the school features a Yin-Yang (Âm-Dương) symbol in
the center representing both the hard and soft nature of the style, surrounded
by the school name.
CHAPTER V

ETHNIC MINORITY
MARTIAL ARTS
THE NORTHERN MINORITY GROUPS
Throughout the northern highlands of Vietnam there are a wide range of
ethnic minorities, the largest of which are the Tay, Thai, Muong and Hmong
groups. They are thought to make up between one and two percent of the
population respectively.
Throughout history, many of these minorities have faced tremendous
difficulties, living in dangerous locations and being faced with near-constant
persecution from various ruling factions. The development or evolution of
self-defense techniques was born of historic necessity. However, until fairly
recently many of these practices have been obscured from the public-eye
completely or taught only in gated communities.
Over the last decade, several martial arts schools of ethnic Hmong descent
have grown popular in Hanoi, Lao Cai and other northwestern provinces
inhabited by mountain-dwelling minority groups. One of the largest of these
schools is named Bắc Việt Võ (literally Northern Vietnam Martial Arts) and
has quickly developed a large following. According to instructors of the
style, it has been passed down from father to son through generations of their
families and until recently was strictly never shared with outsiders.
As the ethnic Hmong communities spread throughout Northern Vietnam and
Laos during their original migration from southern China, the Hmong martial
arts would most likely have blended Chinese and Vietnamese traditions and
adapted to better suit their environments. Nowadays, they are highly
acrobatic and non-linear, since the mountainous terrain makes uniform
movement nearly impossible.
 An instructor of the Bac Viet Vo school demonstrates a machete form

A range of different weapons are more prevalent in the Northern ethnic

minority styles than in other Vietnamese martial arts, such as the machete and
long knives, as well as use of crossbow and quiver as both projectile and
striking tools.
Students of these schools often wear traditional Hmong outfits, including
dark pants and button-down shirts decorated in gold or multicolored woven
patterns.

CHAM ETHNIC GROUP

The Cham minority group are located primarily in the central and southern
regions of Vietnam with a population of almost a hundred thousand. There
are two main groups of Cham; those living in the coastal provinces of Ninh
Thuan and Binh Thuan and those living further west in the border provinces
of An Giang, Tay Ninh, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City. At its peak, the
Champa Kingdom covered almost two-thirds of Vietnam, extending from the
city of Panduranga—in modern day Ninh Thuan Province in the south to Ha
Tinh Province in the north. The religion of the Champa Kingdom was
predominantly Hindu however from the eleventh to sixteenth century
following influences from central Asian cultures Sunni Islam flourished and
large proportion of the Cham population now are fairly syncretic in that they
often practice either Hinduism, Brahmanism (a specific branch of the Hindu
faith) or Islam alongside traditional ancestor worship or animism; however,
Hinduism has had a consistent presence and has been extremely influential on
the Cham culture.
Due to the pluralistic nature of the region’s’ history, the Cham retain a unique
religious and cultural identity, similar somewhat to certain ethnic groups of
modern day Indonesia and Malaysia.
The Cham martial arts were predominantly used for military and defensive
purposes and although they have been reasonably well documented are no
longer practiced in Vietnam—openly at least There are a multitude of factors
for this but the primary may well be the small size of the Cham population
living in Vietnam (just over 160,000 people) and the non-existence of a
modern Cham military. For hundreds of years the Champa Kingdom was at
war with the Khmer, ethnic Vietnamese, Javanese and even Mongol armies,
meaning that practical fighting and battlefield skills were crucial. Similar to
the Indonesian and Malay traditions of Pencak Silat, Cham battlefield
practices featured an array of long and short blades such as the Karambit,
Kris and Sobre—some of which also appear in other Vietnamese martial art
styles.

Champa era temple in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa province

Cham fighting styles and contests of martial arts including sword or stick
fighting and wrestling have been depicted in various drawings and sculptures
for thousands of years. Some of these artworks remain on display today in the
few remaining Champa cultural sites such as the temples around the
provinces of Binh Dinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Khanh Hoa. Among the
Cham population there are many folk tales of skilled warriors, armed and
unarmed fighters from the Champa Kingdom, some of whom are said to have
traveled as far as the Malay Peninsula and Philippines. Certain schools of
Malayu Silat trace their lineages and even the development of some
weapons, such as the Kris, a distinct, curved Southeast Asian sword, back to
masters from the Champa Kingdom and its predecessors. However, being
predominantly oral histories, these sources are of uncertain reliability.

A Malay Kris on display in the Hanoi Museum of Ethnology

Since the downfall of the Champa Kingdom in the seventeenth century, a

swathe of cultural sites and archaeological evidence have been destroyed.
Some were destroyed nonindentt the hands of the Vietnamese armies, while
many others were lost as a result of French, Japanese and American
invasions and bombing raids. Due to persecution from various groups, many
of the religious and cultural practices of the Cham were forced underground.
As a result, these martial arts would have been obscured from the outside
world. Despite the questionable veracity of the oral histories detailing the
history of Cham martial arts, it is certain that over time cultural crossover
would have been inevitable.
More recently, there has been a resurgence in the political will to protect and
further develop historical sites and the culture of the Cham minority people.
Investment has been put into the preservation of historical sites and the
building of new mosques throughout Vietnam. The Cham people have also
gained official status as an ethnic minority and are currently allowed to
practice religious traditions that would have been previously outlawed.
 A traditionally dressed Cham-Muslim man cycles to the local mosque in southwest Vietnam

K HMER ETHNIC GROUP

From the tenth to eighteenth centuries the Vietnamese empire was continually
and aggressively expanding southwards. Over hundreds of years and through
numerous wars with the Khmer Empire (802–1431 A.D.), Cham and Siamese
forces, the native Viet-Kinh managed to gradually assume control of many of
the southern provinces and eventually amalgamate them into a single nation.

Aerial View of Angkor Wat—The center of the Khmer Kingdom, Cambodia

Over several generations many of the Vietnamese-Khmer population based
around the Mekong Delta in and southwest Vietnam relocated to central and
southern Cambodia. The Khmer population that remains in Vietnam—who
are known as the Khmer Krom—continue to live in minority communities
primarily in the far south-west. Although they are an officially recognized
ethnic minority group of Vietnam, the Khmer Krom remain a focus of human
rights debates to this day, particularly in regard to the way they have often
had to adopt Vietnamese names, language and customs in an attempt to better
assimilate into Vietnamese culture and social systems. Despite these efforts,
some notion of cultural ‘otherness’ towards the Khmer Krom still remains.
In certain communities, Khmer Krom traditional martial arts are still
practiced and taught as a method of self-defense and religious cultivation.
Although Khmer martial arts vary among communities and countries, certain
similarities can be witnessed between them. Whilst it is generally thought of
as a Cambodian fighting style, the modern day martial art of Bokator is
ethnically Khmer and the Khmer Krom practice a similar incarnation of the
style. In the Khmer language, Bokator translates as Pounding the Lion and is
infamous for its deadly knee and elbow strikes as well as its joint locks.
Although somewhat similar to traditional Thai Kickboxing (Muay Boran),
Bokator and its Khmer Krom incarnations feature animal forms and often
claim to teach a syllabus of over ten thousand techniques. As with many of
the ethnic martial arts in Vietnam, they have originated not as part of the
nation in which they are currently found, but as part of a nonindentorderless
culture that has spread with human development. Although thought to stem
from the center of the Khmer Kingdom in modern day Cambodia, many of
these isolated martial arts traditions have developed unique aspects of their
own as they have adapted to new environments and the changing needs of
their practitioners.
Already facing some level of religious oppression, any monks in Vietnam
practicing outlawed martial arts would have been in a potentially dangerous
position. As a result, even though monastic lineages of Khmer martial arts
may still exist in Vietnam, they are no longer practiced openly. Despite being
on the brink of becoming lost entirely there are still practitioners of Khmer
Krom martial arts in Vietnam that have been taught in a non-religious setting.
In Tra Cu Village (known in Khmer as Preah Trapeng), Tra Vinh Province in
the Mekong Delta, a Khmer Krom community trains and teaches traditional
Khmer Krom martial arts. A master known by the Vietnamese name of Thach
Thanh teaches martial arts and the Khmer language to local students. His
martial arts were taught to him by his grandfather, My Son, after Thanh asked
for his tuition as a way of upholding Khmer Krom culture and for the
protection of their community. Currently Master Thach Thanh runs a school
with over a hundred students and his traditional martial arts can be seen in
Khmer Krom cultural exhibitions and displays. This school ensures the
preservation, for the time being at least, of practices verging on extinction
from a once dominant culture in Vietnam.

A Khmer temple gateway in An Giang Province, southwest Vietnam

THE DEGAR/MONTAGNARD ETHNIC GROUPS

Known as the central highlands of Vietnam, the provinces of Dak Lak, Dak
Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Lam Dong cover around fifty-five thousand
square kilometers and are home to nearly five million inhabitants. Although
the majority of the inhabitants are Viet-Kinh, there are a large number of
ethnic minority groups among them such as the Jarai, Ede, Bahnar and Koho,
who are collectively known as the Degar or Montagnard. For many hundreds
of years these minority groups have survived by honing their agricultural and
hunting skills—in which the Degar are famed for their use of both
conventional and unconventional weapons.
Throughout festivals and celebrations in the highlands, martial arts practices
are commonplace. Whilst some Degar practice martial arts both with
weapons and unarmed purely for self-defense and hunting purposes, other
ethnic groups organize and promote martial arts as a method for preservation
of history and culture. Some members of the Jarai and Ede ethnic groups
teach a formal system known as Võ Phái Rang Đê meaning Radaya Martial
Arts. The name Radaya or Ra Đê stems from Sanskrit and refers to the
ancestral tribe of the ethnic groups who now live in the highlands and in
small pockets across Southeast Asia.
Radaya martial arts include both performance and practical customs of stick,
sword and shield fighting as well as unarmed training. Practitioners
generally wear long trousers and loose sleeveless shirts decorated with red
and black material, similar to the traditional dress of the central highland
groups.

A traditional western-highlands communal house

CHAPTER VI

SINO-VIETNAMESE
AND CHINESE
MARTIAL ARTS
OVERVIEW
During the long-intertwined history of Vietnam and China there has been an
inseparable exchange of culture and society, including martial arts. For
thousands of years virtually no distinction was made between the northern
Vietnamese and southern Chinese borders, and even until relatively recent
times a large amount of the border region’s inhabitants lived in isolated
villages and communities throughout the sparsely populated, mountainous
highlands. Each community had their own language and customs, much like
the ethnically diverse rural groups in southern China today. Similarly, since
the inhabitation of the southern provinces of Vietnam, trade and cultural
exchange has been key for prosperity between the two nations and as a result
the level of crossover between Chinese and Vietnamese customs are difficult
to measure. As only limited distinction is possible between the two nations,
this chapter will look specifically at some of the modern contemporary
Chinese martial arts that have flourished in Vietnam or have been
amalgamated into modern schools with substantial followings.

A dragon monument marking the center of Saigon’s Chinatown

HUNG GAR KUEN
Hồng Gia Quyền

Hong Gia Quyen (Hung Gar Kuen) is a southern Chinese martial art style that
is said to have been formally developed in the seventeenth century as one of
five major schools that were influenced directly from Shaolin martial art
teachings (others include Choy Gar, Lau Gar, Li Gar and Mok Gar). Hong
Gia Quyen became extremely popular throughout China during the late
nineteenth and early twentieth century for a number of reasons however,
association with the widely-known Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung is
thought to have assisted. Some of the earliest noted observations of Hung Gar
Kuen in Vietnam were in the Hoa area of Cholon District in Ho Chi Minh city
during the early twentieth century.
Hong Gia Quyen has a large following around both the Red River Delta and
the Mekong Delta with hundreds of schools and many thousands of students
—one Ho Chi Minh City based school claims to have trained over five
hundred instructors alone. The practical nature and adaptability of the system
along with the physicality of the training would have provided many benefits
for those requiring self-defense skills and physical cultivation during periods
of conflict.
Many practices commonly associated with Hong Gia Quyen training have
since been incorporated into a range of traditional Vietnamese martial art
schools, some examples of which are the inclusion of practices with iron
rings—rings are worn on the arms during training to assist with both forearm
conditioning and strengthening of the muscles, other techniques include hard-
body conditioning drills such as the strengthening of fingers by striking a
bucket of sand or gravel.
A Hong Gia Quyen practitioner demonstrating iron ring techniques
QWAN KI DO
Quán Khí Dạo

Qwan Ki Do is a martial arts system that blends traditional Vietnamese

techniques and philosophy from styles such as the Binh Dinh region martial
arts with a range of other Chinese influences such as Shaolin Kung Fu,
Mantis style and Emei Shan Kung Fu. Quan Khi refers to the Grandmaster
Chau Quan Ky; however, in Vietnamese, Ky is substituted for Khí meaning
Qi or Energy and Đạo means Path or Way.
The founder of the style, Master Pham Xuan Tong, was born in 1947 in
southern Vietnam. From a young age Pham Xuan Tong trained in traditional
Vietnamese martial arts with his grandfather in the area surrounding Saigon.
Pham Xuan Tong’s family eventually became friends with a Chinese
immigrant and martial arts master named Chau Quan Khi. After sometime,
Chau Quan Khi agreed to teach his Chinese style to Pham Xuan Tong. The
Chinese and Vietnamese communities were often relatively segregated and
would normally be unlikely to share techniques in this manner. In early 1968
Master Pham Xuan Tong left Vietnam for the west and officially opened the
first school of Qwan Ki Do, which blended his Vietnamese family style with
the Chinese systems of his teacher.
Due to being developed from various styles, Qwan Ki Do incorporates a
wide range of techniques such as striking, sweeping, grappling, self-defense,
weapons and meditation. One of the key aspects is that of soft and hard
elements (Yin-Yang); students are taught to be fluid and relaxed whilst
remaining strong and grounded. According to Master Pham Xuan Tong, the
Chinese/Vietnamese origins of techniques are visible in this style due to the
differences in movement. The former tend to be more circular and evasive
whilst the latter tend to be more linear and powerful.
Qwan Ki Do is taught in more than twenty countries throughout Europe, Asia,
the Americas and Africa including the United Kingdom, the United States,
Canada, Denmark, Norway, France, Italy, Germany and Vietnam. There are
several governing bodies across different continents; however, most fall
under the direct jurisdiction of Grandmaster Pham Xuan Tong, who continues
to teach seminars throughout the world.
WING CHUN
Vịnh Xuân Quyền

Due to its accessibility and relative ease of learning, Wing Chun or Vịnh
Xuân Quyến as the Vietnamese schools are referred to, is extremely popular
throughout Vietnam and thousands of Vinh Xuan Quyen schools from various
lineages are distributed throughout the country.
Famously originating from southern China and being popularized in Hong
Kong during the 1950s, Vinh Xuan first developed a significant following in
Vietnam after it was introduced near the beginning of the twentieth century by
a master and seventh generation disciple of the southern Shaolin temple,
named Nguyen Te Cong. Despite alternative lineages of Vinh Xuan that were
almost certainly taught in Vietnam prior to this, Nguyen Te Cong was the first
to bring Vinh Xuan to mainstream recognition. Following this introduction
Vinh Xuan rapidly developed a huge following throughout the nation.

A Vinh Xuan master performing a wooden dummy form

The school lineages diverged through various students of Nguyen Te Cong

and although it was founded upon the same principles as Wing Chun, the
Vietnamese style of Vinh Xuan developed a variety of unique aspects. Vinh
Xuan has been adapted by various teachers and schools to better suit their
markets and despite maintaining many traditional practices, it has developed
into a uniquely Vietnamese style.
As in the common Hong Kong lineage of Wing Chun—which has millions of
followers worldwide, practices of Vinh Xuan typically include ‘chain’
punching (using vertically aligned fists to repeatedly strike forward using the
hands alternately in a quick circular motion), sunken elbow defense and
fairly upright stances with low kicks. However, in Vietnamese Vinh Xuan
there tend to be several key differences that have either been developed
independently over time or have come from different branches outside the
common Hong Kong lineages. Some examples of these are heavy arm and leg
conditioning in a manner close to that of traditional Karate, liberal use of
high kicks (famously removed from many modern schools) and clearly
represented animal forms, which are commonly downplayed for simplicity in
Hong Kong Wing Chun.

Vinh Xuan Students demonstrate chain punching

Vinh Xuan schools often incorporate wooden dummy practice as standard,

however due to the expense and impracticality of the wooden dummy this is
not essential and various (often more aggressive when compared to Hong
Kong lineage Wing Chun) forms of Chi Sao or Sticking Hands are employed
instead. Sticking hands is a pair-practice exercise in which students strike
and block the opponent whilst maintaining physical contact with each other’s
forearms to ‘sense’ where their opponent will strike through touch alone.
There are thousands of schools of Vinh Xuan all over Vietnam from various
Chinese and Vietnamese lineages. Specific schools are often named through
family titles and are commonly advertised with posters in public areas such
as schools and pagodas.

OTHER POPULAR CHINESE ARTS

A large number of other, contemporary Chinese martial arts have been
introduced to Vietnam through immigration and societal crossover, many of
which retain large followings. In the south of the country, particularly Ho Chi
Minh City’s Cholon District (which has a huge number of martial arts
schools) and in other larger cities across the country. The following martial
art styles are common sightings:

Bak Mei Pai (Bach Mi Phái)

White Eyebrow Kung Fu, named after a Daoist monk from the Emei
Mountain region who was famous for his long white beard and
eyebrows. The style is said to focus on the use of close range hand
strikes and movements based upon the tiger.

Emei Quan Kung Fu (Võ Phái Nga Mi Son)

A style of Kung Fu developed on Emei Mountain in the Sichuan
Province of China. Emei Mountain is known for being one of the most
sacred Buddhist mountains of China. The martial arts styles developed
in the mountain’s monasteries are famous for emphasizing the use of a
wide range of animal forms.

Fut Gar Kuen (Phật Gia Quyền)

Phật Gia Quyền or Buddhist Family Fist is a relatively modern style of
Kung Fu developed as a culmination of various southern Shaolin martial
arts schools and focuses on circular evasions, palm strikes, punches and
low kicks.

Shaolin Kung Fu (Thiếu Lâm Quyền)

The modern incarnation of the traditional Kung Fu style that many claim
developed in the Shaolin temple of Henan province over the course of
fifteen hundred years and is the precursor to other Chinese martial arts.
The name Shaolin encompasses a wide variety of schools and styles that
emphasize different skills but all claim a common lineage from the
Shaolin Temple.

Tai Chi Chuan (Thái Cực Quyền)

An ‘internal’ martial arts style particularly popular with older
practitioners, as it is commonly practiced with slow movements and
health benefits in mind as opposed to combat. Tai Chi Chuan or Thái
Cực Quyền practices vary widely between schools. Both the
contemporary Chinese lineages and those that are considered more
distinctly Vietnamese remain popular in Vietnam.
Wushu
Literally meaning Chinese Martial Arts, Wushu is a modern Chinese
martial art system featuring two variations, Taolu and Sanda which
mean forms and sparring respectively. Wushu was developed from an
amalgamation of various traditional Chinese martial art systems and has
millions of practitioners worldwide. Wushu is often put forward as a
bid for inclusion within the summer Olympic Games—although so far
has remained unsuccessful.

A Vietnamese Shaolin Kung Fu practitioner

Vietnamese Tai Chi Chuan practitioners
CHAPTER VII

IMPORTED AND
FOREIGN MARTIAL
ARTS
OVERVIEW
Since the relaxation of international trade agreements in the 1980s and 1990s
Vietnam has been relatively well conditioned to accept foreign imports
(including everything from culture to electronic appliances). Martial arts are
no exception and excluding the historical links to other nations and fighting
styles as detailed in previous chapters of this book, many martial arts
directly imported from other Asian and Western countries have attained
popularity in Vietnam.

JAPANESE MARTIAL ARTS

Japanese martial arts are incredibly popular throughout the world—with
Judo practitioners alone numbering tens of millions worldwide. In Vietnam,
Japanese martial arts are also popular and practitioners are estimated to
number tens of thousands.
The Japanese military occupied Vietnam for several years as part of their
World War Two conquest of the Pacific, until their surrender in 1945. As a
result of this occupation many of the foundations were laid for future cultural
and economic trade partnerships.

A Japanese sword master demonstrating his art during a cultural festival

Presently, Japan and Vietnam have a high amount of international trade; Japan
also invests heavily in various sectors of the Vietnamese economy.
A significant Japanese population have resided in Vietnam historically and
more recently, and as a result there are many Vietnamese masters of Japanese
martial arts. The Japanese martial arts are especially popular with young
people due to the accessibility of the styles as well as the values of respect
and discipline that are important in Vietnamese culture. Judo has a large
following and Vietnamese athletes regularly compete in international contests
such as the Southeast Asian Games and Summer Olympics. Some of the most
popular Japanese martial arts are:

Aikido Kendo
Goju Ryu Kyokushin Karate
Karate Shotokan Karate
Judo

K OREAN MARTIAL ARTS

Taekwondo is one of the most popular martial arts in the world and is
generally divided into two sub-styles:

ITF (International Taekwondo Federation)—Often historically

associated with the nation of North Korea.
WTF (World Taekwondo Federation)—Olympic Style Taekwondo
and the national sport of South Korea.

In Vietnam, many other former communist nations, and some western

countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, ITF Taekwondo has a
large following.
The popularity of Taekwondo in Vietnam is due in part to the cultural
exchange between communist nations and the former Grandmaster Tran Trieu
Quan (1952–2010)—a Vietnamese–Canadian born in Hanoi, who served as
the head of one of the largest Taekwondo Federations in the world for a
number of years.
Vietnamese athletes often do well during international contests and Vietnam
submitted three athletes to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games: Truong
Thi KimTuyen, PhamThi Thu Hien and Ha Thi Nguyen.

OTHER SOUTHEAST ASIAN MARTIAL ARTS

M UAY THAI

MuayThai is the national sport of Thailand and one of the largest Thai
cultural exports. Although staging MuayThai matches in Vietnam is illegal
due to their connections with gambling (which is itself prohibited), the
practice of MuayThai is allowed. Many Thai citizens and Thai-trained
Vietnamese have established gyms and training centers throughout the country
and it is common for practitioners to travel regularly across Southeast Asia
to engage in training and competition. MuayThai is exceptionally well
marketed throughout the world and due to being geographically and culturally
accessible to the Vietnamese people, it has accumulated a large and
dedicated following.

Vietnamese MuayThai practitioners training

P ENCAK SILAT

Pencak Silat is a Malay/Indonesian style of martial arts that is similar to

Vovinam in the sense that it is a culmination of traditional and practical
methods. In recent years the following of Pencak Silat in Vietnam (and the
world) has been growing rapidly. This is due in part to its nature as a
straight-to-the-point self-defense style as well as a competitive sport. A
sporting version of Pencak Silat is included in the Southeast Asian Games
and Vietnam often does well in these events. There are many technical
similarities between the Vietnamese martial arts and Pencak Silat which may
well contribute to its popularity.

ESCRIMA/ARNIS

The Filipino stick-fighting arts are relatively widely practiced in Vietnam.

Geographically, Vietnam and the Philippines are close and both countries
have played host to important trade routes and military bases, which accounts
for the certain level of cultural crossover between them. As the popularity of
Escrima and modern Arnis skyrocketed after demonstrations of these styles
by Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto in the 1970s, so did the demand from
prospective students. Today there are many Filipino and Vietnamese masters
of Escrima/Arnis based throughout the country.

Amis instructor Gaius Sision teaching in Hanoi

WESTERN AND ‘MIXED’ MARTIAL ARTS

Throughout Vietnam, the popularity of ‘Mixed Martial Arts’ (MMA) has

recently been growing. As MMA leagues such as the Ultimate Fighting
Championship (UFC), ONE FC, Invicta FC and other organizations embark
on global conquest, rapidly becoming some of the most popular televised
pay-per-view contests in the world, so does the demand for training in mixed
martial arts. Boxing, Western Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Kickboxing
are all widely practiced in Vietnam. A growing number of self-defense
oriented styles are also gaining popularity, such as the Israeli Krav Maga and
Russian Systema.
Although these modern, foreign styles are developing more of a presence and
further saturating an already busy market, they each cater to a certain kind of
practitioner and do not necessarily have much impact on the practice of the
traditional arts. Foreign styles such as MMA frequently receive interest from
students who may not have taken up a traditional Vietnamese martial art or
may be looking to expand their skill sets.
In recent years the Vietnamese government has allowed several mixed
martial arts contests to take place in locations across the country and a
number of Vietnamese citizens compete in international martial arts
competitions, including MMA events.
 CONCLUSION
THE FUTURE OF VIETNAMESE MARTIAL ARTS
As Vietnam follows the lead of other successful Southeast Asian nations into
prosperity through economic development and an increasing uptake of
capitalist ideals, it is easy for the past to be forgotten and for traditions
deemed to be ‘antiquated’ or ‘irrelevant to the modern way of life’ to fall by
the wayside. At the time of writing this book, the cultural and historical roots
of Vietnam remain fortified and strong, including its religious, cultural and of
course, martial arts practices. The styles of martial arts considered to be of
Vietnamese origin still hold a strong connection with the Vietnamese people
and almost invoke a sense of nostalgia for many of them. Despite the ever-
growing army of MMA practitioners and the globalization of martial arts in
terms of competitions and the exchange of skills, the development of the
Vietnamese martial arts continues and they are still pursued by a critical
mass of students either as a casual pastime or a professional vocation.
For now at least, it remains common to walk down a street of a Vietnamese
city at the break of dawn and see the elderly practicing forms of Thái Cực
Quyền (Tai Chi) or teenagers crammed into tiny gyms whose floors are
stained with the blood, sweat and tears shed by the generations of martial
arts disciples that came before them. In this modern age both English
language skills and the Vietnamese tourist industry are developing quickly,
making martial arts more accessible than they ever have been. However, as
the world becomes more united and globalized through easy travel, lightning-
fast internet and twenty-four-hour news, the individualism of every nation’s
traditional practices is at risk of eventually becoming lost to the ages.
Since I left the United Kingdom to visit Vietnam and (unknown to me before I
arrived) to study Vietnamese martial arts, culture, and language, I have
traveled extensively, met people who have experienced incredible hardships
and managed to live through them all whilst still viewing the world with
happiness and tranquility. I have been honored by the way that as an outsider
I have been accepted into schools, communities and homes of the Vietnamese
people and had the opportunity to experience some incredibly unique and
amazing situations.
Finally, as a student, instructor and researcher of martial arts (and travel
enthusiast), I would urge any readers who have an interest in Vietnamese
martial arts to visit the country, talk to the people, learn the language and
visit the local martial arts schools. Following this page is a list of schools;
throughout my research I have visited or met students and masters from each
of these schools and I would recommend them to anyone who may be
interested in studying martial arts. Regardless of age, race, language or
ability there is no better time than now.
 SCHOOLS/STYLES LISTING
Võ Phái Nhất Nam: Viet-Xo Friendship Palace, 79 Tran Hung Dao Street,
Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
Đấu Vật: Lieu Doi Village, Thanh Liem Hamlet, Ha Nam Province.
Võ Phái Nam Hồng Sơn: Quan Ngua Stadium, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Vovinam: 221 LyThuong Kiet, Ward 15, District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.
Võ Đường Thanh Phong: Dong Xuan Ward, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Võ Cổ Truyền/Võ Tây Sơn: 09 Thanh Thai, Ward 14, District 10, Ho Chi
Minh City.
Võ Đường Lý Tường: Dap Da District, An Nhon Hamlet, Binh Dinh
Province.
Võ Đường Chùa Long Phườc: Phuoc Thuan Village, Tuy Phuoc District,
Binh Dinh Province.
Võ Đường Phi Long Vịnh: Phuoc Son Village, Tuy Phuoc District, Binh
Dinh Province.
Vạn An Phái: Vo Kinh Van An School, Minh Mang Street, Hue, Hue
Province.
Võ Đường Tinh Võ Đao: 129 Lam Van Ben Street, District 7, Ho Chi Minh
City.
Võ Đường Bà Trà Tân Khánh/Takahado: Youth Culture House, No.4,
Pham NgocThach Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Võ Đường Bình Định-Sa Long Cường: 4A, Pham Ngoc Thach Street, Ben
Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
That Son Than Quyen: Practiced throughout An Giang Province, Southwest
Vietnam.
Bac Viet Vo: K30, Nguyen Hue Street, Lao Cai City, Lao Cai Province.
Vo Phai Radaya: Practiced in various communities throughout Dak Lak, Gia
Lai, Kon Tum, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa Provinces.
Quán Khí Đạo: Organization headquarters located outside of Vietnam.
Vịnh Xuân Quyền: Nguyen Tri Phuong University, 190 Quan Thanh Street,
Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Nam Huyen Dao: Nam Chon Pagoda, 29Tran Quang Khai, Tan Dinh Ward,
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Jeet Kune Do: 61 E Doc Vien Nhi Trung Uong, De La Thanh Street, Dong
Da District, Hanoi.
Hung Gar Kung Fu: 04 Le Dai Hanh Street, Ward 15, District 11, Ho Chi
Minh City.
Wushu/Sanda: 14, Trinh Hoai Duc Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Karate: 36Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Aikido: Cau Giay Primary School, Lane 118, Nguyen Khanh Toan Street,
Hanoi.
Kendo: Amsterdam High School Gymnasium, 01 Hoang Minh Giam Street,
Cau Giay District, Hanoi.
Judo: Vietnam Judo Association, 36Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District,
Hanoi.
Taekwondo (WTF): Vietnam Taekwondo Federation 4, Le Dai Hanh Street,
Ho Chi Minh City.
Taekwondo (ITF): 15–17, 715 Ta Quang Buu Street, Ward 4, District 8, Ho
Chi Minh City.
Escrima/Arnis: Vietfighter Gym, 44 Au Co Street, Quang An Ward, Tay Ho
District, Hanoi.
MuayThai: Viet MuayThai, 39 Bo De Street, Long Bien District, Hanoi.
Pencak Silat: Quan Ngua Stadium, Ba Dinh District Hanoi
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Vietfighter Gym, 44 Au Co Street, Quang An Ward, Tay
Ho District, Hanoi
Boxing: AKC Fitness, 53/52 To Ngoc Van Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi
 GLOSSARY
Áo Dài —Vietnamese traditional dress.
Âu Cơ — Chinese ‘immortal’/mythical founder of Vietnam.
Âu Lạc — The early name of Vietnam (2879–258 B.C.).
Bà — Old woman/grandma.
Bảo Đại —The final monarch of Vietnam.
Bài Quyền — A martial arts form or kata.
Cao Đài — A modern religion prevalent in south Vietnam, stemming from
Tay Ninh Province.
Chăm — An ethnic minority people primarily in southwest Vietnam.
Champa — The former kingdom of the Cham people, which was dominant in
central Vietnam between the seventh and seventeenth centuries.
Chợ — Market.
Chi Sao — (Chinese term) A pair drill commonly practiced in Vinh Xuan
(Wing Chun).
Chùa — Pagoda.
Cổ Loa —The capital city of Au Lạc.
Chữ Nôm — The logographic script formerly used to write the Vietnamese
language.
Cương-Nhu/Âm Dương — Hard-Soft/Yin-Yang.
Đại Việt — The former name of Vietnam from 1054–1400 A.D., and again
from 1428–1804 A.D.
Đạo — Way/Path/Method (Chinese Tao/Japanese Do).
Đông Sơn —The Bronze Age culture in Vietnam.
Form — (English term) A set sequence of attacking and defensive
movements.
Gia Định/Sài Gòn —The former names of Ho Chi Minh City.
Hmong — An ethnic group prevalent in the mountains of Vietnam, Laos,
China and Thailand.
Hồ Chí Minh — The revolutionary leader of Vietnam (May 19th, 1890 to
September 2nd, 1969).
Hồ Dynasty — The Dynasty that ruled Vietnam from 1400–1406 A.D.
Hòa Hảo (Sect) — A Buddhist group based in the Mekong Delta.
Huế—The former capital of Vietnam during the Nguyen Dynasty.
Hùng Vương —The first (semi-mythical) kings of Vietnam.
Khmer Krom —Vietnamese-Khmer.
Lạc Long Quân — A Chinese ‘immortal’/the Dragon lord founder of
Vietnam/husband of Âu Cơ.
(Early) Lê Dynasty — The Dynasty that ruled Vietnam between 980–1009
A.D.
(Late) Lê Dynasty — The Dynasty that ruled Vietnam between 1428–1788
A.D.
Lớn — Large/Big.
Lý Dynasty — The Dynasty that ruled Vietnam between 1009–1225 A.D.
Nam Việt —The former name for modern day northern Vietnam from the
Chinese Nan Yue/ .
Ngô Đình Diệm —The president of the southern state of Vietnam from 1954–
1955 A.D.
Nguyễn Ánh/Gia Long —The first king of the Nguyen Dynasty.
Nguyễn Dynasty —The Dynasty that ruled Vietnam between 1802–1945
A.D.
Nguyễn Huệ/Quang Trung — The first king to unite modern day Vietnam
under unified rule/Tây Sơn rebellion leader.
Nguyễn Lữ — Younger brother of Nguyen Hue.
Nguyễn Nhạc — Older brother of Nguyen Hue.
Phong Thuỷ — Geomancy (Feng Shui/ ).
Quốc Ngữ—The ‘modern’ Latin script used for writing the Vietnamese
language.
Sơn — Mountain.
Tây — West.
Tây Sơn District — The district where the three brothers Nguyễn Huệ,
Nguyễn Lữ and Nguyễn Nhac came from and the focal point of the Tây Son
rebellion.
Tây Son Dynasty — The Dynasty that began from the Tây Son rebellion.
Thần — Spirit/deity.
Thăng Long —The former name of Hanoi, meaning ‘Soaring Dragon’.
Trần Hưng Đạo/Trần Quốc Tuấn — The former King who repelled three
Mongol invasions in the thirteenth century.
Trần Dynasty — The Dynasty that ruled Vietnam between 1225–1400 A.D.
Trịnh — Feudal lords who controlled various provinces of Vietnam between
1545–1787 A.D.
Võ Nguyên Giáp — The general and military commander responsible for
many campaigns that resulted in the establishment of communist rule.
Việt Minh — The northern Vietnamese communist army (the People’s Army
of Vietnam).
Võ — Fighting.
Võ Cổ Truyền —Traditional martial arts.
Võ Đường — Martial arts school.
Võ Hét — Traditional martial arts style (literally ‘Screaming Martial Arts’).
Võ Phái — Martial ‘way’.
Võ Tây Sơn — Martial arts of the Tây Sơn region.
Võ Thuật — Martial arts.
Qi (Chi) — (Chinese term) the circulating life force that serves as the basis
for much of Chinese philosophy and traditional medicine.
Qigong — (Chinese term) the training of one’s Qi through practices of
breathing and physical movements.
Quyền — Form/fist
 RESEARCH RESOURCES
Online, Newspaper and Magazine articles
Binh Dinh Schools: http://dulich.binhdinh.gov.vn
Binh Dinh Schools: http://dulichbinhdinh.com.vn/
Tinh Vo Dao School:
http://www.baobinhdinh.com.vn/datnuoc-connguoi/2006/2/22440/
Binh Dinh Weapons:
http://vtc.vn/anh-muc-so-thi-18-loai-binh-khi-vo-co-truyen-viet-nam
http://www.vocotruyenvietnam.com/18-loai-binh-khi-trong-vo-co-truyen-
viet-nam.html
Ly Xuan Hy School: http://www.baomoi.com/Ly-xuan-hy-voi-mieu-tay-dien
Phi Long Vinh School:
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/sports/66214/phi-long-vinh-martial-arts-
school.html
Hung Ke Quyen Form:
http://www.hocvo.eom/bai-vo-noi-tieng/1510-hung-ke-quyen.html
http://www.baobinhdinh.com.vn/566/2005/1/18454/
Sa Long Cuong School:
http://www.baobinhdinh.com.vn/vemiendatvo/2005/6/12138/
http://vietnam.vnanet.vn/binh-dinh-%E2%80%93-sa-long-cuong-martial-
arts-school/114644.hml
Ethnic Minority Martial Arts:
http://vietnam.vnanet.vn/vnp/en-us/13/37974/sports/the-mong-ethnic-groups-
martial-arts.html
http://vothuat.vn/vo-thuat-cuoc-song/vo-khmer-phuc-hoi-o-tra-vinh.html
Nam Huynh Dao School: http://vietbao.vn/vi/Xa-hoi/Nam-Huynh-
Dao/40060448

Individual school/style online resources

Traditional Binh Dinh Martial Arts: http://vothuatcotruyen.vn
Nam Hong Son School: http://www.namhongson.vn/
http://www.namhongson.co/
Nhat Nam School: http://www.nhat-nam.co.uk
Sa Long Cuong School: http://www.salongcuong.org/
http://www.binhdinh-salongcuong.org
Tiinh Vo Dao School: http://www.centrethieulam.com/
Vovinam School: http://vovinamworldfederation.eu/
http://vovinam.vn/
Quan Ki Do: http://www.quankhidao.com/
http://qwankido.ca/en
Nam Huynh Dao: http://namhuynhdao.vn/vi/bai/1834

General information online resources

Country Information: http://www.state.gov
Ethnic Groups: http://www.vietnam-culture.com/cham-ethnic-group.aspx
http://unpo.org/members/7887
http://www.khmerkrom.net/

Television series / film (Available on Youtube)

Binh Dinh Styles: Làng Võ Sông Công – Tap 1
Binh Dinh Styles: Làng Võ Sông Côn – Tập 2: Tinh Hoa Đất Võ
Ly Xuan Hy School: VTV3 – Tinh Hoa Vo Thuat – Lý Xuân Hỷ Mieu Tay
Dien
Ngoc Tran Quyen Form: Hang Trinh Vo Thuat Ngoc Trang Thanh Cong

Books and Scholarly Articles

Vo Dan Toc: Martial Arts – Hữu Ngọc and Borton, L. (2005). Martial arts.
Hà Nội: GiỚi Publishers.
Martial Arts of the World – An Encyclopedia – Green, T. and Svinth, J.
(2010). Martial arts of the world. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO.
That Son Than Quyen – An introduction to spirit forms of That Son
Vietnamese martial arts -Tran, J. (2004) That Son Than Quyen, Journal of
Asian Martial Arts, Vol. 13 No. 2
That Son Than Quyen, Fai Jin and Spiritual Martial Arts – Tran, K, H.
(2004). Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine
The Art of Champa – Hubert, J. (2012). The Art of Champa. New York:
Parkstone International.
Les Frontieres Du Vietnam – Lafont, P. (1989). Les Frontières Du Vietnam.
Paris: Harmattan Monologue, Dialogue, and Tran Vietnam – Wolters, O.
(2009). Monologue, dialogue, and Tran Vietnam. [Ithaca, N.Y.]:
ECommons@Cornell.
Vietnam – A long history – Nguyẽn, K. (1993). Vietnam, a long history.
Hanoi: The Gioi Publishers.
Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam – Đặng, N., Chu, T. and Lưu, H. (1993). Ethnic
minorities in Vietnam. Hanoi: The Gioi Publishers.
Binh Dinh Chan Truyen Tap 1, 2, 3 – Nguyẽn, V. (2000). Bình Định Chân
Truyèn. [Tp. Hò Chí Minh]: NXB Mũi Cà Mau.
Dai Gia Dinh Cac Dan Toc Viet Nam – The great family of ethnic groups in
Vietnam — Nguyen V. H., Le, D. D., Nguyen, Q.T., Vu X.T., (2014) Dai Gia
Dinh Cac Dan Toc Viet Nam. NXB Giao Duc Viet Nam. oc Viet Nam. NXB
Giao Duc Viet Nam.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Augustus Roe is an instructor and student of traditional Vietnamese martial

arts. For a number of years he has studied and trained in many styles of
martial arts, including those that are globally recognized and those that are
often unknown outside the confines of Southeast Asia. During this time
Augustus has worked on various television shows, magazine articles and
projects documenting the Vietnamese martial arts, many of which are
available online.
With the writing of this book, he aspires to make these valuable cultural and
historical practices more accessible to western audiences by documenting
many of them in the English language, for the first time. He further hopes to
share with others the distinctive ‘outsider’s view’ that he has gained from his
years of studying a uniquely Vietnamese phenomenon from the perspective of
a British expatriate. A United Kingdom national by origin, Augustus now
lives in the Vietnamese capital city of Hanoi with his wife Thanh Ha and
daughter Isabella.
 NHÀ XUẤT BẢN THẾ GIỚI
Trụ sở chính: 46 Trần Hưng Đạo, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội
Tel: 0084.4.38253841 – Fax: 0084.4.38269578
Chi nhánh: Số 7 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Qận I, TP. Hồ Chí Minh
Tel: 0084.8.38220102
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Website: www.thegioipublishers.vn

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Biên tập: Bùi Hương Giang

In 1.000 bản, khổ 15.24 x 22.86 cm, tại Công ty TNHH MTV Nhà xuất bản Thế Giới.
Nhà 23 ngõ 62 phố Nguyễn Chí Thanh, quận Đống Đa, Hà Nội.
Số ĐKXB: 4072-2016/CXBIPH/01-231/ThG cấp ngày 17 tháng 11 năm 2016.
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In xong và nộp lưu chiểu năm 2016. Mã ISBN: 978-604-77-2885-5