Vietnamese Martial Arts
Vietnamese martial arts have historically been influenced by necessity: the necessity to defend the country from numerous foreign occupations, including occupations by China, France, Japan, and the United States. The most influential country in the development of martial arts in Viet Nam has been China and its “thousand-year” occupation. Through decade after decade, civil strife, changes in dynasties, foreign conquests, the rise and fall of warlords, and guerilla tactics, the Vietnamese masters of martial arts used whatever they learned from their neighbors to evolve a unique form of martial arts.Because of the wide variety of influences, it is difficult to point to one definable point in time where Vietnamese martial arts “came to life” but certainly the country itself officially existed as far back as 200 BC and settlements in the country can be traced back at least to 2876 BC.
Despite a tempestuous relationship with China, the Vietnamese adopted many things from Chinese culture and philosophy, including Chinese arts (brush painting for example) and swordsmanship. We know, for example, that in the period of 906 – 1009 AD, the kings Ngo Quyen and Dinh Bo Linh were remarkable military strategists as well as martial artists. We also know that in the period of 1010-1527 AD martial arts techniques reached a very high level of sophistication, particularly under the increased influence of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism: thus adding a rich philosophical base, and that there existed a martial arts school in the Capital, Thang Long (Hanoi) as far back as the Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) in the 11th century and during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400). It was at that time that people, in discussions and instruction of martial arts started to use “Vo Thuat” (art of hand-to-hand combat) or “Viět Võ Đao” (martial way of the Viets).
The period of the early 16th through the early 19th centuries was a period marred by division and factionization of the country, conflicts as well as rebellions between the people and many of the various warlords. It was during the Tay Son Rebellion of 1771 through 1788, that quite a few martial arts forms rose to prominence in Viet Nam and Bin Dinh Province, which was the base of operations for the rebels, became a martial arts center with many formal schools involving various forms of Viět Võ Đao.
From the 19th century through 1945 was a hard time for Vietnamese martial arts owing to the growing “popularity” and use of modern weaponry as well as a French colonial ban on martial arts in the country. Fortunately a cadre of people retained a strong interest in martial arts and students continued to learn and practice in secret despite the French. In 1938 Nguyen Loc introduced a new “school “Vo Thuat” which he taught (with an eye on building a national identity and independence from France) and inadvertently beginning a renaissance of Vietnamese martial arts, under the name Vovinam or Martial Arts (Võ) of Viet Nam. In 1960 the leadership of this ryu or school was passed to Master Le Sang from Master Loc.
Currently, there are Viêt Võ Đao schools springing up worldwide featuring a wide variety of disciplines and variations such as Thanh Long, Han Bai, Tran Minh Long, Vivinam, Kim E, Nam Huynh Dao and Vo Binh Din and a wide variety of theories including:
Predominance of Close Combat Techniques (Di Doan Thang Trung)
Flexibility Against Force (Di Nhuoc Thang Cuong)
Taking By Surprise (Ky Tap Chen Phap) (similar to Ninja studies)
The Secrets of Illusion (ao Anh Bi Phap)
Methods of Sidestepping Movements Without Resistance (Phan Gut Phap) (not unlike Aikido or Aikijutsu)
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(c) 2007 by Hayato Tokugawa
