A
slender HCM City schoolgirl has stunned everyone by not only single-handedly
warding off two would-be bag snatchers but also wrestling them to the ground to
have them arrested.

Students at Ly Thuong Kiet High School in Tan Binh District are taught self-defence techniques by aikido instructors under a month-long programme designed to help them protect themselves when attacked. (Photo: VNS)

The
girl, whose parents want her to remain unnamed, is an eighth grader who has been
learning martial arts for just a month at her school, Ly Thuong Kiet High School
in Tan Binh District.

One day
last week she was coming out of school when the two thieves accosted her and one
of them grabbed her by the hair.

Her
martial-arts teacher had taught her exactly what to do in such an event and she
managed to knock them down until bystanders came running to her aid.

Another
boy studying at the same school managed to protect himself when two thieves
waylaid him and tried to snatch his mobile phone. Le Hoang Mai, who teaches
martial arts for self-defence at the school, proudly narrates the two incidents
to his students to encourage them.

The
one-month training course was the brainchild of Mai himself and Bui Thi Hai Ha,
deputy secretary of the Tan Binh District chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist
Youth Union.

Twelve
secondary schools in the district has been chosen for the training courses with
the hope to persuade City education officials to consider providing martial-arts
training as a solution to prevent school violence.

The
practical techniques help students defend themselves against violence in school
which has emerged as a serious problem in recent times. Students are taught how
to defend themselves using aikido techniques against someone grabbing the hair,
choking, holding from the back, twisting the arm, and grabbing the collar.

Mai, who
is the head of the District aikido club, told Viet Nam News: “It is a good idea
for putting down school violence. I only train the students in self-defence.”

He
studied the video clips of student violence posted on the internet to teach them
certain moves.

“Many
parents are afraid their children will become more violent if they learn aikido,
but the martial art itself is mainly for self-defence,” Mai said.

“I also
teach them the spirituality of the Japanese martial art.”

The kung
fu master has trained at two schools and said most of the students were very
interested and even asked for lengthening the duration of the courses.

Duong
Thai Linh, principal of Ly Thuong Kiet High School, said it was good for the
students to learn self-defence and was confident it would not lead to an
increase in violence.

The
school will encourage students to continue training outside at the end of the
pilot programme, he said.

“Martial
arts also teaches children spirituality,” he said.

“With
the emerging school violence in the city … training them in self-defence is akin
to providing them life skills.

“I do
not want to introduce [full-fledged] aikido in schools but only self-defence
techniques.”

Phan Huu
Phuoc, 52, whose daughter Phan Nguyen Truong An is a ninth grader at Le Quy Don
High School, said he is happy if aikido is taught in schools to prevent
violence.

He did
not think school violence would increase if martial arts are taught, saying if
students know martial arts, they would not fight each other.

“Every
martial art, especially aikido, makes people humble,” he added.

Many
middle schools in the City have also begun to teach martial arts after the
growing trend of violence sparked off indignation among parents and the public.

Since
last year it has been a hot topic. Education departments around the country said
there had been around 800 cases by May. Already this year two brawls involving
schoolgirls have been posted on the internet.

Tuoi Tre
quoted Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan as telling the National
Assembly last December that many children are unable to control their emotions
over even minor conflicts.

VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News