LookAtVietnam – “Vovinam is a complete martial art. It has everything. We have fighting, certain techniques, and dual techniques. We can work with weapons. We have a lot of self-defense, and socialising is part of the sport as well,”

We’ve got it all: Vovinam martial artists and officials from 14 countries, and leaders of the World Vovinam Federation pose for a photo on the final night of the first WVVF World Vovinam Championships in HCM City.

He won two silvers at the first World Vovinam Federation (WVVF) Championships that ended recently in HCM City.

“I like Vovinam very much and consider the federation as a great family,” said Vincens Noll, who learned Vovinam from his mother, a well-known Vovinam Master in France, when he was six years old.

Noll is the only foreign athlete who won a gold medal in the performance technique competition, usually dominated by Vietnamese martial artists. He also won four silver medals and one bronze.

Noll and Vittorio are among the thousands of people around the world who practice Vovinam.

Vovinam was created by Master Nguyen Loc in Ha Noi in 1938, the period in which Viet Nam was still under French colonial rule.

Loc diligently practiced and researched many Vietnamese traditional martial arts as well as foreign martial arts.

He tirelessly examined many archives about philosophy, literature, history, anatomy and medicine.

In addition, he attended many tournaments and competitions, and took part in discussions about martial arts with many famous masters.

After his research, he founded Vovinam, which means martial arts of Viet Nam. According to the WVVF, about one million people are practicing Vovinam nationwide.

City leads the way

HCM City has the largest number of practitioners, with more than 100,000 followers, and has clubs in all city districts.

Beginning in1992, provinces and cities began to organise competitions and the first National Vovinam Championship was held in HCM City with 178 participants from cities and provinces nationwide.

Vovinam organisations in Ha Noi, HCM City and provinces were established to develop the sport.

The Viet Nam Vovinam Federation (VVVF) was set up in 2007 and the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF) in 2008.

Worldwide expansion

Vo Danh Hai, general secretary of the WVVF, said Vovinam was practiced in many countries.

Vovinam has been practised in France for 40 years, with more than 14,000 people learning it, of which 10,000 are under 15 years old, said Francis Didier, the WVVF vice president and president of the French Vovinam Federation.

According to Master Maestro Vittorio, in Italy there are about 100 Vovinam clubs, with more than 900 practitioners in seven regions across Italy.

Master Vittorio said that he taught Vovinam in Belgium and several northern European countries.

“Because Vovinam has developed in Europe, my future plan is to expand to more countries in Africa. I have taught Vovinam in Senegal,” Vittorio said.

“More and more people in Romania are also interested in practicing Vovinam, including young people,” said Master Florin Macovei, vice president of WVVF and the Romanian Contact Martial Arts Federation.

In Romania, where Vovinam was introduced in 1999 by Macovei, 10 clubs with 300 disciples exist. It has held an annual national Vovinam championship since 2004.

There are five masters in Spain with hundreds of disciples, according to Juan Cid, a Spanish council member of the WVVF.

In Asia, a home of many martial arts, more and more countries have joined the Vovinam family, including India in 2008, and Thailand and Cambodia in 2007.

Iran also have a Vovinam club.

“We have also developed it in Nepal and Myanmar,” said Dr Vishnu Sahai, president of the Indian Vovinam Federation.

Vovinam appeared in Africa in 1988 and is now being practised in six countries. Burkina Faso, Morroco and Algeria have member federations that belong to the WVVF.

International sport

World Vovinam General Secretary Master Hai said the WVVF was established not only to introduce Vovinam to the world, but to develop Vovinam into an international sport, particularly an Olympic one, which is expected by next years.

The martial art became part of the Asian Indoor Games and become Viet Nam’s first sport with a continental competition.

The WVVF are working hard to include Vovinam as a sport in the Southeast Asian and Asian Games and other international competitions the next few years, Hai said.

“The WVVF is building a team of instructors to send other countries and help them develop Vovinam. It is also creating courses in a simple and scientific way.”

The World Vovinam championships and the Youth and Junior Vovinam championships will also be organised.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News