LookAtVietnam – Vietnamese martial artist Pham Thi Phuong jumped for joy on winning her first gold medal for Viet Nam at the Asian Indoor Games.

“This is my proudest achievement and very nice memory after devoting 21 years to the sport.”

Having trained in the sport since the age of 10, Phuong is now the best vovinam martial artist in the world.

However, it took some efforts for her to persuade her parents to allow her to practise vovinam (Vietnamese martial art), while still doing her school work and domestic chores.

Having seen Phuong’s desire and drive, her parent agreed.

Phuong gained the first fruits of her career when she won gold in the girls’ 33kg at a teenage tournament, an event she dominated, winning three world gold medals in subsequent years.

Following her success, there are nine of Phuong’s relatives competing in this event.

Phuong has delayed having a baby despite being married for four years, as she was worried that it would slow down her performance.

After this AIG, Phuong plans to retire and become a coach.

Vovinam was created by Vietnamese master Nguyen Loc in 1938. It involves weapons and hand-to-hand combat techniques to teach self defence, healthy lifestyles and personal development.

The martial art is based on the principle of harmony between hard and soft and focuses on taking advantage of an opponent’s reaction.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News