Grand Master Le Sang, the second successor of Viet Vo Dao (Vovinam) martial arts passed away on September 27, 2010 at the age of 91.

Grand Master Le Sang, the second successor of Viet Vo Dao (Vovinam) martial arts passed away on September 27, 2010 at the age of 91.

Master Le Sang (left) and the founder of Vovinam Nguyen Loc.

Master Le Sang was born in 1920 in Hanoi. After a serious illness in 1939, his legs were injured. At his mother’s advice, Sang practiced martial arts in order to strengthen his legs and to improve his physical health.

In 1940, Sang started practicing Vovinam at the Hanoi-based Ecole Normale College of Education with Grand Master Nguyen Loc, who founded Vovinam. With his natural abilities, intelligence, hard work and an earning for learning, Sang overcame his physical difficulties and tremendously improved in his martial arts discipline.

After a few years of training, Grand Master Nguyen Loc recommended him as one of the Vovinam instructors in Hanoi. Since then, he followed Grand Master Nguyen Loc to teach Vovinam all around the country.

In 1954, at the age of 34, he followed Grand Master Nguyen Loc to Saigon. Under Grand Master Nguyen Loc’s instruction, Sang opened many Vovinam classes. When Grand Master Nguyen Loc was sick in 1957, Sang continued to teach and open more Vovinam classes. In 1960, Grand Master Nguyen Loc officially pronounced Master Le Sang as the next Grand Master of Vovinam before he died.

In 1960, Grand Master Le Sang left Saigon for Buon Me Thuot. He returned to Saigon in 1963 to re-open Vovinam classes.

Grand Master Le Sang devoted his whole life to develop Vovinam. Thanks to his lifetime contribution, Vovinam has widely spread to more than 40 countries around the world.

After several years struggling with illness, Grand Master Le Sang passed away on September 27, 2010 at the age of 91.

PV