Tiếng ViệtDuring the development of Vovinam (Viet Vo Dao), martial arts master Nguyen Loc was honored as a legend. The founder of this national martial art that has spread throughout the five continents has now passed away. But his virtues, talents, and fascinating legends about the heroic life of a great personality will be passed down forever by his descendants.
Founding a sect during social turmoil
Gieng Hamlet, Huu Bang Commune (Thach That District, Hanoi), where we returned to find traces of the most famous master in the history of Vietnamese martial arts, has changed so much, it is no longer the same as when master Nguyen Loc was alive. There are no martial arts schools and scenes of people passionately practicing Vovinam as someone imagines. The hustle and bustle of life in a craft village has changed this place. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the Nguyen Dinh family temple lies quietly in a small alley, filled with incense smoke, becoming a truly unique space to listen to and contemplate the story of the founding days of the young man Nguyen Loc.
Vovinam martial arts moves recall the legendary victory of martial artist Nguyen Loc in the past. Photo: Minh Hoang
Receiving us in the room on the left of the church, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tiep – the oldest person of the Nguyen Dinh family did not immediately enter the topic but pointed to the altar, where a pair of red-lacquered and gold-plated parallel sentences were embossed: “Nguyen Dinh Huu Phuc Sinh Ton Loc – Nam Bac Danh Nhan The Hau Truyen”. His eyes when reading the couplets that have entered the subconscious of every person in the Nguyen Dinh family for nearly a hundred years sparkled with pride in the excellent son who brought glory to the family.
According to Mr. Tiep, when he was 5 years old, the boy Nguyen Loc followed his father Nguyen Dinh Xuyen to leave the village and go to Hanoi. Although his father sent him to a French school, from an early age, Nguyen Loc felt the pain of slavery of the people who lost their country. That thought made him determined, only by practicing martial arts, to first protect himself, then protect his people from oppression by the powerful. Thanks to his father, Nguyen Loc learned martial arts from an early age and was enlightened by his teacher, who taught him many traditional martial arts and wrestling moves.
During his journey of hard training, Nguyen Loc never allowed himself to rest. Regardless of the hot summer or the bone-chilling winter, every day he wakes up early, in shorts and shirtless, running from his house (behind Hom market) to the Red River bank to practice martial arts alone. That long training process had given him a strong body and proficient martial arts, but Nguyen Loc was not satisfied. That long training process had given him a strong body and proficient martial arts, but Nguyen Loc was not satisfied. He created the theory of Mind-Body Revolution with the desire to completely change people from soul to body. That ambition has motivated him to constantly research, collect and learn most martial arts.
Finally, he realized that each discipline has its strengths and weaknesses and harmonized them to create Vovinam, a martial art that is completely suitable for the small physique of Vietnamese people. The process of practicing, learning, and creating to create this martial art that has now become a source of national pride, Mr. Tiep calculated, lasted 19 long years.
The altar has a portrait of Vovinam founder Nguyen Loc and a pair of parallel sentences of gratitude from the Nguyen Dinh family. Photo: T.L
Created the “Martial Arts Arena” alone
Based on the rare documents about the life of martial artist Nguyen Loc, the event that demonstrated his talent and national spirit was his reaction against the French colonial government in a martial arts performance organized by the Sports and Physical Training Association in 1940. During that ceremony, with the presence of French official Ducoroy as the chairman, Mr. Nguyen Loc refused to let his students perform the ceremony in the yard in front of the colonial government. This action made the ruling government at that time extremely angry and they tried to prevent Vovinam from developing. But the number of students, because of their admiration for the integrity of martial arts master Nguyen Loc, tried even harder to study Vovinam. The number of students at that time was up to tens of thousands of people. Among the masses, there is even a slogan: “Not learning Vovinam is not being a patriot.”
The story of that 1940 event is still considered a proud milestone that martial artist Nguyen Loc built for the martial arts school he founded. But for the elders of the Nguyen Dinh family, especially Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tiep, the most memorable miracle is the event of Mr. Nguyen Loc “single-handedly created a fighting ring to challenge martial artists from all over the North in 1939”.
The story was so far away that Mr. Tiep had to search his memory to imagine it again. He said: “In 1938, the Vovinam martial arts school began operating but was still kept secret. One year later, in front of the Hanoi Opera House square, to publicize and glorify Vovinam, martial artist Nguyen Loc single-handedly set up a fighting ring for his students to perform and he himself challenged martial artists from the North.”
“I did not have the opportunity to witness that majestic event with my own eyes. But according to my father who was in Hanoi at that time, within a few days of setting up the arena, martial artist Nguyen Loc single-handedly defeated nearly ten challenging experts. I heard that the most glorious match was with the French boxing champion” – Mr. Tiep sipped his water and recalled. “It’s been so long that I don’t remember the boxer’s name. I just know that he had scary punchs. If a normal person were to get hit by that punch, they would probably cough up blood and collapse on the fighting ring, or they would suffer internal injuries and have to be hospitalized. While Martial Artist Nguyen Loc was body small and a head shorter than his opponent. My father told me that when the battle started, the French boxer immediately rushed towards Master Nguyen Loc and attacked him repeatedly. Outside, students and spectators held their breath in anxiety. But martial artist Nguyen Loc, with his agile and unpredictable movements, made his opponent punch almost only… empty air. When realizing his opponent had revealed a weak point, suddenly from behind, martial artist Nguyen Loc jumped, using his signature leg clamping move to knock his opponent to the floor. At that moment, if he had added another strong blow, the French boxer would have been seriously injured. But with his martial spirit, he helped his opponent up, making the French boxing champion lose with conviction. And the audience below, clapped their hands with joy.”
| Among Vietnamese martial arts, Vovinam is the most developed and widespread with many students in many places around the world such as Poland, Belgium, Cambodia, Denmark, Germany, the United States, Morocco, Norway, Russia, France, Romania, Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Italy, Australia… |
Seven years after that heroic fight, Mr. Tiep said he also had the opportunity to admire from the talent of martial arts master Nguyen Loc, when he moved the entire martial arts school to Gieng hamlet during the days when the French colonialists occupied Hanoi. Mr. Tiep said: “At that time, only a few of the most trusted students followed Master Nguyen Loc, including the head of the school, Le Sang (who later had great contributions to the development of Vovinam on an international scale). As soon as he returned to the village, martial arts master Nguyen Loc reopened the martial arts school, teaching all the young people, old and young, men and women in the village. There were many students at that time, because everyone admired martial arts master Nguyen Loc. In December 1946, when the French colonialists occupied Hanoi, martial artist Nguyen Loc also left the village. He opened a martial arts school right in the middle of the Viet Bac resistance base, training people and many guerilla fighters.”
Wish of Nguyen Dinh family
Going to the South and passing away at the age of 48 (in 1960), martial artist Nguyen Loc could not fulfill his cherished wish of returning to his homeland. Mr. Tiep said: “The nine children of martial arts master Nguyen Loc returned to burn incense at the family ancestral shrine after the South was completely liberated. In front of the altar of martial arts master Nguyen Loc, they said that his greatest wish before passing away was that his bones would be brought back to be buried next to his ancestors. In accordance with that wish, the Nguyen Dinh family also kept a part of the land and built an empty tomb for martial artist Nguyen Loc. But until now, more than 50 years after the death of martial artist Nguyen Loc, his bones have not been able to return to his homeland.”
The empty tomb built by the family for martial artist Nguyen Loc has been covered with dust over time.
Following Mr. Tiep and other elders in the Nguyen Dinh family to visit the pre-built tomb now covered with dust from time, the author of this article heard their wishes about the founder of Vovinam. “The Nguyen Dinh family has repeatedly asked the Vovinam Federation to help bring Master Nguyen Loc’s coffin back to his hometown. That has been family wishes for many years.” According to Mr. Tiep, the local government also promised that if they could move the remains of martial artist Nguyen Loc from the South, they would support the construction of a proper mausoleum for Vovinam students and visitors to visit.
It is a pity that today Vovinam is widely recognized as the national martial art of our nation, but the greatest wish of the founder of the sect at the end of his life has not yet been fulfilled. Martial arts master Le Sang – the senior student who many times wished to fulfill his master’s last wish, has now gone to heaven. In a few years, will the generations of martial arts master Nguyen Loc’s students fulfill his wish, or will the descendants of the Nguyen Dinh family and visitors from all over the world who return to Huu Bang to visit the birthplace of Vietnamese martial arts have to light incense for the martial arts master on the empty grave?
| Vovinam – Vietnamese martial arts is a martial art founded by master Nguyen Loc in 1936, but at that time it operated secretly. It was not until 1938 that it was brought to the public. At the same time, he proposed the doctrine of “mind-body revolution” to encourage students to always renew themselves and improve both physically and mentally. In addition to practicing martial arts and weapons, students also practice soft skills, qigong and attach importance to cultivating humanity. Vovinam has a famous high-flying neck-clamping move, which is always present in performances. |
According to Manh Cuong – Family & Society page, Health and Life Newspaper