By Martin Lewicki | Jul 29, 2023 at 4:55 p.m
Have you ever heard of Vovinam? Or from Viêt Võ Dao? Hard to believe, but this martial art from Vietnam is little known in this country. Vovinam combines the best elements of many martial arts and trains not only the body but also the mind.
Martial arts are not only used for self-defence, but also have many other positive properties. They strengthen both the physical fitness and the self-confidence of the trainees and are an ideal stress killer. It’s no wonder that many stressed people like to work out in boxing, Thai boxing or other martial arts. Because often the training with its punches and kicks against sandbags and pads is demanding enough. Particularly interesting is the fascinating martial art Vovinam, which is hardly known in this country. It combines the best elements of older martial arts and is primarily characterized by a philosophy: As with the principle of yin and yang, it is about creating harmony between the soft and hard elements.
Where does the martial art Vovinam come from?
Vovinam were developed by Grandmaster Nguyen Loc in Vietnam in the 1930s. The full name of the martial art is “Vovinam – Viêt Võ Dao”. Vovinam stands for martial arts, while Viêt Võ Dao describes the philosophical path of Vietnamese martial arts. The Grandmaster grew up in a Vietnam that was under French colonization for 50 years. That is why he wanted to strengthen his people, especially the youth. But he didn’t want to get her physically fit and master a fighting technique – he also wanted to strengthen her mind. That’s why Vovinam’s training goals are:
strong body clear mind pure soul
To achieve this, the grandmaster studied a variety of martial arts. These included kung fu, judo and aikido. He selected the best elements and adapted them specifically for his people, because the martial art was primarily intended to serve the Vietnamese people for self-defense. In this respect, most of the techniques contained are ideal for a smaller physique, which is characterized by speed and agility. So it’s no wonder that this martial art didn’t spread so quickly internationally and is still a niche sport to this day.
Also interesting: »I lifted weights for 20 years – if only I had done Muay Thai
What fighting techniques are used?
Vovinam uses a wide variety of techniques. Based on the yin and yang principle, both hard and soft techniques are used, which complement each other perfectly. A skilled Vovinam fighter can quickly decide whether to react hard or soft to solve a problem depending on the situation. For example, a counterattack would be hard, while avoiding and redirecting the opponent’s combat energy would be soft. This allows a Vovinam fighter to optimally adapt to an opponent and react accordingly. The technical repertoire includes:
Hand and elbow techniques Kicks and kicks Knee techniques Attacking techniques Ground fighting techniques such as wrestling Jumping techniques Leg scissors
Some of the techniques, like the jumping leg scissors, seem downright acrobatic. The opponent is surrounded with the leg scissors around the neck and brought down, as can be seen impressively in the video below.
But at the Vovinam you don’t only fight with your own body, but also with weapons. These include sticks, swords, machetes and fans.
Here you will find content from Youtube
In order to interact with or display content from social networks, we need your consent.
Activate social networks
Vovinam is based on these values and moral principles
But the fighting technique is only one aspect of Vovinam. Finally, there is the second part: the philosophy behind it. Because the martial art is based on traditional Vietnamese values such as ethics and moral principles. This should also help students shape their minds and memorize good values and morals.
Respect and courtesy: Vovinam teaches that students and practitioners should have respect for their teachers, their peers and other people. Polite behavior and recognition are important values within martial arts. Helpfulness and cohesion between the members also play an important role.
modesty and humility: These two virtues are also taught at Vovinam. Regardless of your level of performance, you should always be open to improving. The goal is to reach the highest possible level of martial arts.
Order and Discipline: Great importance is also attached to the principles of order and self-discipline.
Application of martial arts only for self-defense: Students must resist misusing their own power and always act morally.
Solidarity: Members of a school or a community should support each other. In addition, they should maintain, spread and further develop the martial arts.
Fighting spirit and perseverance: Vovinam strengthens the students’ will so that they can overcome great challenges.
Non-Violence and Self-Defense: Although Vovinam teaches self-defense techniques, the focus is on non-violence. Whenever possible, conflicts should be resolved non-violently.
Harmony between body and mind: Vovinam teaches that a balance between physical training and mental development is important. Because sharpening and cultivating the mind also helps to lead a successful life.
More articles about martial arts
Where is Vovinam taught?
Vovinam is still relatively unknown in Germany, but Vietnamese martial arts have gained a foothold in many other countries and regions. There are now numerous Vovinam schools and organizations dedicated to the dissemination and preservation of this martial art. On the website of the “Federation Vovinam Viet Vo Dao Germany” there is a Germany-wide overview of schools. However, this is not complete, as not all clubs and coaches are represented in it. Therefore, those who are interested should best find out for themselves whether Vovinam courses are offered in the vicinity of their own place of residence.
Sources
2023-07-29 15:06:01
#Techniques #moral #principles #martial #arts
