Vovinam Viet Vo Dao is one of the schools martial art Vietnamese people. Since the day of its formation, for about sixty years now, the Vovinam Viet Vo Dao school has been constantly developing and improving. Currently, it is very popular among martial arts fans.
If the Japanese people are proud of their schools of judo, karate-do, the Korean people of their school of taikwon-do, then the Vietnamese people can be proud of their numerous folk schools of martial arts. This pride is embodied in the heroic battles and victories over enemies in the name of the country's independence throughout the history of Vietnam.
The Vovinam Viet Vo Dao School was established in 1938 by the late master Nguyen Loc, who was born in the province of Son Tei in northern Vietnam. At an early age, master Nguyem Loc mastered the basics of a family school of martial arts. Not satisfied with his knowledge, he studied and selected the best techniques of world martial arts and as a result created his own school - the school of Vovinam Viet Vo Dao.
Master Nguyen Loc died in 1960 in the city of Saigon. Three years before his death, on his behalf, the senior student Le Shang became the head of the second generation school. Since 1957, led by master Le Shang, the master of the school has been developing and popularizing the martial arts of Vietnam. They constantly studied and diversified new techniques, techniques to create a school of high efficiency.
Vovinam Viet Vo Dao School pays special attention to training students in three areas:
1. "In the bast" (combat power);
2. "Vo thuat" (technique);
3. "Wo Dao" (combat ethics, moral qualities, military spirit).
1. "In the bast" - combat power. The training process is aimed at hardening and strengthening the body, the comprehensive development of all physical qualities- speed, strength, endurance, flexibility - so that students can endure any trials and difficulties in life, as well as prevent and overcome illnesses.
2. "Wo Thuat" - technique. The training process is aimed at equipping students efficient technique in self-defense and struggle to serve humanity and defend justice. The training program includes:
- basic techniques: gat (blocking with hands); gave (punches); those (strike with the edge of the palm); sia (striking with the fingertips); cho (elbow strikes); yes (kicks); a combination of punches and kicks to achieve high efficiency in a battle (duel); attacking kicks, which play a decisive role for the duel;
- techniques against weapons (knife) with bare hands; use of different weapons (pole, sword, etc.);
- the self-defense program includes capture-break techniques, which, if necessary, can also be used by the fair sex; a variety of practical and effective techniques (techniques) of martial arts, which give students the opportunity for a quick reaction, self-confidence;
- in addition to the above techniques, the program also includes "bai shong luen" (paired exercises), "kyuen" (formal exercises with bare hands and weapons), breathing exercises to enhance internal energy.
3. "Wo Dao" - combat ethics. The Vovinam Viet Vo Dao school pays primary attention to the formation of a correct worldview, the basis and consequence of which are a pure soul, persistent will, conscious discipline, a healthy lifestyle, nobility in actions and the ability for true love, which ultimately serves the student himself, his family, the people and all of humanity
The Origins and Principles of the Vovinam Viet Vo Dao School
Antiques from the Hung Vyung dynasty are still preserved in Vietnam.
Since the existence of primitive society, people have already invented ways to defend and attack with the help of primitive tools such as a pole, spear, bow, etc. This is how the foundations of martial arts were born.
Antiques from the Hung Vyung dynasty (the first kings of ancient Vietnam) with drawings of effective martial art techniques are still preserved in Vietnam.
In the dynasty of King Thun (after the dynasty of Hung Vuong), hand-to-hand combat competitions were popular, which lasted for several days. These facts confirm that the martial arts in Vietnam have been developed since the 3rd century BC.
According to ancient legends, Li Than (Li Ong Chong), who was born at the end of the Hung Vyung Dynasty in Thuliem County (Hanoi), was the first founder of the martial arts of Vietnam.
Previously, in Asian countries, martial arts were available only to a certain circle of people who, thanks to their knowledge, were able to achieve a special position in society and became aristocrats.
In India, there was a Kshatriya caste - a class of elite warriors who were revered as aristocrats. In Japan, there was a Samurai clan, which enjoyed special reverence among the people.
In Vietnam, the situation was different: martial arts were not the privilege of any particular class, but were widely distributed among the people. Those involved were representatives of all classes, most of them were peasants. It is for this reason that the weapons in the martial arts of Vietnam were most often household items: a short pole, a yoke, an iron chain, an ax, a spear, etc. Therefore, the martial arts of Vietnam can be considered folk. They were constantly changed and improved depending on the historical situation, but they were never forgotten.
During the days of feudal rule, qualifying competitions in martial arts were often held to identify the strongest fighters, who then went to serve in the army to protect the country from conquerors. The rules of the competition varied depending on the ruling dynasty, but all fighters, except for participating in duels, had to pass exams in military strategy and, first of all, had to be strong in spirit and serve as an example of combat ethics.
During the French occupation, in order to avoid uprisings of the Vietnamese people, the French banned martial arts. For this reason, many techniques and types of martial arts were irretrievably lost.
In the early 1930s, a young Vietnamese patriot with a modern mind decided that in order to liberate the people from French oppression and return the country to independence, it is necessary to prepare strong fighters with an iron will who will serve as a support for the revolution. Therefore, he sought to raise interest in martial arts among young people (students, schoolchildren), relying on a purely sports movement that was encouraged by the French authorities. This patriot was the founding father of the Vovinam Viet Vo Dao school, master Nguyen Loc.
With a great desire to improve the martial arts, master Nguyen Loc traveled all over the country in search of effective techniques. various schools. With an original and creative approach to martial arts, master Nguyen Loc created the martial doctrine and the principle of dynamic combination of the opposites of "hardness" and "softness", a training method and techniques that contributed to the comprehensive development of the martial arts of Vietnam, and named the school Vo Viet Nam. In the process of popularizing the school outside of Vietnam, Vo Viet Nam was abbreviated to Vovinam for ease of transcription.
Finally, in order to meet practical requirements, and also clearly reflect the essence of the school, which has a philosophical foundation with a clear system of martial teaching, a system of highly effective techniques, scientific method education, different from other schools, the students asked to rename the school to Viet Vo Dao.
Currently, the Vovinam Viet Vo Dao (VVN-VVD) school has a high reputation not only in Vietnam, but also on all continents of the world. Each orthodox martial doctrine must have a philosophical foundation, which serves not only as a basis for development, but also as a direct norm of a fighter's behavior in society. This foundation is the principle of martial doctrine.
In the 16th century, the Japanese doctor Akiyama came to northern China to study medicine and at the same time practice martial arts at the Shaolin school. Upon his return to Japan, he decided to become a hermit and settled in the Daigafu Temple. Once Akiyama witnessed how during a heavy snowstorm all the trees fell, and only the willow bent, and at the end of the snowstorm straightened up. Watching the willow, the doctor decided that, due to its softness, the willow was able to withstand the blizzard. So he began to accept "softness" as the foundation of his school and created the school of "jiu-jitsu" (Jiujitsu).
At the end of the 19th century, master Jigaro Kano, one of the outstanding students of the Jiu-Jitsu school. Having removed from the program all the tricks that he considered dangerous, and, having introduced the rules of balance, he created a new school called "judo".
In Vietnam, bamboo is very popular among the people: it is used not only for many household purposes, but also for military purposes - the manufacture of weapons (spears, stakes, etc.). Bamboo bends in the wind during a storm, and then straightens against the wind with a whip. Vietnamese bamboo has been observed to have the quality of hardness and softness; at the same time, both of these qualities are organically combined in a single being, which corresponds to the character of the Vietnamese people. Based on this, having studied the different styles of martial arts of the country and the world, master Nguyen Loc adopted the principles of "Kuong Nhu Phoi Chien" as the foundation of the Vovinam Viet Vo Dao school. By "Kuong" is meant "firmness" and everything that has a "solid" character (strength, determination); "Nu" means "softness" and everything that has a "soft" character (weakness, compliance). The principle of "Kuong Nyu Phoi Chien" in literal translation is the principle of combining two opposites, "hardness" and "softness". But in essence, this principle is not only a combination of two opposites, but also a dynamic connection between "hardness" and "softness" with great flexibility and maneuverability. The political strategy of the current government, starting with the ruling dynasties of Ly, Tran, Lae and Tei Son, is entirely based on the principle of "Kuong Nyu Phoi Chien".
The history of the struggle of the Vietnamese people against the invaders is a living embodiment of the principle of "Cuong Nhu Phoi Chien". In front of the huge force of the armies of the dynasties of Genghis Khan (Mongolia), Ming (China), Thanh (Manchuria), the Vietnamese army retreated to maintain strength (this is "Nu"). When the conquerors relaxed under the negative impact of the climate on their health, the Vietnamese people brought down all their strength on the enemies and drove them out of the country (this is "Kuong").
"Kuong Nhu Phoi Chien" - a principle with a distinct nationality - became the foundation of the entire system of "thuat" (martial art) and "dao" (combat ethics) of the Vovinam Viet Vo Dao school.
Viet Vo Dao is a system of traditional Vietnamese martial arts, which includes the knowledge and traditions of the country with a thousand-year history. Viet vo dao is considered one of the most ancient martial arts, which is also in a good way self-defense, as well as a complex of harmonious human development.
The history of Viet Vo Dao began during the reign of the Hung Vyung dynasty, its founder, according to legend, was Li Than. In the next ruling dynasty of King Thun, hand-to-hand combat competitions were also popular.
Previously, in Asian countries, martial arts were open to training only a select circle of people who achieved a special position in society. So, in India there was a caste of elite warriors who were valued as aristocrats. In Japan, there was a samurai clan, which enjoyed special respect among the people. In Vietnam, however, martial arts spread without restrictions among all classes of the population, but mainly among the peasants. Therefore, weapons in the martial arts of Vietnam were often household items: poles, rocker arms, chains, axes, etc.
The martial arts of Vietnam have been transformed and improved all the time due to the historical situation in the country.
In the days of feudalism, often hold martial arts competitions to determine the strongest fighters, who then joined the army to defend the country. The rules of these competitions often changed, but in addition to participating in battles, all participants took military strategy exams. During the occupation of the country by the French, the invaders banned martial arts, because of which some knowledge in these disciplines was lost forever.
In the 1930s, the founding father viet vo dao, master Nguyen Loc based sports decided to revive the martial arts to liberate the people from the invaders, especially among the youth.
He brought together the techniques of various schools and created on their basis his own martial arts based on a combination of hard and soft opposites, developed a training methodology and named the school Vo Viet Nam, which later changed its name to Viet Vo Dao.
Now, martial arts viet vo dao, which has a certain philosophical basis for the art of combat, is widespread not only in Vietnam, but also in many countries of the world.
In Vietnam, bamboo is a very popular plant widely used for both domestic and military purposes. Bamboo in severe weather bends in the wind, and then sharply straightens against the wind, having both softness and hardness. It was these qualities of the plant that the master Nguyen Loc based own school martial art. The same tactics were used by the people of Vietnam in the fight against various invaders who seized their lands more than once.
Since its inception, the martial art of Viet Vo Dao has been constantly evolving and is now very popular among martial arts fans. If the Japanese are proud of their schools of judo, karate-do, the Koreans - taikwon-do, then the Vietnamese people can be proud of many folk martial arts schools. This pride is embodied in the victories over the enemies for the independence of Vietnam.
The difference between Viet Vo Dao and other techniques is a very diverse technique, which was created for carrying out tough fights with bare hands at all types of distances. During the training of this discipline, many different directions and styles of wrestling are studied. Viet Vo Dao teaches the observance of the moral code of the warrior and the traditions of morality.
The purpose of this school is to educate fighting spirit, high moral qualities, and to preserve the legacy of traditional martial arts.
In Viet Vo Dao, the hard direction is the basis, and the soft direction is the means to achieve the goal (throws, the law of leverage). This martial art pays close attention to the training of athletes in three areas: combat strength, technique and combat ethics.
To develop combat strength, training is aimed at hardening and strengthening the body, developing all physical qualities - speed, strength, endurance, so that students endure any life difficulties and easily overcome illnesses.
The training program includes training in effective self-defense techniques in the following groups:
Basic techniques: blocking with hands, strikes with hands, palm edge, fingertips, elbow; kicks, a combination of strikes for maximum efficiency in battle;
Techniques against used weapons with bare hands; use of different weapons;
Self-defense training, which includes capture-break techniques, a variety of effective martial arts techniques, as well as exercises in pairs, special breathing techniques.
The combat ethics of Viet Vo Dao considers the main thing to be the formation of the necessary worldview, the basis of which is a pure soul, will, discipline, a healthy lifestyle and nobility, which favorably affects the student himself, his family and the whole people.
Researchers believe that the basis for the emergence of Vietnamese martial arts was the work "The Struggle for the Preservation of Life in a Naturally Violent Habitat" (2887 BC).
In those distant times, the most skilled warriors before hunting or fighting performed ritual dances with and without various types of weapons, the movements, sequence and rhythm of which were a special kind of training.
The annals say that the last two millennia dai viet(the early name of Vietnam) was constantly at war - the struggle for independence with foreign states. The reason for the encroachments was the convenient location of a small state and the presence of trade routes.
In the 11th century in the capital of the country, Thanglong(Hanoi) opened an academy of martial arts, where they trained specialists who received a doctorate in military sciences. The training lasted 3-5 years. The complexity of the entrance and final exams and the rigor with which they were taken were legendary. The most famous treatise Lin Nam Wo Kin” (“On the Vietnamese Art of Combat”) dates back to the 16th century. “The perfect warrior is the one who rides on horseback and at full gallop strikes the enemy with arrows, a spear and a sword.”
Fist fight ( vo-thuat) in ancient times was considered an auxiliary discipline that served as the basis for combat with weapons. It was called the small art.
This paramilitary recruiting system remained unchanged until the middle of the 19th century, when France invaded Vietnam. The colonial administration in the strictest way, under pain of death, forbade the population from possessing any weapons. Wo-dao was taught underground. Therefore, it is not surprising that at this time the art of fisticuffs from an auxiliary turned into the main form of martial arts.
Main directions
A strong impetus to the development of martial arts was given by the legendary Nguyen Lok, a hereditary master of fisticuffs. He summarized in his direction the best techniques from various popular trends and named his school vovinam viet-vo-dao- The pride of the people. The first club was opened in 1938. Development proceeded in three directions: in-lak- combat power (hardening and strengthening of the body, development of speed, strength, endurance and flexibility), vo-thuat- technique, vo-dao- combat ethics. The school gained great popularity, because. this doctrine began to be practiced in partisan detachments. Currently, the number of followers is in the hundreds of thousands.
Business card vovinam viet vo dao- "scissors". These are footwork at all levels (from ankle joints to the neck). In total, the classical heritage includes 21 variants of such techniques.
Today in Vietnam there are two more main directions - this is wo-bin-ding And kim-ke; there are also about 300 small schools.
In system kim-ke("golden rooster") the fighters struck with "rooster paws" - specifically folded fingers, aiming at the opponent's eyes and throat. Kicks to the legs were also used to deprive the opponent of mobility. A lot of time was devoted to improving the throwing technique - amkihi, where any improvised items were used (coins, small stones, chopsticks ...).
Wo bin ding(originated in the province of the same name in the 10th-13th centuries) - technically relatively simple, but very powerful style, designed for a brutal fight to the death. The main weapons are fists, elbows, knees, feet, head. The blows are powerful. Leaving, they strive to hit the joints of the opponent's arms and legs; in attacks and counterattacks they aim at his groin, solar plexus, ribs, temple, and back of the head. Even teeth are used, which are recommended for biting the throat. The pace of movement is very high.
In a nutshell
The tactics of the martial arts of Vietnam were largely influenced by the physical data of the population of this country.
Mobility is combined with rapid attacks and withdrawals. Muscular strength is replaced by sharpness and attack speed, powerful blows applied to vital points. Receptions are not divided into more or less effective - each of them can become the most important at a certain moment.
The main task is the effective destruction of the enemy with minimal time and energy. Hence the rigidity and even cruelty of individual techniques.
Development vector
The article "The Territory of the Viet-Vo-Dao" was the reason for a short interview with Evgeny Galyamin. Thus, we decided to move the topic of Vietnamese martial arts from the realm of fascinating theory into the realm of useful practice.
Viet-vo-dao - is it for experienced athletes or is there a place in this martial art for an unprepared beginner?
The spectrum of Viet-Vo-Dao specializations is very large. The universality of martial art lies in the fact that this discipline can be practiced at any age and in any condition. As a one-year-old child, and a gray-haired old man, an advanced athlete and a bedridden patient.
Now I am working on completing the Viet Vo Dao FIT program. It was based on classical and family Vietnamese styles (for non-professionals - in an adapted, soft version). The work on the program is already coming to an end. Approbation of the program began 15 years ago and has already proved its viability. I believe that anyone can use these techniques. In each student, it is necessary to determine the vector of development, understand its promising opportunities and develop them. The main thing is desire, diligence, regularity.
- Classes in a group or individually - which is better?
I will give examples from my practice. I came across very gifted children who, during individual lessons faded and lost. im for good results needed a flock, competition.
On the other hand, for adults or trained people, group classes are not always conducive to growth and advancement. At general training, the future adept is drawn into the process, gets acquainted with the basic positions, finds like-minded people. In a word, necessary and sufficient. But serious growth, subtleties, secrets are comprehended only during individual lessons.
- There is an opinion that when it exceeded 40 ...
The inhabitants of Russia, unfortunately, have taken root such an idea that by the age of 40 physical activity decreases. But is it? Everything comes from the fact that we are trying to equal ourselves in the wrong direction. You don't have to judge yourself! If you find yourself among seriously ill people in a closed room, then after a while you yourself will begin to feel some kind of weakness and malaise. In such "rooms" after reaching a certain age bar, some people imprison themselves subconsciously. And there are many such people. Hence the corresponding behavioral stereotypes of premature old age.
To give just one historical example: a prisoner sentenced to death was given a glass of ordinary water, saying that it was a deadly poison. After drinking the water, the man immediately died. That's the power of self-hypnosis.
I don’t want to scare anyone, because these forces can and should be tuned to each of us for positive and self-creation. Be the way you want. I have always looked up to people who have something to learn. In Vietnam, during our expedition, I attended the advanced training exams for masters from the central provinces. People at 40 and 50 were full of strength and energy, and from 60-70 year olds I wanted to take an example.
You just need to do the first right step and many doubts and questions will disappear. The main thing is motivation. Arrange, if necessary - revise or change priorities and live in peace. In a word, "the salvation of the drowning is the work of the drowning themselves."
What is martial arts for you?
My work gives me the opportunity to communicate with big amount masters - carriers of various style traditions, very interesting and extraordinary people.
Each school has its own methods and original ways of developing special abilities. In my case, martial arts fade into the background, the first number is research and comparative analysis, creative combination, synthesis of methods and systems.
- Is that your main goal?
No, these are just some of the tools that expand the range of vision, understanding, and perspective on what is happening. And the goals are quite ordinary: to understand who you are, what you do and just be a person.
The martial arts of Vietnam have proven their highest efficiency in the conditions of modern warfare (military operations against the aggressors in this country were practically uninterrupted from 1942 to 1979), which cannot be said about any other form of oriental martial arts. In hand-to-hand combat, the Vietnamese defeated American marines, South Korean and Chinese paratroopers.
Foreword
After the publication of my book The Art hand-to-hand combat"(Viet Vo Dao Technique)" I received a huge number of letters from all countries and regions of the CIS, as well as from some European countries. My work was highly appreciated in them, in any case, there was not a single negative review! At the same time, many readers expressed their wishes for the future or asked various questions.
Summarizing, we can say that these questions and wishes boiled down to the following:
It is necessary to state, at least briefly, the history of Viet Vo Dao and introduce the main schools of this direction of martial arts.
Description basic equipment should be supplemented with complexes of formal exercises.
It is necessary to acquaint readers with the philosophical, psychological and tactical and technical principles of Viet Vo Dao.
Show in more detail the content and methods of training, including warm-up, breathing exercises and training sparring.
In this new book, I have tried to answer these questions. But, of course, text is text. Its capabilities are limited by the fact that there is no live connection "teacher-student". Therefore, you will still have to reach your mind to many important things.
A few words about the general idea and purpose of this manual. In any traditional form Oriental martial arts there is a compulsory course of study, what can be called a "school". As a rule, the successful completion of this course crowns the receipt of the notorious "black belt". This symbolic act means that you have to go further yourself, for the Path has been shown to you, the necessary preparation has been received, individual program further improvements are planned. But the "school" is necessary. Here I have outlined just such a compulsory course, from beginner to the black belt exam, in accordance with the program and requirements of the Vovinam school.
This school is difficult to confuse with any other of the Vietnamese martial arts schools. It is characterized by a high degree of organization, perfection of training methods, a rich set of its forms.
Vovinam has a solid arsenal of various combat techniques, including weapons, ways psychological preparation and physical hardening with the help of "external" and "internal" exercises.
All these techniques and methods are based on rational principles that take into account the psychophysical characteristics of a person. In particular, training is based on the principle of increasing complexity. Each technique is worked out gradually, from its implementation “roughly” to free possession and further to the level at which consciousness and body merge together.
The program of the Vovinam school is within the power of everyone. If only there was enough perseverance and perseverance in its development. Don't let the initial difficulties fool you. When you get carried away with training, an amazing feeling of lightness and harmony in the body will come to you. And then a moment will inevitably come when you will feel lightness and harmony in relations with everything that surrounds you - both people and nature. Masters of Wo Dao have always sought to instill in the minds of their students the idea that the practice of martial arts is the way to curb the bestial nature in oneself, educate morality, flourish spirituality!
Anatoly Taras
(Thai Wo She Khi Hien Lan)
The author thanks the head of the Belarusian branch of the International Vietwodao Federation - Vovinam Vladimir Sergeevich Kureichik for his help in working on the book, in particular, for demonstrating the "fan don", "don chan" techniques, the "White Tiger" and "The Boy Worships the Goddess" kuyen, as well as for providing the federation program.
Part I. Theory
The combat path of the Viet
Fight fearlessly, swoop like a hurricane!
Comprehend the five primordial elements with your heart.
Let fire and iron harden your body,
To smash forward and backward with weapons and legs!
(From the Teishon battle song)
The history of Vietnamese civilization has at least ten thousand years. This is precisely the age of those settlements on the territory of the Indochinese peninsula, whose inhabitants switched from primitive gathering to irrigated agriculture. In that distant time, the tribes of Khmers, Mons and Tyams, related to the ancient Indians, lived here.
In the middle of the first millennium BC. e. from the Yangtze River basin to the valleys of the Red, Black and Transparent rivers, the Viet (Yue) tribes, related to the ancient Chinese, began to move. In the process of mixing newcomers and local tribes, the first states arose and the La Viet people, the ancestors of the current Vietnamese, developed. Even before the beginning of our era, the Lak Viet created the feudal states of Au Lac, Van Lang, Nam Viet, Teiau in the northern part of present-day Vietnam. The powerful Chyam kingdom of Champa formed in its center, and the Monkhmer empire of Bapnom arose in the south.
In 110 B.C. e. The troops of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di captured the North. In the country of the La Viet, Chinese rule was established for almost a thousand years. However, the Laviets, who by that time had an original spiritual and material culture, stubbornly resisted all attempts by the conquerors to assimilate them. One uprising followed another. Some of them led to the restoration of the independence of the Viet for decades, such as the famous uprising of the Chung sisters - Chak and Nyi - in 40 AD. e. Gradually, local power passed into the hands of the Vietnamese nobility - Kuans, the colonial regime was replaced by a protectorate. In 939 the last Chinese garrison was expelled.
Freed from the Chinese yoke, the Vietnamese feudal lords fought for power for another thirty years, until the royal dynasty of Le was established. In 968, the creation of the centralized state of Daikovet (Great Ancient Viet) in the North was proclaimed.
Shortly thereafter, the young state was again attacked by a huge Chinese army. However, the Viet, led by King Le Hoan, inflicted a crushing defeat on him. Having defended their independence, they themselves went on the offensive. In 1075-77. The Vietnamese defeated the army of the Sung dynasty and took away the modern province of Cao Bang from the Chinese. And shortly before that (in 1069) they occupied the northern part of Champa (the current provinces of Quang Binh and Quang Tri).
In 1257-88. Dai Viet (since 1054, the new ruling dynasty removed the word "ko" - ancient from its name) was invaded three times by the Mongol-Chinese troops of the Yuan dynasty. The 200,000-strong army of the Viet opposed the half-million horde of conquerors. In several bloody battles, the great commander Chan Hyng Dao completely defeated the enemy. After 120 years (in 1407–1427), the armies of the Chinese Ming dynasty again tried to bring the recalcitrant Dai Viet to their knees, and were again defeated and thrown out of the country. During the reign of Emperor Le Thanh Tong (1460-97), the Viet feudal state reached its peak. A number of areas in the West were conquered, and the kingdom of Champa was completely annexed (in 1471).
The next 350 years were marked by numerous peasant uprisings, the most grandiose of which was the Taishon uprising (from the name of the village of Taishon), which lasted more than 30 years! Peasant wars against the feudal lords were interspersed with bloody civil strife of the Mak, Nguyen and Trinh clans, wars with the Chinese and Khmers.
In short, short periods of relative calm followed decades of skirmishes and battles, and human blood flowed like a river!
Over two thousand years of wars with foreign countries and internal strife, the Viet have created a system of their martial arts "vo-dao", which means "combat way". Folk tales and legends say that in the old days the warriors of the northern provinces were especially famous for their skill in battle with clubs and halberds. The fighters of Quang Binh, Namkha, Thaibinh, Thanlong were reputed to be the most skillful in sword fights.
Kangshon was known for dashing riders who shot arrows without a miss, and Teinguyen was known for war elephant crews who hit enemies with darts or crossbows.
Fisticuffs ("wo-tuat") in ancient times was considered an auxiliary discipline that served as the basis for learning to fight with weapons. It was called "small art". One of the treatises of that era states clearly: Fist fighting methods are unacceptable for a battle where long and short weapons are used. They are good only as a method of preparing a warrior, and also for protection from robbers. Street fighting is the first step to mastering the true martial art.».
The usual scheme of military training was as follows. At first, young soldiers were engaged in general physical training (mainly respiratory and strength exercises, running with a load, jumping), mastered stances and movements. Then they studied evasions, slips, deceptive movements, dives and somersaults. Then strikes with bare hands and feet, blocks and rebounds with grabs and throws. Then they learned to use "short" weapons (such as a club, an ax, a sword). And, finally, the turn of the "long" weapons came - spears, halberds, tridents.
Some idea of the organization of military affairs in Dai Viet is given by an excerpt from a treatise written at the end of the 18th century:
1. Wo-dao is an art that makes the homeland of the Viet powerful. The best warriors are made from people who are strong in spirit and strong in body. Such should be sought everywhere, remembering that a perfect soul blossoms only in a perfect body.
2. Duty, courage, justice - these are the true virtues of a perfect warrior. Duty is his ability to carry out the assigned work at all costs, in accordance with reason and a sense of proportion. Courage is a combination of courage, will and self-confidence. Justice lies in loyalty to one's word, the customs of the ancestors and the laws of the state.
3. True power in combat is achieved by the interaction of top and bottom, right and left, front and back, hard and soft. This is the rule of joining forces. There are three inner forces: spirit, khee, and breath. There are three external objects of application of force: the look, the cry, and the muscles. The six conjunctions give the fusion of inner and outer. It contains the premise of victory.
4. The combination of softness and strength, calmness and courage helps to defeat any enemy. When moving in battle, you can not linger in any of the positions. You have to be light, agile_and_dexterous. When attacking, it is better to aim at the head and in the middle of the body; retreating, you should beat on the hands and feet.
5. You cannot defeat the enemy if, while studying the technique, you have not practiced it to perfection on wooden dummies, hanging stuffed bags and with partners. Remember the saying: "You will achieve naturalness after you repeat the technique ten thousand times."
6. The key to excellence is hard work. It is necessary to train every day for several hours for at least eight years. Then skill will come. But only those who started from childhood will be able to jump over a wall one chuong (320 cm) high.
7. Even in antiquity were invented different kinds weapons. Of these, 18 are considered classic - nine long and nine short. Long ones are a halberd, a hook, a spear, a hook on a chain, a pike, a spear, a pole, a trident, a three-link flail. Short ones - a dagger, a pick, a hook on a handle, a sword, a club, an ax, a mace, an iron whip, a short trident. All 18 must be mastered by all means.
8. Whatever weapon is used, it will not go beyond six actions: cut from top to bottom, cut across, cut flush, pierce through, pry from bottom to top, crush. Therefore, one who wants to learn how to use a weapon must first learn to perfection fisticuffs, which have all these actions.
9. There is also a throwing weapon ("amkhi"). These are metal plates sharpened along the edges (“arhat coins”), special knives and arrows for throwing, darts and battle rings, “flying phoenix” stones. This also includes a bow with arrows and crossbows. The one who wields such a weapon is truly impregnable, for it strikes from afar.
10. Martial art must be practical like no other. Therefore, when mastering it, the main attention should be paid to the features of use in a real battle. Having achieved success in fisticuffs and in working with weapons, you can move on to horseback riding and vaulting. A perfect warrior is one who rides on horseback and at full gallop strikes the enemy with arrows, a spear and a sword.
In the state of Dai Viet, in order to get any position at the court, in the royal guard, in the army or in the government, it was required to pass exams. The higher the rank corresponded to the vacancy, the more difficult they were. The applicants were tested for the ability to read and write hieroglyphs, knowledge of mathematics, medicine and jurisprudence, the degree of awareness in the canons of Buddhism and Confucianism, but most importantly, the ability to fight with weapons in their hands and without it. This paramilitary recruitment system remained unchanged in Dai Viet (from 1803 it became known as Vietnam) until the middle of the 19th century. The established traditions could not be shaken even by the spread of firearms.
It was possible to prepare for exams in Buddhist monasteries, in numerous "family" schools, as well as in state educational institutions, the so-called "academies". The most famous of them is the "Academy of Martial Arts" (Gyang Wo Dong), founded by King Ly Thai To back in 1010. By decree of 1253, King Chan Tai Tong obliged all military leaders, from junior commanders to generals, to undergo training at this academy. Enrollment in the trainees was not an empty formality. It was required to pass a dozen entrance exams. And graduates were subjected to difficult tests before the king granted them an honorary degree of "doctor of military sciences" by his decree. Entrance and final exams gave rise to many legends reminiscent of the Shaolin "corridor of death" legends.
Between 1858 and 1884, France conquered Vietnam, which became a French colony for 70 years. The decisive role in the victory of the "overseas devils" was played by their superiority in artillery, rifled guns and other military equipment. It became clear that in the modern era, professional military no longer makes sense to spend years learning how to masterfully use a spear or sword. In addition, the French colonial administration strictly forbade the Vietnamese from possessing any weapons, let alone learning to use them. Therefore, it is not surprising that during the years of the colonial regime, the art of boxing (wo-tuat) turned from an auxiliary into the main form of martial art. The technique of working with “real” weapons was preserved only in the families of former military mentors (“wo she”), secretly passed on from fathers to sons.
During the period of colonialism, the preservation and maintenance of the traditions of "wo-dao" became the exclusive prerogative of several dozen family and monastic schools. Each of them was not numerous, but the students were selected very carefully. It is clear that the schools worked under conditions of strict secrecy, and those who entered them disguised themselves as hired workers, servants, Buddhist monks, etc. At the same time, the custom took root when entering the school to take an oath of allegiance to her and personally to her leader. It is important that they swore with their lives! A similar oath, called "ket ngia", is still preserved in the most orthodox traditional schools.
Gradually, the socio-economic and political situation in Vietnam changed. The national bourgeoisie cooperated extensively with the French, and representatives of the former aristocratic circles were increasingly involved in local government. Accordingly, the formidable prohibitions gradually lost their force. Thanks to this, the hereditary master of fisticuffs and military affairs Nguyen Lok (1912-1960) was able to organize in 1938 the first vo-tuat club, open to all comers. He called his school "Vietwo Dao Vovinam", which means "the best of the Viet martial arts." Since that time, “vo-tuat” has become more and more often called “vietwodao”. In the end, the old term gave way to a new one. Or the old term (wo-dao) has taken on a different meaning than before.
For 7 years, Nguyen Loc continuously traveled with demonstration performances, gave lectures, helped organize classes for those compatriots who wanted to practice Vietnamese fisticuffs. Thanks to his efforts, by 1946 vovinam clubs appeared in almost all cities of the north and center of Vietnam. Since 1954, Nguyen Loc moved his activities to South Vietnam, to Saigon. His example was infectious. Since 1946, many traditional schools have emerged from the underground: Wo Binh Dinh, Wo Lak Hong, Wo Thai Binh, Sa Long Kong, Kim Ke, Taishon Nyan and others.
In subsequent years, the Vovinam style and other styles of "vo-tuat" began to spread outside the country with the flows of emigrants. In 1973, masters Bui Van Thinh, Nguyen Zan Phu, Nguyen Trung Hoa, Pham Hoang, Tasteir Tran Phuc created the French Federation of Vietwodao-Vovinam, the first organization of Vietnamese martial arts outside of Vietnam. In 1980 this federation was transformed into the International Federation. It currently includes organizations from 30 countries. The post of president is held by Pham Hoang (8th dang), the general secretary is Ngo Than Kiet (5th dang).
Even later, in 1987, another group of masters, under the leadership of Nguyen Zyc Mok, formed the second such organization - the International Federation of Bo-Vietnam. Its leadership included Phan Tuan Chau (Taishon-Nyan school), Pham Huan Tong (Kwan-Ki-Do school), Nguyen Kong Tot (Viet-Vu-Dao school). Master Zik Mok leads the Shon-Long (Mountain Dragon) school.
Nguyen Lok, father - founder of the Vovinam school
(In the frame - the hieroglyphs "Viet Vo Dao")
However, these are the most famous schools of Vo-Tao. Their total number has not yet been determined by anyone. It is only known that it is several dozen, at least 60. All these schools are conditionally divided into two main groups: Chinese-Vietnamese and Vietnamese proper.
The first received most widespread among the Huaqiao are ethnic Chinese. The huaqiao invasion originated in the sixties of the 19th century. Then tens of thousands of Chinese, participants in the grand Taiping uprising, fled to neighboring countries, including Vietnam. Later, many Chinese settled in these places as hired workers - "coolies". The next big wave of emigration was connected with Japan's aggression against China in 1937-38. and another - with the victory of the communists in 1949, which led to mass repressions against "representatives of the bourgeois strata of the population."
As a result, many styles of Chinese wushu have gained acceptance among the Vietnamese as well. The most famous are Wing-Chung (Eternal Spring), Lam-Shon (Azure Mountain), Thang-Long (Praying Mantis), Ba-Hak (White Crane), Hoang-Long (Fire Dragon), Hong-Za-Kuen (Hung-jia, or, in a European way, Khun-Gar). However, over the decades, all of them have undergone significant changes under the influence of local conditions. That is why they are now called Chinese-Vietnamese.
Among purely Vietnamese schools, three largest ones can be distinguished: Wo Binh Dinh, Kim Ke and Vovinam, as well as several dozen small (“family” and “modern”) ones. Vietnamese schools, unlike Chinese ones, are not divided into internal and external. Each of these includes both inner work (noi-kong) and outer work (ngoai-kong). In turn, internal work refers to the management of the body's vital energy (khi-kong) and meditation (thien), not only passive, but also active, in motion.
Each of these schools has its own methods for developing strength, dexterity, endurance, speed, and hardening of the body. But the main differences between them are not in this, but in the technical complexes (“fap”, “kuyen”, “fang dong”, “wat”) performed alone or with a partner, with various objects and without them. In addition, each school uses its own, purely original, kept secret from outsiders, methods of developing inner strength (noy-bake) and suppressing the will of the enemy.
Those who practice "wo-tao" (they are called "wo-sen") are divided into junior and senior students, instructors, masters and initiates. It is believed that younger students should acquire excellent physical condition; senior students - to master the basic technique to perfection; instructors - to comprehend the strategy and tactics of combat.
Masters are those who know how to use their inner strength to defeat the energy centers of the enemy's body. As for the few initiates, there are rumors that they can deal with any opponent without touching them at all! It is sometimes said that for ten junior students there is one senior, for ten seniors there is one instructor, for ten instructors there is one master, and for ten masters there is one initiate. Of course, this is only a metaphor, since there is no exact information, but it reflects - albeit approximately - the current state of affairs: out of every thousand people who start practicing traditional vo-dao, only a few enthusiasts reach the level of a master.
The division of “vo-sen” into ranks did not exist in the old days. It did not make much sense, because the skill of a fighter was tested in real combat clashes. Those who were not skilled enough simply died or became disabled. But when Nguyen Loc revived Wo Dao, he borrowed the idea of colored belts and degrees from judo. Technical standards, the implementation of which gives the right to a belt of one color or another, have become a kind of training program. Junior and senior students wear white, blue, black belts (depending on the particular school), and student degrees are called "cap".
There are six, seven or eight in total, from the first (lowest) to the sixth or eighth highest). Instructors and masters wear black, black and yellow, black and red, red and white or yellow (gold) belts. The degrees of this level are called "dang".
A fairly long communication with Vietnamese instructors and masters convinces that for the most part they are strong, fast, self-confident, cheerful, cheerful, and friendly people. They have clear eyes, smooth skin and hair without gray hair, which indicates excellent health. They all look much younger than their years. And not only look. My teacher's teacher, even at 65, was in no way inferior to youth, and his training was so intense that not every young person could endure the standard three hours to the end. In other words, the example of these people shows what results an ordinary person can achieve if the practice of Wo-Tao becomes his way of life.
This way of life is called “kong fu” (the Vietnamese pronunciation of the Chinese characters “gong fu”), that is, self-improvement.
Nguyen Loc said that kong fu is doing one's work every day with a constant desire to do it as best as possible. Only such an attitude can lead to true mastery. Kong fu is that drop of water that hollows out a stone...
The testaments of the old masters, indicating the right path, were formulated in peculiar poems, one of which I would like to quote in full:
The secrets of fisticuffs are deep and intimate.
How to understand what to do in a furious fight?
How to comprehend best ways defense and attack?
It is necessary to know the essence of the five elements and the two principles.
Strengthen your body and strengthen your spirit.
We must learn to jump high, deftly fall and squat.
It is necessary to learn all the strikes, defense techniques and ways of moving.
It takes hard work to keep moving forward.
Only for years daily exercise learn all the details.
And hone your art to perfection.
Even in the hours of fun, near the cymbals and bowls of wine, do not forget
Those two hieroglyphs: hard work!»
In combat, a mistake in any technique is unacceptable;
Hand strikes are like a piercing arrow,
Kicking is like a spear piercing through.
The distance is determined by height, length of arms and legs.
Strive to deceive the enemy.
But most importantly, be brave
Fight and win like a hero.
Never put yourself above others.
Be humble, polite, decent,
As befits a noble and educated person.
You yourself take the sword of martial art in your hands,
Therefore, it is obligatory not to disgrace his glory.
Improve yourself and protect the Fatherland -
Here is a worthy deed for life!
In the 10th-13th centuries, the central province of Binh Dinh (now the province of Nghia Binh) became the cradle of the true Vietnamese style of fisticuffs.
The same name was given to this style of "vr-tuat" (Wo-Binh-Dinh).
His technique and tactics were formed taking into account the psychological and physical characteristics of the Vietnamese (courage, stamina, indomitability, stubbornness, dexterity, mobility with small height and weight), forced to resist the taller and stronger Chinese.
Hence the widespread use as weapons of objects of labor and everyday life: a long pole (bat), a short flail for threshing rice (long jiang), a club (bong), a millstone handle (mok kan), two wide short knives for butchering animal carcasses (song dao), as well as two short sticks (tyuy), replacing European brass knuckles, a pitchfork (nya), an ax (ryu), a shovel (but chi), rake (bua kao), metal chain, sickle…
There are only three main stances in the Wo Binh Dinh style. It is believed that good fighter must quickly change their positions, evade, maneuver. Then a more massive opponent will not be able to hit him and will miss after miss. Accordingly, he himself is most easily hit when he misses, that is, the “wo-bin-ding” tactics are based on counterattacks. The movements are mostly straightforward, no feints are used, kicks above the waist and no jumps. The main weapons of the body are fists, elbows, knees, feet, head. The blows are powerful. Leaving or evading, they tend to hit the joints of the opponent's arms and legs, in attacks and counterattacks they aim at his groin, solar plexus, ribs and head.
The mastering of the “wo-bin-ding” style is traditionally carried out in four stages. At the first of them, they study the basic technique. On the second - complexes of formal exercises (kuyens). The content of the third stage is work on simulators and dummies (suspended bags of sand or rice, poles dug into the ground and wooden figures arranged in a triangle). The fourth stage is training fights with one and several partners, including armed ones. A full course of study with daily classes requires eight years (2 years for each stage), and an abbreviated course - four (one year - one stage). However, it also happened in the old days that in wartime conditions this course was reduced to four months and even to four weeks! At the same time, there was no need to talk about the quality of education.
Much attention at all stages is paid to general physical training, especially to the development of strength and hardening of the body. The body must be tempered so that a fighter can break a cobblestone with a blow of his fist, break a tree with a blow of his bare foot, withstand without batting an eye, swipe stick on a naked body. And the strength should be enough to easily perform formal exercises with a halberd weighing 30 jin (Chinese pounds), that is, 18 kilograms! In a real master, she flies in her hands like a feather, because "in battle, strength is half the victory," as the Vietnamese proverb says. In a word, “wo-bin-ding” is a technically relatively uncomplicated, but very powerful style, designed for brutal combat to the death.
Another original Vietnamese style "Kim-Ke" (Golden Rooster) was created at the end of the 18th century by one of the leaders of the grandiose uprising of the Tay Sons (1773–1802), master Nguyen Ly. This style was born from watching cockfighting, which is extremely popular among the Vietnamese. There is not a village in the country where they do not breed fighting cocks and do not arrange competitions between them every week. Therefore, none of the rebels needed a long explanation of the technique and tactics of this style. There were enough references to how roosters fight. Usually, the smaller or weaker rooster tries to dodge attacks and tries to go sideways to his opponent. Roosters use their beak and wings as weapons, but the main thing is their legs. They often jump up to hit with their whole body weight, do a lot of feints (false attacks), try to peck out their eyes ...
Adherents of the Kim-ke style act in approximately the same way. Their tactics are characterized by jumping with kicks, feints, all kinds of tricks (for example, feigned retreat). Head attacks in the face, chest and stomach of the opponent are popular. Many sweeping strokes with the edge of the palm, reminiscent of wing beats.
If in “bin-ding” they leave the line of attack with a step away from it, or forward at an angle to the enemy, then in “kim-ke” they prefer to dive under the blow or move away from it by rotating around their axis. This is immediately followed by a counterattack to the ribs, solar plexus, temple or back of the head, to the kidneys, to the spine. The main weapons of the body here are not fists, but fingers bent like cock's claws or brought together like a beak. They tend to hit the eyes, throat, armpits, temples, ribs ... Roundhouse kicks, sweeps, kicks with two legs at the same time (the famous "song phi kyk") are widely used.
The striking surfaces of the feet are the heels ("spurs") and toes ("claws"), especially the latter. After all, commoners fought, as a rule, barefoot. Similar to the bin ding style, kim ke makes extensive use of the knees and elbows. In the "cock style" even teeth are used, which are recommended for biting the throat, tearing pieces of meat out of the body, and gnaw through the tendons. The pace of the fight is high, it is a very dynamic and fast style. The trajectories of strikes are mostly directed along an arc (both horizontally and vertically) and diagonally ...
Nguyen Ly expressed his understanding of the style of fisticuffs he created in a short poem written in classical hieroglyphs, eight vertical lines, eight hieroglyphs per line:
1. Two roosters converge and deliver test blows.
2. They jump up and pierce the enemy with the claws of both feet.
3. The golden spear (head) hits the weak spot.
4. The silver sword (wing) protects the weak spot.
5. A poisoned arrow (beak) penetrates deep into the throat.
6. The rooster turns its head and strikes the enemy from the side.
7. He flies up and falls to the ground.
8. Softness and hardness, suppleness and pressure - he has everything.
Subsequently, the short text of the “founding father” was overgrown with lengthy comments, which it is not possible to quote here.
The most famous in the West and the most popular in Vietnam, the Vovinam style was created on the basis of the “family” schools of Son Tay province (now a suburban area of Hanoi), where Nguyen Loc was from. Its theoretical basis was the classic treatise of the 16th century "Lin Nam Wo Kin".
This synthetic style uses all the basic positions and methods of movement "vo-tuat", a wide variety of technical and tactical techniques. In close combat, preference is given to strikes with elbows, knees and head, painful holds, trips, sweeps and throws are widely used. At medium distance leading role they play blows with fists and palms, on the far side - blows with the feet. In a fight with several opponents, it is recommended to act with a weapon in your hands, turning any object into one. Great importance is attached to general physical training, especially jumping acrobatics and leg strengthening.
But the main differences between vovinam and other styles of vo-tuat are not in technique or tactics, but in the goals and methods of training. Nguyen Loc turned hand-to-hand combat into self-defense, focusing on the spiritual and physical development of a person through the practice of martial arts.
Accordingly, he shifted the emphasis in the content of the training from freestyle combat and work on dummies to the sphere of formal exercises (faps, kuyens) and conditional sparring (fang dong, wat). In other words, he did the same thing as the famous Funakoshi (“the father of Japanese karate”), who turned the technique of hand-to-hand combat (karate-jitsu) into the Way of the empty hand (karate-do), that is, into a system of self-improvement.
Numerous Wo Tao schools have proven to be extremely effective in the conditions of modern warfare, which cannot be said about any other form of oriental martial arts. The Vietnam War lasted from 1942 to 1979. The Vietnamese had to fight the Japanese, French, Chinese, Khmers, Americans and their allies. In all battles, "wo-dao" was on top. In hand-to-hand fights, undersized, frail Vietnamese smashed both the American marines (whose training is based on Russian and Japanese equipment), and volunteers from South Korean divisions (without exception knowing taekwondo), and Chinese paratroopers trained by duanda specialists!
PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS OF VO-DAO
Who does not know and does not understand the ideas of the Buddha, he is not able to comprehend the most important thing in martial arts.
The philosophical basis of vo-dao is the doctrine of "than", close to the Chinese "chan" and the Japanese "zen". This is one of the currents of Buddhism (dao fat - the way of the Buddha), widely using ideas and methods Indian yoga and Chinese Taoism.
In accordance with this teaching, the most important occupation for adepts of martial arts (regardless of what they do for a living) is internal work on themselves (noi-kong). It leads to the achievement of an “empty heart”, that is, a state of mind that is free from everything worldly that usually fills human consciousness. This is not a denial of real life. Only the identification of the vital (the foundations of being) with worldly fuss, the highest manifestations of the spirit with everyday small things, is rejected.
Liberation from everyday bustle, from everything that inspires most people, leads to what the "than" calls the "great emptiness" - to absolute spiritual freedom. And this freedom makes it possible to know the true essence and meaning of human life, usually hidden by the illusions of thinking. Intellectually, the "great void" turns out to be a new vision of the world; emotionally - calming the spirit, its serenity, volitionally - independence from surrounding people and circumstances.
In other words, adequate comprehension of the deep essence of vo-dao (what is hidden behind the technique, behind the movements) requires the study of the ideas of the Buddha and the restructuring of the mental structures of the personality by the methods of "than" in accordance with these ideas. We are talking about the "four noble truths" discovered by the Buddha two and a half thousand years ago.
The first truth is: "There is suffering that is universal." The second clarifies: "The reason for the suffering of people is in their desires." In other words, the Buddha understood suffering as stress, mental stress, which is based on a feeling of fear, inextricably linked with hope (after all, stress is not what happens to a person, but how he reacts to what is happening. A person who has lost all hope loses fear along with it). Suffering (an alloy of fears and hopes) stems from various "wants" that always and everywhere embrace a person. Wishing for something, small or large, does not matter, strive to get what you want, be afraid that you will not get it or lose it, and hope at the same time for a successful outcome - this is constant excitement, anxiety, tension, that is, suffering.
The Third Truth of the Buddha states: "Liberation from suffering lies in the annihilation of desires." The fourth specifies: "The path to liberation from suffering is the eightfold "middle path", which equally avoids the extremes of asceticism and sensual pleasures." It consists of right understanding, right thinking, right sayings, right actions, right way of life, right efforts, right aspirations and, finally, right concentration of the spirit - contemplation. An old Vietnamese poem talks about this path like this:
Man is born
Old age, sickness and death.
Therefore, he is not free. These
Four drovers determine with sticks
His path.
If you pray
Or do rituals
To get free -
You are a fool.
Do you want to dive into Nirvana?
Then behold
The depths of your spirit...
Human life is like lightning.
Flashed - and it is not.
The greenest trees
They also dry out sometime.
If you achieve enlightenment by contemplation,
You will always be calm.
You will understand that the eternal and transient,
Blooming and fading
Good and bad -
Just illusions
Your consciousness...
Unlike European thinkers, who in various ways called for changing the surrounding conditions in order to become happy. The Buddha denied the dependence of the state of the spirit on the state of the external world. He believed that it was necessary to change not the world, but oneself. We all know that “the rich also cry”, that you can have a full set of material goods and still suffer. But the secret of happiness is very simple: you need to learn to understand life correctly, to feel its rhythm correctly, to build your behavior in accordance with this rhythm, to dive into the bottomless depths of your own subconscious every day. In other words, the Buddha urged people to be happy “here and now”, and not “later”, as a result of some external events (here I will finish school, now I will start making good money, now I will get an apartment, now I will raise children, now I will retire - events are happening, but happiness and peace, as there was, and still is not).
At the level of practical actions that make it possible to achieve stable changes in the mental states of the individual, a number of trends have arisen in Buddhism. "Thanh" is one of them. His practice includes meditation (thien), energy work (khi-kong), influence on internal organs the body and the physiological processes occurring in it (zyongshin). Collectively, these three groups of methods are called "inner work" - "noi-kong".
The task of meditation methods is to work out the entrance by directing the mind, feelings and will to external or internal objects. Staying in and out in relation to certain spatio-temporal situations, both real and imagined. At the same time, the first stage of meditation (contemplation) is the performance of exercises (or actions) related to the concentration of attention on breathing, movement, heart function, maintaining balance, energy circulation, any object or its separate quality.
Already at this stage, the adept begins to “hear” weak signals coming from the external and internal world.
The second stage allows a person to acquire the state of "no-mind", thanks to which he, as it were, dissolves his "I" in the elements of nature.
Having lost the sense of his own personality, he perceives himself as a particle of the great whole - the whole Being. His consciousness is completely freed from any anxiety, and he realizes the principle of "one body", that is, he begins to feel the "voices" coming from the inside of the living beings around him: people, animals, plants. That is why the master of vo-dao not only feels any movement of the enemy, but also anticipates all his plans in advance. After all, he is connected with him by this “single body”!
Respiratory-energy exercises "Khi-Kong" are aimed at mastering the vital energy "Khi" and developing the inner strength "Noy-Lik". This group of methods makes it possible to learn how to conduct “khee” through the three median and twelve paired channels, to accumulate it in a special center “dai-dyen” located inside the abdomen. A person who knows how to control “khee” can, at the right moment, throw it at the enemy through a shock limb, or defend himself from his blows with it.
Working with energy allows you to sharply increase your own combat capabilities, increases the ability to endure any extreme effects without harming your health, and also helps to achieve serenity of the spirit.
The Zuong-Shin system includes postures similar to those of Indian yoga, the impact on biologically active points of the body with self-massage techniques, and original breathing exercises for deep ventilation. It combines static and dynamic exercises. However, both of them are just a shell that hides the main thing - working with energy, concentration, self-hypnosis.
It would be correct to say that Thien, Khi-Kong, Zuong-Shin are a conditional division of the single process of Noi-Kong. It is through "internal work" that the state of the psyche changes, which becomes stable. In Buddhist terms, such a transition is called "from samsara" (the world of suffering) "to nirvana" (the world of eternal bliss).
The doctrine of "thanh", together with its practical methods, is the quintessence of oriental methods of finding harmony. What is harmony? This is the proportionality and orderliness of all aspects of life, including own body and one's own psyche, this is the consistency of goals and means, form and content. It is harmony that resists chaos in nature, in the human soul and in society. A harmonious person is a peaceful person, absolutely devoid of fear, imperturbable, joyful. This is a person with a "Buddha smile", soft, accessible, benevolent, selfless - and at the same time unbending, stubborn and strong. This is a man who infinitely surpasses ordinary people in his bodily and spiritual power. After all, his heart is open to Eternity, and his body is filled with the energy of the Cosmos!
You should know that the path to comprehension of the spirit is slower than to mastering energy or strengthening the body. In essence, this is a path for a lifetime, because life is a process, it is impossible to stop in one place. And the retention of the altered state of the psyche is also a process. Of course, this area needs a teacher. But where can my contemporary fellow citizens get it? There remains hope for books and reflections.
In conclusion, I offer you a peculiar testament of one of the old Vietnamese vo-tao mentors:
Learn to stand like a strong tree.
Move like the wind.
Understand until the end of at least one blow.
Learn to do without hitting.
You are protected if you are gentle.
You are soft when you are calm.
You are calm when you are strong.
You are strong when you are healthy.
You are healthy if you breathe correctly.
The one who knows the truth breathes correctly.
The one who has comprehended his Spirit knows the truth...
SYMBOLS OF THE SCHOOL OF VOVINAM
Of paramount importance in the Vovinam school are spiritual values. This is reflected in her motto - "To be strong in order to be useful" and in three main commandments:
- "Strengthen your spirit through body training";
- "Remember that you are part of nature, not its master";
- "Respect the measure in everything, strive for harmony."
Mandatory for adherents of Vovinam are following rules:
1. Come to the hall (wo-duong) exactly at the appointed time and study there with all diligence.
2. Your suit (wo-fak) and belt (give) must be clean.
3. During class, do not be distracted and do not talk.
4. Be polite and obedient towards teachers and masters.
5. Take care of your health and don't lose your mind while training.
6. In Everyday life be polite, calm, benevolent.
7. Do not succumb to provocations, avoid unnecessary skirmishes.
8. Take care of your honor and keep your dignity.
A deep meaning lies in the "dai-le" - the ritual bow to the Vovins: "Steel hand on a noble heart" (see fig.).
Classes begin with bows, are accompanied by bows, and end with bows.
They express themselves better than others and at the same time cultivate courtesy.
You must bow in the following cases:
1. When entering a hall or temple.
2. Portrait of the founding father of the Vovinam school.
3. The teacher who is teaching you.
4. To classmates.
5. Before performing any kuyen (this is a bow to its creator).
6. To a partner in a joint exercise.
7. To the enemy before and after the battle.
8. To the teacher after the end of the training.
9. Portrait of the founding father after training.
10. When leaving the hall or from the temple.
Ritual bow of the Vovin school
Followers of the Vovinam style wear a black suit consisting of a blouse and trousers. They tie a colored belt over the blouse. On the left side of the blouse ("on the heart"), the emblem of the International Federation of Vietwodao-Vowinam is attached. It is a circle in which a square is inscribed, and in this square three bamboo shoots are depicted.
The red circle is the Universe, it symbolizes perfection. The blue square is the Earth, a symbol of permanence. Green bamboo is a symbol of perseverance and impartiality. It stands for the union of like-minded people, that is, the International Federation. (See color drawing on the back cover of the book.)
Another emblem is attached to the right sleeve, denoting the Vovinam style directly. This is a silhouette of the geographical outlines of Vietnam (yellow) against the background of the symbols Am and Duong (Yin and Yang), denoting the opposite beginnings of Being. Duong is red, Am is blue. In turn, the Am Duong circle is depicted on a yellow stripe, along the top of which are the words: Vovinam Vietwodao.
The Vovinam school adopted the following gradation of technical excellence levels: junior students (0.1, 2, 3, 4th kap), senior students (5th kap and "black belt"), instructors (1, 2, 3rd dangi), masters (4, 5, 6, 7, 8th dangi). Zero cap wearers wear a white belt.
The first is white with one transverse stripe of blue. The second - white with two blue transverse stripes, the third - with three, the fourth - with four. The fifth cap is a blue belt, “dai den tuan” is a black belt. Those who have the degrees of the first, second, third dangas tie a black belt around the waist with a red edging and with red transverse stripes, the number of which corresponds to the degree of “dang” - (the first is one strip, the second is two, the third is three). All these belts are shown in the figure. As for the masters, they are easy to distinguish by white and red belts.
The founding father Nguyen Loc and his successor, the second patriarch Le Sang, had no official titles. They were considered and are considered the highest authorities of the Vovinam school, referring to their statements and opinions in all controversial cases. It should be emphasized that the Vovinam school was created as a means of spiritual, moral and physical education young patriots. Therefore, it has so important role plays symbolism. Everything that the adherents of the school do must be full of deep meaning, otherwise they are worthless. The Founding Father himself said it best: “If you do not fight for the sake of justice, how are you different from an animal?”
PROGRAM OF THE SCHOOL OF VOVINAM
With three classes per week of two hours each, the average time to complete the required course of study is as follows:
0 cap - 4 months of classes (i.e. 50 workouts)
1 cap - 6 more months (75 more workouts)
2 cap - 8 more months (100 more workouts)
3 caps - another 10 months (another 125 workouts)
4 caps - another 12 months (another 150 workouts)
5 caps - another 12 months (another 150 workouts)
Black Belt: 24 more months (300 workouts).
Only 76 months of "pure time" (or 950 workouts). Including 2 months of annual summer holidays, this course takes about 8 years. It is clear that someone who trains 5-6 times a week for 2-3 hours can complete a technical course in half the time. After all, the main indicator is the quantity and quality of the classes, and not the calendar time.
In addition to technology, the Vovinam school program provides for the study of theory. This extensive section includes such subjects as the history of Vietnam and Vietnamese martial arts, the philosophy of Thanh Buddhism, Taoist concepts (Am and Duong, Five Elements, Eight Trigrams), traditional oriental medicine.
The main content of the compulsory technical course consists of the following four sections: fap, kuyen, fan dong, wat. Fap - these are basic techniques (the same as "kihon" in karate), that is, stances and movements in stances, blocks with arms and legs, punches, palms, fingers, elbows, knees, feet. Kuyen is the practice of formal exercises (same as "kata" in karate). Fap and kuyen exercises are performed alone. But the exercises of the next two sections necessarily require partners. Fan don is a conditional sparring, practicing in a pair of attacks and counterattacks, reminiscent of training kumite in karate for three, two or one movement. Wat are wrestling-type techniques: grips and releases, leverage on the joints, chokes, scissors, trips and sweeps, throws, falls and somersaults.
ZERO CAP TECHNIQUE
Fap: 1. Racks (tan)
Lap-tan (original)
Chuan-bi-tang (attention)
Chun-bin-tang (rider)
Lien-hoa-tan (lotus flower)
Ding-tan (combat)
Chao-ma-tan (kota)
2. Punching (ladies)
Dam-thang (straight forward horizontal fist)
Dam-mok (hook)
3. Kicks (yeah)
Da-hat (swing up)
Da-thang (straight ahead)
4. Blocks (gat)
Gat-mot (block inside-out)
Gat-hai (outside-in block)
5. Striking with the palm (tyem)
Tiem-mot (with the edge of the palm from the inside out)
Tiem-hai (with the edge of the palm outside-in)
Cuyen: Thien Mon (Gate of Contemplation)
Long mot (forward roll)
Long high (forward roll over a barrier)
Te-mot (falling backwards)
Te-hai (fall forward)
2. Tu ve (freeing from grips)
From a grip on the collar
From gripping the torso from the side (without arms and with arms)
From a grip on the torso from the front (without arms and with arms)
3. Dong chan (scissors)
Don chan mot
dong chan hai
FIRST CAP TECHNIQUE
Fap 1. Racks (tan)
Sa-tan moth (dragon)
Sa-tan-hai (snakes)
Dok-han hyen li-tan (chick-covering bird)
Hung-tan (bear)
2. Punching (ladies)
Dam-lao (circular flight)
Dam-muk (bottom-up, "uppercut")
3. Kicks (yeah)
Da-dap (straight to the side)
4. Blocks (gat)
Gat-ba (sweeping down-out)
Gat-bon (throwback)
5. Striking with the palm (tyem)
Tiem-ba (with the edge of the palm in the lower level)
Tiem-bon (with the base of the palm in the upper level)
6. Backhand punches (dam baht)
Dam-bat mot (with the back of the fist at the intermediate level)
Dam-bat high (back of the fist from top to bottom)
Kuyen: Lien-Shon (Mountain Range)
1. Fan-don tai (hand counterattacks), using dam-thang, dam-mok, dam-lao, dam-muk
2. Fan-dong chan (counter-attacks with legs), using da-thang and da-dap strikes
Wat: 1. Nhoa Lanh (falls and somersaults)
Long-ngua (back somersault)
Long zung (hand roll)
Te-ba (stretch forward fall)
2. Tu Be (release from grips)
From strangulation in front
From being strangled from behind
From front hair grab
From being grabbed by the hair from behind
From a nelson grip
3. Dong chan (scissors)
dong chan ba
dong chan bong
SECOND CAP TECHNIQUE
Fap: 1. Racks (tan)
Duong-kung-tan (archer)
Tai-am-tan (opposite forces)
Hak-tan (crane)
2. Punching (ladies)
Dam thang hai (straight vertical fist)
Dam-hi-tai (two fists at the same time)
3. Kicks (yeah)
Da-tat (in an arc at the top level)
Da-kan (swing up-inside-out with the heel)
4. Backhand punches (dam baht)
Dam-bat ba (with the base of the fist to the side)
Dam-bat bon (rear side forward)
Kuyen: Ko "Loa Than (Old Loa Fortress)
Fan Don (conditional sparring):
1. Fan-dong tai (hand counterattacks), using dam-thang, dam-mok, dam-lao, dam-muk, and also dam-hi-tai (two fists straight forward)
2. Fan-dong chan (counterattacks with legs), using da-thang, da-dap, da-tat, da-kan Wat: 1. Nhoa Lan (falls and somersaults)
Lon-ba (somersault through three people standing in an inclination)
Tae-bong (side fall)
Front head protection (in variants)
Protection against leverage on the joints (options)
Protection in the "parterre" (options)
3. Dong chan (scissors)
dong chan us
Don Chan Shau
4. Khoa Go (levers on the joints)
Levers on shoulder joint(khoa wai) 5 options
Levers on the elbow joint (khoa-cho) 5 options
5. Kuang (throws and sweeps)
Quang hong (hip throw)
Quang-got thuan-teem (front sweep)
Kuang Shau Goy (knee hook)
Kuang-bat shoy (cutting from inside to outside)
Kuang-wong chyk (iron broom sweep)
THIRD SHAP TECHNIQUE
Fap: 1. Racks (tan)
Kui-tang (on one knee)
Ho-tan (tiger)
Toa-tan (serpentine dragon)
Thu-bin-tan (rooted tree)
2. Punching (ladies)
Dam-thang-ba
Dam-thang-bon
Dam-mok-hai
Dam-muk-hai
3. Kicks (yeah)
Da-mok chyk (from inside out to side)
Da-mok shaw (with a turn back in an arc)
Da-dap-shaw (side turn back)
Dam-bat us
Dam-bat show
5. Striking with the palm (tyem)
Tiem-nam (palm edge from bottom to top)
Tiem-show (palm edge from top to bottom)
6. Blocks (gat)
Gat-nam (circular inside-out)
Gat-show (pressing down)
Kuyen: Ten Secret Messages (Thap-Tu)
Fan-Don (conditional sparring): All previously studied combinations of hands and feet
Shong Dau (freestyle fight): 2 bouts of 5 minutes each Don chan lyk - combinations of techniques (from kuyens Thien-mon, Lien-shon, Ko "Loa Than, Thap-Tu) for 3-8 movements. Practicing in the air and on shells.
Levers on the carpal joint (khoa thai)
2. Kuang (throws)
Throw through yourself with a fall on your back
Shoulder Throw
3. Bop Ko (choking), various options for choking with hands
4. Dong chan (scissors)
Don chan bai
dong chan there
FOURTH CAP TECHNIQUE
Fap: 1. Racks (tan)
Tang kuyen (performing the "form of racks" from start to finish)
Tan-Fap (performing the form of racks with strikes and blocks)
2. Blocks (gat)
Gat-tam (tamping block), two variants
Gat Bai (knee block)
Gat-shin (open hand knockdown block)
3. Palm strikes (tyem)
Tiem-bye (with the edge of the palm back from a turn)
Tiem-tam (palm edge down and back)
4. Backhand punches (dam-bat)
Dam-bat bye
Dam-bat there
5. Kicks (yeah)
Da-hat hai
Da-thang hai
Da-tat hai
Da-mok shaw-hai
6. Elbow strikes (cho) - Cho-mot (in an arc forward)
Cho-hai (aside)
Cho-bon (back at the top level)
Cho-nam (forward from bottom to top)
7. Knee strikes (goy)
The-goy mot (forward straight)
The-goy hi (forward-up)
Kuyen: Long Ho (Dragon and Tiger)
Fan Don (conditional sparring): 12 counterattacks combining blocks, punches, kicks, knees, elbows, throws, sweeps, scissors.
Shong Dau (freestyle): 2 bouts of 10 minutes, each with different opponents.
Don Chan lyk: practicing combinations of techniques (3–8 movements each) from all studied kuyens on implements
Wu Khi (traditional weapon): 8 ways of attacking and defending with the wat knife:
1. Khoa Go (levers on the joints)
Finger levers
2. Nhoa Lan (falls and somersaults)
Te-show (falling back and then jumping up)
Tae-nam (falls with somersaults in different directions)
3. Kuang (throws)
Leg grab throw
4. Bop Ko (choke)
Elbow strangulation
Leg choke
5. Dong chan (scissors)
dong chan shin
Don chan myoi
Don chan myoy mot
Don chan myoi hai
FIFTH CAP TECHNIQUE
Fap 1. Tan-fap (performing the form of racks with strikes, blocks, turns, change of direction)
2. Jump kicks (yes-bye)
Da-bay-thang (straight ahead)
Da-bye-tat (forward in an arc)
Da-bye-dap (sideways)
3. Elbow strikes (cho)
Cho-ba (forward in an arc from top to bottom)
Cho Shaw (top to bottom)
Cho Bai (Outside-In Intermediate)
Cho-tam (back to middle level)
4. Knee strikes (goy)
The goy ba (in an arc from outside to inside)
The goy bon (straight outside-in)
The goy nam (straight inside-out)
Kuyen: Ba-Ho (White Tiger)
Fan Don (conditional sparring): 15 counterattacks combining blocks, punches, kicks, knees, elbows, throws, sweeps, scissors Shong Dau (freestyle fight): 2 bouts of 15 minutes each with different opponents; 2 wrestling matches on the carpet for 5 minutes each.
Wu Khi (traditional weapon): Attack and defense technique with a long stick (8 basic movements), technique of attacks and defenses with a club (8 basic movements)
Wat: 1. Khoa Go (levers on the joints)
Ankle levers (khoa tian)
Levers on the spine (khoa hong)
2. Nhoa Lanh (falls and somersaults) all falls and somersaults on a hard surface, without mats and partner insurance
3. Kuang (throws)
Throws using the momentum of the opponent's movement by gripping the hand (khoa kuang tai)
BLACK BELT TECHNIQUE
Fap: All the basic techniques indicated in this program, in conjunctions from beginning to end, with turns, changing directions and levels. Wat: All learned techniques - Nhoa Lan, Khoa Go, Tu Be, Don Tian, Kuang, Bop Ko Kuyen: in addition to the 6 kuyens indicated in the program, the applicant for the degree of “dai den tuan” must demonstrate 6 more: these are 2 respiratory-energy (arbitrary), 2 with weapons (from The obligatory of these is “Mai Hoa Kuyen” performed with a pole, and the second one can be performed with either two knives or two clubs) and 2 unarmed kuyen, chosen from the following six: “Fyng Hoang” (Heavenly Dragon), “Dong Tu So Bo” (Boy Worshiping the Goddess), “Tam Mon” (Three Directions), “Wang Son” (Thousand Mountains), “Don Bo Ngu Han” (Knowledge of the Five Poems) j), "Nguyen Trung Hoa" (master's name). There are 12 kuyens in total.
Shong Dau: 2 fights of 20 minutes each with different opponents from among the contenders for the black belt Man Kong (breaking hard objects): break a brick with a blow from the edge (or base) of the palm; break a board 2-3 cm thick with a fist and bare foot
Program note: Each time only a new technique is indicated.
The former is repeated and fixed.
"Sky Dragon"
"Boy Worships Goddess"
Part II. Practice. Breathing and energy exercises
Vo-Tao mentors attach great importance to correct breathing. If a student (wo-sen) does not know how to breathe properly, then he quickly gets tired during exercises, and even faster - in battle; takes a long time to restore his strength; cannot remain calm in dangerous situations; not strong enough to strike and poorly holds the blows of the enemy.
Breathing exercises solve two main problems. Firstly, they develop the skill of breathing not from the chest, but from the stomach (“diaphragm breathing”). Secondly, they form the habit of combining breathing with movement. You can talk about breathing for a very long time, so I will limit myself here to just a few remarks (I considered this issue in more detail in the book "Zuongshin", where an entire chapter is devoted to the problem of breathing).
First of all, you should master the basic breathing exercise.
To do this, you need to sit down as shown in the figure, that is, bending your knees and lowering your body on your heels. At first, you will be disturbed by pain in the stiff ankle joints, as well as in the back, but gradually you will get used to it. The exercise is performed as follows:
1. Extend your arms with your palms forward.
2. Take a long elastic breath through us / at the same time clenching your fingers into fists and pulling them to your chest.
3. Press your fists to your belt and hold your breath for a period of 2 to 10 seconds.
4. Fill with air upper part lungs, lifting your shoulders up for this and pulling up your arms.
5. Make a noisy exhalation through your mouth, while stretching your arms forward and unclenching your fists.
6. Hold your breath while exhaling for a period of 2 to 10 seconds. This is the so-called "full breath". The most important requirements for its implementation are as follows:
1) All 4 elements of the respiratory cycle - inhalation, inhalation hold - exhalation - exhalation hold - must have the same duration of time (2, 3, 4 or more seconds, up to a maximum of 10). As fitness grows, the time to complete each of the 4 elements should be lengthened;
2) inhalation is carried out only through the nose (khi-duong), and exhalation - through the mouth (khi-am);
3) exhalation is performed by retraction abdominal wall inside the abdomen and lifting the diaphragm up;
4) to inhale, it is enough to let go of the stomach.
Full breath restores strength and cleanses the body of decay products resulting from metabolism. Having mastered full breathing, one should combine it with exciting (sin-khi) and soothing (thu-khi) breathing. The excitatory (tonifying) effect of breathing exercises is ensured by holding the breath longer on inspiration than on exhalation (for example, on inspiration up to 8 seconds versus 2 seconds on exhalation).
With calming breathing, the opposite is done: the delay on exhalation is 2-4 times greater than the delay on inspiration. Usually, exciting breathing is recommended to be done at the beginning of training, calming - at the end of training. It is advisable to practice full breathing on fresh air in the morning and in the evening. When practicing faps and kuyens, care should be taken to breathe correctly. This means that when retreating, dodging, changing positions, in between moves, you need to take breaths, and all punches, blocks, jumps and attacks should be done on exhalations.
Actually, breathing exercises are reduced, therefore, to a deep pumping of air through the lungs and to its delay there for the complete assimilation of oxygen. As for energy exercises, they require a different type of breathing - very light, shallow (“as if there is no breathing, although it is”). The point is that the main energy exercises not breathing as such, but a mental representation of the movement of energy along the meridians from one energy center to another. Again, without going into the details of this very complex problem, I will briefly explain the scheme for pumping energy in the basic exercise chi kong "small circle" (more detailed instructions can be found in I. A. Krasulin's book "Hard qigong"). (See fig. The path of energy "Khi" in a small circle).
Initial position former. Breathing is shallow, inhale and exhale only through the nose, without any delay, slowly, smoothly.
So, while inhaling, mentally lead “chi” from the nose (the “zu-jiao” point, in the figure it is marked with the letter “i”, through the sternum (the “shan-zhong” point, the letter “k”) to the “dan-dien” area (the “chi-hai” point, the letter “a”). to the chang chiang point in the coccyx (letter "c") Then inhale slowly again and as you inhale, draw the energy "khee" up the spine through the points "ming-men" (letter "g") in the lower back and "ding-tai" (letter "d") between the 6th and 7th thoracic vertebrae(at the level of the heart) to the point "da-juy" (letter "e") between the 1st thoracic and 7th cervical vertebrae.
Then start exhaling again and, as you exhale, draw “khee” from the “da-jui” point through the “nao-hu” (letter “g”) point at the base of the skull and “bai-hui” (letter “h”) on the crown of the head to the point “zu-jiao” (nose). On this, a small circle around the torso and head closes along the central “wonderful” meridian. The whole cycle is completed in two respiratory cycles - two inhalations and two exhalations. With three daily sessions (morning, afternoon and evening) for 15–20 minutes, it takes about three months to master this exercise.
After you learn how to smoothly and without any failures to conduct “khee” in a small circle in two respiratory cycles, you should move on to conducting energy along this path in one respiratory cycle. While inhaling, the “khee” should go from the “zu-jiao” point to the “chan-qiang” point, and while exhaling, from the “chan-qiang” to the “zu-jiao”. It is this cycle that is the basis for using the flow of chi energy in the art of vo-dao.
However, first you need to learn how to complete a circle in two respiratory cycles. A mental image that can help you is something like this: the stomach (dai-dyen) acts as a pump that pumps heat (khee energy from the air, or, more broadly, from the Cosmos) through the nose into the interior. An excess of "khee" in "dai-dyen" causes a feeling of fire in it, which means the energy is ready to rush to other points. Having mastered well the flow of “Khi” in a small circle, they begin to master the methods of directing energy into the shock surfaces of the body, first into the centers of the palms, and then to other points.
About the need to practice the exercises "Khi-Kong" three times a day in one of the old treatises it is said as follows: " When you practice in the morning, you remove the spent “khee” from the body and renew yourself; by practicing during the day, you contribute to the accumulation of “khee”, and by practicing late at night, you train your ability to lead “khee”, making it so that you can pierce a wooden board with one finger ...»
Remember the 5 tasks of chi-kong: absorption of chi from the surrounding space, conducting it through channels from one point to another, directing energy to specific points; its concentration at these points (at first - in "chi-hai" or "dai-dien", which is the same). And, finally, the release of energy from the body for a specific purpose.
An interesting and useful exercise that allows you to combine breathing and energy techniques is practicing the battle cry. Usually they shout with their throats, while it is necessary to “shout with the stomach”, extracting the “khee” energy from there and directing it to the enemy. The art of the battle cry remains unknown in the West. Without delving into this mysterious area, I will name several varieties of Vo-Dao battle cries: the cry of an eagle (used to speed up the attack), the cry of a lion (increases muscle strength), the cry of an owl (scares the enemy), the cry of a dragon (suppresses his will) ...
However, the development of these and other varieties of battle cry without an experienced teacher is impossible. A simpler and more accessible method for connecting air pumping with energy pumping is the practice of the complexes given here: “hard” (energy cycle) and “soft” (ball game).
The general scheme for mastering them is as follows: first you need to learn all the movements that make up one and the other kuyen in order to practice them automatically, without thinking. Movements should be combined with long, deep exhalations through the mouth and the same breaths through the nose. Breathing should be rhythmic, without any delay, but slow. Then, when you learn to do all the movements in combination with breathing, you should focus on pumping energy in a small circle. Thus, three elements are combined in these complexes: movements (postures), breathing (inhalations and exhalations with the stomach), self-hypnosis (figurative representation of the circulation of energy along the middle meridian).
You should start with a “hard” complex, as it is easier to learn (it is called hard because it requires more muscle tension to hold poses than a “soft” one, where there is no static).
ladies short description this kuyen:
"Circulation of Energy" (Wong Sin Khee kuyen)
1. Starting position - feet together, hands at the seams (lap-tan).
2. Raise your arms smoothly through the sides-up, while inhaling.
3. Continuing the movement of the arms in a circle, smoothly lower them down (left palm on top) and at the same time put the left leg to the right (stance chuan-bi). While exhaling.
4. With a swing of the right leg in an arc to the right, sit in the chun-bin-tan stance. Clench your fingers into fists and pull them to your waist. Inhale.
5. The right hand goes palm forward. Exhalation.
6. The right hand comes back, the fingers are clenched into a fist again, inhale.
7. Left hand walks palm forward. Exhalation.
8. The left hand comes back, the fingers are clenched into a fist again, inhale.
9. On the exhale, the transition to the left stance chao-ma-tang. The fingers of both hands are clenched into fists.
10. Return to the chung-bin-tang stance, arms extended in front of the chest forward, palms out. Inhale.
11. Turn to the right to move to the din-tang stance. The left hand goes palm forward, the right is clenched into a fist and is carrying a belt. Exhalation.
12. While inhaling, turning the feet to the left, return to the chun-bin-tan stance. Hands rise up, parallel to one another, palms inward.
13. On the exhale, the transition to a low stance sa-tan-hai.
14. Stand on the left leg, lift up the right knee, as well as the left hand, inhale. Hak-tan stand.
15. Lowering the leg to the ground, go to the Chuan Bi stance. Hands go down, left palm on top. Exhalation.
16. Left leg take back, behind the right, into the sa-tan-mot stance. Inhale.
17. Get down on one knee, in the tai-am-tan stance. Exhalation.
18. Turning to the left, go to the ho-tan stance. Take a breath.
Positions 19–36 are similar to those described above. So, position 19 corresponds to position 9, position 23 corresponds to position 13, and so on.
"Ball Game" (Ki Si Sat kuyen)
Note: the position of the hands can be as shown in these drawings, or the same as the position of the hands in the tan fap drawings. "Soft form" (Ball game) is one of the variants of the well-known complex.
WARM-UP EXERCISES
The approximate time distribution of a 2-hour training session at Vovinam School is as follows:
1. Breathing exercises - 5 minutes
2. Warm-up exercises- 20 minutes
3. Basic technique (fap) - 30 minutes
4. Practice of forms (kuyen) - 30 minutes
5. Fan Don and Wat - 20 minutes
6. Stretches -10 minutes
7. Breathing exercises - 5 minutes
I draw the attention of readers to the fact that this is an approximate training scheme. It may change depending on the conditions. For example, when training with beginners, the time for warming up and mastering the basic technique increases. Starting with the 3rd cap program, freestyle combat (shong dhow) is introduced, etc. Generally speaking, 3 workouts per week for 2 hours each is too little. You either need to train more often (for example, 5 times a week); either do longer workouts (eg, 3 hours), or move part of the training to the morning (eg, stretching, formal exercise practice).
Begin and end your workout with breathing exercises. They improve blood circulation and circulation of internal energy, increase muscle tone(if performed with an inhalation delay) or lower it (with an exhalation delay). And most importantly, at the beginning of classes they make it possible to switch thoughts from everyday fuss to the training process, and at the end they help to relax the muscles. (Ritual bows at the beginning and end of classes in total time are not included).
Warm-up is absolutely essential. Otherwise, injury cannot be avoided. Warm-up exercises (the dyk) warm up the muscles and ligaments, prepare them for intensive work. The better the muscle is warmed up, the less it is subject to traumatic effects when performing swings, punches, jumps and other sudden movements.
There are many sets of warm-up exercises. Here I give the standard complex of the Vovinam school, consisting of 20 exercises (from 30 seconds to one and a half minutes each). There are longer ones (up to 40 exercises) and shorter ones (only 5-10 exercises).
1. Head rotation left and right
2. Rotation of the body in the hip joints
3. Move your arms back and forth (in a vertical plane)
4. Rotation with hands
5. Move your arms back and forth (in the horizontal plane)
6. Rotation of the shoulders forward and backward
7. Twisting the body to the right and left
8. Lateral slopes right and left
9. Push-ups on the fists
10. Finger push-ups
11. In a low squat, rolls to the right and left
12. Rotation of the feet in the ankle joint
13. Bent leg rotation in hip joint
14. Mahi straight leg forward-up
15. Mahi with a straight leg to the side-up
16. Cross twine
17. Longitudinal twine
18. Lifting the body from a prone position to a sitting position
19. Raise of straight closed legs
20. Sitting legs apart, reach the floor with your chest
Of course, each of these exercises is performed with the amplitude that the student is capable of. However, in case of poor flexibility, the correct execution of exercises 11, 14–17, 20 is hardly possible.
Accordingly, it becomes impossible to master the technique of kicks at the upper level, which play a significant role in the Vovinam school. In this case, it is necessary to find time for additional stretching exercises (pumping the muscles of the legs at different angles, persistent attempts to sit on the twine, swinging the legs in all directions, self-massage, vibration massage). It is best to carry out these additional exercises in the morning, after an intensive warm-up and a noticeable warm-up of the muscles. Stretching techniques are similar to those used in karate, taekwondo, acrobatics, gymnastics so I don't consider them here.
Warm-up exercises can also be done in the morning, then they will morning exercises. If you have time and desire, morning classes are advisable according to the following scheme:
Respiratory complex(5 minutes),
Warm up (20-30 minutes),
Form practice (kuyen) 20–30 minutes,
Stretches (10-15 minutes).
Up to 1 hour in total.
Then a warm shower and self-massage of all muscle groups for at least 15 minutes.
BASIC TECHNIQUE - FAP
What is "fap"? As the founding father Nguyen Loc said, "this is the grain from which the whole spike of martial art grows and at the same time its soil." In other words, fap is the basic technique of the school, combined into complexes, where each subsequent movement is a natural continuation and development of the previous one.
In Russian, it is better to speak in the plural - "fapy", since there are several such complexes.
I will name the main ones:
- "tan fap"- technique of racks and transitions from one rack to another;
- "hang fap"- blocking technique with hands and feet;
- "thu fap"- technique of punches;
- "kyk fap"- technique of kicks;
- "chuong fap"- technique of blows and pushes with an open hand (base and edge of the palm);
- "zyk fap"- elbow strike technique.
And there are also complexes of head blows, among which are such as “thiet dau lahan” (bow of an arhat) and “ngyu-dau” (bull horns). There are known combinations of blows with the knee, fingers, body (shoulders, hips, pelvis, stomach), blows and leg grabs in a jump ...
It is possible to fully master the basic technique only if it is transferred “from hand to hand”, from an experienced teacher, attached to the authentic tradition of the Vovinam school, to a diligent and capable student. After all, the basic technique is simple only at first glance. In any technique, in any movement, there are many nuances, for complete description which require a multi-volume library. It is impossible to “reinvent the wheel” every time. That is why the role of a knowledgeable mentor is so important. With it, you can polish the technique of movements to a shine, in full accordance with the classical patterns. But more importantly, such a teacher knows how to connect technique ( outside object) with the management of internal energy "khee". If nothing like this happens, then the student masters the "empty form", not a martial art in the exact sense of these two words, but its imitation. A mirror, looking into which self-taught people correct their technique, cannot replace a real teacher.
In the process of performing faps, technical knowledge is gradually transformed into skills, and then into skills, that is, into automatic motor actions. Thanks to this transformation, consciousness is freed from the problems of choosing one or another specific technique in a duel, and focuses on the ultimate goal - victory.
The subconscious itself “pulls out” the most suitable movements from its storerooms. In order for any technique to be there, it must be repeated in the process of targeted training at least ten thousand times.
Of course, it is absolutely not necessary to perform each of the fap given in the book from beginning to end without a break. A different approach would be methodologically correct - breaking down the fap into a number of connections and working out the techniques that make up them in movement. Such bundles are called "don tyan lyk". For example, a bunch of kicks may look like this: a swing kick with the right leg up (da-hat); then a blow with it straight ahead (da-thang), then a blow in an arc in the upper level (da-tat) and in the end - a side blow (da-dap), followed by a repetition of this bunch with the left foot. Then again with the right, again with the left, and so on for several tens (or hundreds) of times in a row. Similarly, you can split up any fap and combine bundles of basic equipment at your discretion. The pace of performance is slow at first, but gradually it needs to be accelerated to the maximum.
Fap practice - unique method harmonious development of the body and spirit, uniting movement, breathing and thinking into one whole. On the one hand, the development of technology takes place in ideal conditions, since there are no interferences that accompany real fights: oncoming blows, pain, a sense of danger, forced movements. The technique is practiced on the spot and on the move in simple and complicated patterns: in a straight line in a square, a triangle, in a circle, along a broken path. All tricks must be performed in both directions. Various psychophysical methods, revealed by an experienced teacher, allow students to feel the circulation of the “khee” energy in their body precisely in fapah. Gradually, they acquire the ability to throw out an energy wave at the moment of blows and suck it out of space (or from the enemy) after them, recharging the dai-dyen energy center.
As you know, the ideal mental state of a fighter during a fight is an “empty mind”, so that the fap is one of the “paths” leading to its achievement at any desired moment.
They work out the fap "in the air" and on shells. Among the latest in the Vovinam school are hanging stuffed bags (there can be rags, sand, foam rubber inside the bags) and wooden mannequins. Devices such as the Japanese makiwara are not used here. Work on shells in the practice of fap is very important. Only with its help you can "deliver" blows that have a real damaging effect.
During group sessions, all exercises are usually performed in a rhythm set by counting aloud. They count to ten, then start over, so you need to learn the Vietnamese names for the numbers:
One - Mom
Two - hai
Three - Ba
Four - Bon
Five - Us
Six - Shau
Seven - bai
Eight - There
Nine - Shin
Ten - Myoi
FORMAL EXERCISES - KUYEN
The Vietnamese word "kuyen" has the same meaning as the Chinese "taolu", the Korean "poumse", the Japanese "kata" - "template", "matrix", "form". Of all the Russian meanings of this term, the word "form" is the most suitable. So, kuyen is that form of movements, that “choreography” that is characteristic of each traditional school, and which allows a specialist to distinguish them from each other at a glance.
Any kuyen is a combination of stances and movements, strikes and blocks, turns and jumps performed in a strictly defined way, in a strictly defined sequence, according to a pattern established once and for all by its creator. Outwardly, each of the kuyens resembles both a martial dance and an intricate gymnastic complex and some kind of ritual. In a sense, it is. This is a dance that inspires a fighter to a duel with enemies, combat gymnastics that develops motor skills, as well as ritual comprehension of the spiritual and practical essence of the school.
Unlike "fan dong", where there is only one conditional opponent, kuyens represent battle compositions with several imaginary enemies. They can also be called "faps faps", that is, bundles of bundles of basic techniques. How do they differ from each other? The "specific gravity" of certain techniques, the manner of execution, the tactics of conditional smallpox, the duration. By studying kuyens, you learn to fight in different conditions differently. At the same time, the quality of performance of kuyens clearly shows the degree technical excellence fighter and his spiritual maturity.
The meaning of kuyens is diverse. Firstly, it is a unique means of studying the classical technique of the school. In this sense, kuyens of varying degrees of complexity are like steps, climbing which the student masters the compulsory program. If the technique is comprehended correctly, then what you are doing becomes clear to an outside observer. Then he sees a fight with an invisible enemy, and not "catching butterflies" in the air.
Secondly, it is a means of transmitting coded information (“secrets of the school”) from one generation to another and from teachers to students. Mastering such information requires joint efforts and mutual trust. Thanks to this, unity is established between the elders and the younger, and the spirit of long-gone masters is revived again and again. Such a connection is the School.
Thirdly, kuyens are a way of active meditation. Each of them has its own image, character, energy potential. In order to breathe life into the dead scheme of kuyen, it is necessary to dissolve one's "I" in the movements that make it up. Otherwise, one has to observe an “empty form”, in which there is nothing but the external plasticity of the body and naked athleticism.
At the Vovinam school, the main criterion for truth is a real fight.
Practicing kuyens, the adept creates this reality in his psyche and in his movements. Thus, he learns to achieve an altered state of consciousness, which is essential for defeating several formidable opponents. In the future, the initial phase of any of the mastered kuyens becomes the “ignition key”, which ensures the transition to a similar state in a matter of seconds.
In the Vovinam school, dai den tuan (black belt) requires mastering 12 kuyens to perfection. Six of them are mandatory: "Gate of Contemplation", "Mountain Range", "Old Loa Fortress", "Ten Secret Messages", "Dragon and Tiger", "White Tiger".
Thien Mon - "Gate of Contemplation"
"Old Fort Loa"
"Ten Secret Messages"
"Dragon and Tiger"
"White Tiger"
Six more are selected together with a mentor. These are two arbitrary forms without weapons, two kuyens with weapons, and two respiratory-energy complexes.
For a better understanding of the meaning of the drawings depicting kuyens, I will give a brief description of the elements of one of them.
This is a formal exercise. "Mountain Range"(Lien-shon):
Positions-1-3. Ceremonial bow dai-le.
Positions 4–5. Transition to the chuan-bi stance, block with the left hand from the inside to the outside at the middle level (gat-mot).
Position 6. Straight forward punch with a horizontal fist right hand.
Position 7. Direct kick forward with the foot of the right foot (da-thang).
Position 8. With the foot on the ground, the transition to the right-sided din-tang stance and swing to strike with the right hand.
Position 9. Chopping blow with the edge of the palm of the right hand from top to bottom from right to left (tem-hai).
Position 10. With the turn of the feet of both legs to the left, the transition to the chung-bin-tan stance and the abduction of both hands to the left.
Position 11. From this stance, a chopping blow with the edge of the palm of the right hand to the right in the horizontal plane (tyem-mot).
Position 12. With the feet of both legs turned to the right, return to the right din-tan stance and set up a double block with the hands (the fist of the left hand blocks the groin, and the right hand makes an abducting movement with an open palm from right to left).
Positions 13–14. A straight forward strike with the foot of the left foot (da-thang) and a backswing to strike with the left hand.
Position 15. Chopping blow with the edge of the palm of the left hand from top to bottom from left to right (tem-hai).
Position 16. Pushing blow forward with the base of the palm of the right hand (tyem-ba). The left hand locks with the open palm to the right.
Positions 17–19. A turn over the right shoulder by 180 °, with going down to the left knee and setting the block with the right hand in the kui-tang stance from the inside-out-to the right (gat-mot).
Position 20. From the same stance, a forward-upward blow with a horizontal fist of the left hand (dam-thang).
Position 21. From the same stance, a straight forward strike at the middle level with a horizontal fist of the right hand (dam-thang).
Positions 22–23. Transition to the chuan-bi stance, block with the right hand to the right.
Positions 24–40. Repeat elements 6-21 in the opposite direction.
Position 41. The transition to the chuan-bi stance with a simultaneous chopping blow with the edge of the palm of the right hand from right to left horizontally.
Positions 42–44. With the right leg set back and turning to the left-sided din-tan stance, sweeping the block with the edge of the palm of the left hand to the left and down.
Position 45. From the same stance, a straight forward blow with a horizontal fist of the right hand (dam-thang).
Position 46. Direct kick forward with the foot of the right foot (da-thang) with a double block with the hands.
Positions 47–48. Planting the right foot on the ground in the right dan-tan stance and the initial phase of the circular kick with the left foot.
Position 49. Circular kick with the foot of the left foot (da-tat).
Positions 50–51. With the foot on the ground, the transition to the left-sided din-tan stance, a strike with the edge of the palm of the right hand from right to left horizontally, immediately after this, an elbow strike of the left hand from left to right-forward (cho-mot).
Position 52. Turning the head to the right, beginning to turn the body and blocking movement with the right hand to the right.
Positions 53–59. Repeat elements 44-52 in the opposite direction.
Position 60. From the right-hand din-tan stance, a chopping blow with the edge of the palm of the left hand from right to left in the upper level (tyem-mot).
Position 61. With the turn of the feet of both legs to the left, the transition to the left-sided din-tan stance and a long side blow with the vertical fist of the right hand to the left in the upper level (dam-mok).
Position 62. Side kick with the heel of the right foot to the right in the upper level (yes-dap).
Positions 63–65. With the foot on the ground, the transition to the right-sided din-tan stance, a counter strike from the outside-in with the bases of the palms of both hands at the top level.
Positions 66–68. With pulling the right leg back and putting the left to it, the transition to the lap-tang stance and the ceremonial bow to the dai-le.
"Spring Flower"
"Boy Fights Dragon"
CONDITIONAL SPARRING - FAN DON
“Fan don” is the practice of counterattacking actions together with a partner, reminiscent of training kumite in karate (for three, two or one movement). They are built on the principle of "block plus strike". True, upon closer examination, it turns out that we are talking not only about hard blocking, but also about any other movements that allow you to deflect the trajectory of enemy attacks (knocking to the side, dodging, grabbing arms and legs). In addition to strikes, the number of response actions also includes Vat techniques (painful levers, trips, sweeps, throws, chokes).
Compared to the canonized fap technique, fan dong provides complete freedom in the selection of their constituent techniques. Nevertheless, at the initial stages of training, one has to rely on reference samples of defenses and counterattacks. This is due to the fact that students are not yet able to correctly combine their technical actions.
When practicing fan dong, it is necessary to move from combinations using only the arms or only the legs to a combination of both. In most other styles of martial arts, either hand technique (for example, in the Wing Chung school) or foot technique (for example, in all taekwondo schools) predominates. One of the characteristic features of the Vovinam school is that in it punches and kicks are balanced in approximately equal proportions. And also in the fact that, in addition to blows, painful techniques, throws, and suffocations are widely used.
Another important requirement is that from blocking with one hand plus counterattacking with the other (or foot), it is necessary to move on to leading counter strikes, as well as to blocking and subsequent strikes with the same hand. Starting from the level of preparation of the fourth cap, fan dong sparring should be carried out not only with one partner, but also with two or three.
FIGHTING TECHNIQUE - WAT
The fighting technique - in contrast to the shock - is the technique of capturing the enemy for the upper or lower limbs, for the body and neck. After the capture, painful holds are performed on the joints (levers), or throws, footboards, or strangulations. Of course, all these actions can be combined with each other, as well as supplemented with strikes.
However, the wrestling technique of the Vovinam school is not original. Nguyen Lok borrowed it from judo and jiu-jitsu. You should refer to the manuals for these types of martial arts (as well as for Sambo) to study the technique, preparatory and complementary exercises. The exception is leg actions at all levels (from the ankle joints to the neck), which are called "scissors". They are considered a kind of "calling card" of the Vovinam school. In total, the classic heritage includes 21 scissors. Here I have shown 12.
As for falls and somersaults, in Fig. Figures 1-5 show several of the options mentioned in the school curriculum. This was done solely to make it clear what, in fact, is at stake.
Enough detailed description wat techniques can be found in my book The Art of Hand-to-Hand Combat (Viet Wodao Technique).
Application
Don chan 1
Literature
History of Vietnam trans. from Vietnam. - M.: Nauka, 1983. - 302 p.
A Brief History of Vieta per. from wenyan. -M.: Nauka, 1980. - 288s.
Gritsenko Yu. B. Secrets of Gung Fu: Vietnamese Vo-Dao master Nguyen Hong Tu answers 100 questions. - Minsk: Polymya, 1992.-88 p.
Dolin A. A., Popov G. V. Kempo is a tradition of martial arts. M.: Nauka, 1990. - 430 p.
Krasulin I. A. Hard qigong: management of vital energy in the practice of martial arts. - M.: Energoatomizdat, 1992. - 152 p.
Ngo Xuan Binh. Wrestling Nhat-Nam lane. from Vietnam. - Minsk: Ilvos, 1992. Volume 1 -224 s, volume 2 -216 s.
Nguyen Van Dung. Self-defense and combat trans. from Vietnam. - M.: Fighter, 1991-84 p.
Taras A. E. Vietnamese psychophysical health system Duongshin. - Minsk: Moka, 1991. -82s.
Taras A. E. The art of hand-to-hand combat (Vietwo Dao Technique). - Minsk: I + I, 1991. -112 p.
Phan Tuan Chau. Dynamic Vietvodao (in French) - Paris: Sedirep, 1985. - 126 p.
History of Viet Vo Dao in Russia In Russia, officially Viet Vo Dao began to develop since 1991. In Minsk, the Institute of Physical Education hosted the first training seminars led by Vietnamese masters. Viet Vo Dao, Shaolin Hongza Kuen, Thanh Long, Kim Ken, Nyat Nam schools were opened. In 1992, the Viet Vo Dao Association was registered in Moscow. Competitions and training seminars began to be held regularly.
The first competitions were held with minimal restrictions, in full contact, in very light pads on the hands. But gradually, with the growth of the skill of the students with the advent of experienced fighters, the rules changed. Today, there are three types: Vietnamese (old) rules - free fight, knees and elbows are allowed but without a jerk in the grip, you can use throws, without continuing to fight lying down, the highest score for kicks with two legs (Don Tian).
Intercontinental rules - fights are held in boxing gloves, without knees, elbows and blows below the waist.
The rules of the World Federation - the fight takes place in light overlays on the hands. Punches to the head are prohibited.
The first development centers were identified - Moscow, Minsk, Zaporozhye, Gorodets, Nefteyugansk, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar Territory.
In 2002, the All-Russian Federation of Viet Vo Dao was formed. It includes clubs and federations from 46 regions of the Russian Federation.
In May 2003, the All-Russian Festival of National and Non Olympic sports sports. The participation of athletes of the Viet Vo Dao Federation became an ornament and attracted the attention of both spectators and specialists from related martial arts.
In its work, the Viet Vo Dao Federation closely cooperates with the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and is a member of the Russian-Vietnamese Friendship Society.
Vietnamese masters who developed VVD in Russia:
1. Professor of martial arts VVD Nguyen An Dung. He was born in Saigon in 1954. He studied the Vovinam style from early childhood and was one of the best students of Patriarch Le Shang. Since 1971 is a professional trainer;
2. Master Truong Kyong An (4th dan) was born in 1954 in Saigon. He studied with the President of the school, Master Chan Hee Fong (9th dan), who is the director of the Vovinam Institute in Saigon.
3. Master Nguyen Viet Hung. Originally from Hanoi, northern Vietnam. He began studying Vovinam with Professor Pham Duong Binh (7th dan), who was a friend and colleague of the founder and patriarch of the Nguyen Loc school. It was in Hanoi that the martial art of Vovinam was first demonstrated in 1939 at the Bolshoi Theater. In the early 1940s, master Nguyen Lokk continued to spread the Vovinam school in Central and South Vietnam, while Professor Pham Duong Binh remained to teach this type of combat in northern Vietnam. Master Nguyen Viet Hung studied with him for 13 years. In addition to Wovinam, he also trained in Nam Hung Son (South Red River), Con Long Bak Fai (Northern Mountain Dragon Style), Vin Son, Thiye Lam. Based on his 20 years of training in various styles, he created a system that he called "Fon Dong U Wo Thuat Dao Fai (The direction of martial arts and medicine combined with Eastern law."
4. Master Tran Nguyen Dao (5 dan) - President of the Council of Masters of Europe. He introduced many technical developments to the Vovinam school and since 1993 approved his program, which is used in European countries.
At present, in the modern VVD there is a certain gradation of skill, passing levels according to a clearly planned program.
Mastery of traditional weapons begins with a black belt. The official program includes the following weapons: a bamboo pole (kon), a sword (kiem), a wide saber (ma tau), a halberd (dai Dao). The technique of a short stick (mok ban), paired butterfly knives is also being studied. The technique of protecting an unarmed person from an attack with a knife, an ax, from a threat with a pistol is being studied. Unlike the rigid framework of other schools of martial arts, Viet Vo Dao is constantly evolving and enriching with new methods, researching and acquiring the best of the world's martial systems and adapting them to its base.
October 18, 2005 by order of the Federal Agency for physical culture and Sports (ROSSPORT) No. 631 is recognized and included in the All-Russian Register of Sports (VRVS) the new kind sports - oriental martial arts(code -1180001311 Y), according to which, on September 30, 2006, ROSSPORT accredited a member of the Russian Olympic Committee, the All-Russian Union of Public Associations "Russian Union of Martial Arts" (co-chairs - SV Kiriyenko and Yu.P. Trutnev).
As part of the sport of martial arts, the All-Russian Register of Sports and Sports Disciplines (EVSK) has now included VIET VO DAO.
Guide Vovinam Viet Vo Dao RF
Popov Yury Vladimirovich
- President of the All-Russian physical culture and sports organization "Federation of Vovinam Viet Vo Dao of Russia", vice-president of the World Federation of Vovinam. Honored mentor of martial arts of Russia.
Karelsky Sergey Vladimirovich
- Vice-President of the All-Russian physical culture and sports organization "Vovinam Viet Vo Dao Federation of Russia".
