Võ in Viêt Nam
The historical chronicles and the legends tend to prove that Võ has been practising in Viêt Nam for more than two thousand years. As Võ was constantly bound with the history of this country a lot of heros merged through it and entered the legend, so were the Trung sisters in 40 AC or Nguyen Huê who led the Tay Son insurrection in 1789. With thousands of years of fighting Võ is really a treasure of Vietnamese cultural heritage. All different styles of the country, each area in Viêt Nam having its own Võ Masters and schools were unified in a National Võ Federation whose name is Võ Dan Tôc Viêt Nam Federation. This Federation has one Master for each area, which makes ten Masters for the National Comity. One of them is Master Nguyên Duc Môc, President of the French Federation and of the International Federation, to which belongs the Swiss Association.
Birth of Võ Viêt Nam
Võ was introduced in France more than thirty years ago by Master Nguyên Duc Môc who created the Võ Viêt Nam Federation in 1957. He had the idea to associate the word "Võ", which means fighting art, with the "Viêt Nam" one to popularise a name which was not already known: at this time one was only talking about Indochine, Ânnam, Tonkin, Cochinchine... For thirty years Master Nguyên Duc Môc taught to many students from different countries of the world. Then it was their turn to teach out of France what they have learned and they formed in 1988 with Master Nguyên Duc Môc the International Võ Viêt Nam Federation (FIVV) to which belongs Algeria (FAAVVDA), France (FFVV), Switzerland and the Võ Dan Tôc Viêt Nam Federation (LDVDTVN).The International Federation gives international diplomas which are accepted and signed by the Olympic Comity of Viêt Nam, the Võ Dan Tôc Viêt Nam Federation and Master Nguyên Duc Môc himself. In 1990 the polish federation of martial arts joined the FIVV to allow this discipline to set itself on the ground of Old Europe.
Taos are executed for many generations to preserve the style. Võ is of course a fighting art but it also shows plenty of very elegant moves which are strongly inspired by observation on animals. It is a rich and complete martial art needing long time learning which cannot be reduced to two or three moves with feet or fist. Võ Viêt Nam as it is taught possesses 18 categories of fighting with hand or weapons, the basic style being always hand fighting. Technics with hands show 108 basic moves. It is of course possible to practise Võ Viêt Nam for women, men and children.
Some elements about Võ Viêt Nam
Võ Viêt Nam possesses 18 styles: technics with hands, technics with traditional weapons like short stick, long stick, lance, sword, guisarme and so on. Training is supervised by the Master or by a graduated teacher. First the student has to learn to hit with his hands and legs, but he also sees projections and several ways of catching. Only after a long period of learning the study with traditional weapons and higher technics can begin. But at this stage the student has to develop together both technical and moral values. Intelligency, modesty, courage, patience and honesty are essential values, without which practising Võ can become dangerous for others or for the student himself.