It is hard work, time-consuming and laborious, but no one feels bothered because they consider it their responsibility to join hands in preserving and spreading ancient martial arts techniques and moves that are facing the risk of being lost.
Don't let it slip into oblivion
At the end of 2024, a training course on martial arts of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups took place at the Cao Bang Ethnic Boarding School. This event was organized by the Department of Physical Education and Sports , the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation in coordination with the Cao Bang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The class featured martial artist Nong Trang, from Lam Dong, to popularize the Long Quyen martial art of the Tay people, which was thought to have been lost, which was truly a notable highlight.
Not many people know that this was the return trip of this old martial artist. Master Nong Trang's father was from Cao Bang. Born and raised in Lam Dong, for Master Nong Trang, the deep image of Cao Bang remained through his father's stories, and especially the Tay people's Long Quyen martial art that his father taught. Later, even after opening the Nong Trang martial art school, he only taught other traditional martial arts and martial arts moves, unrelated to Long Quyen. This martial art was only taught to his son.
In October 2024, a martial arts researcher, during a meeting with martial arts master Nong Trang, learned about the ancient martial arts Long Quyen. The researcher reported to the President of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation, who is also the Head of the Department of Sports and Physical Training for Everyone (Department of Sports and Physical Training) Nguyen Ngoc Anh. Immediately, Mr. Ngoc Anh directed to contact martial arts master Nong Trang to ask for permission to bring the ancient martial arts to the community to avoid losing it. After that, people from the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation came to martial arts master Nong Trang's house to discuss the issue and the martial arts master agreed. And that was the basis for a training session to deploy the martial arts of the Tay and Nung ethnic groups in Cao Bang last December. According to martial arts master Nong Trang, at first he only wanted to pass on the Long Quyen martial arts to his family members, but then he was convinced that the martial arts needed to be preserved, the best way was to bring the ancient capital back to Cao Bang land.
The story of the Long Quyen form of martial arts master Nong Trang's family is just one of many examples that can be given to warn about the risk of losing ancient martial arts. According to the Chief of Office of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation, Tran Viet, there are currently many "hidden" traditional martial arts forms that need to be brought to the community - the best way to preserve them. Many martial arts masters currently teach martial arts in a "father-to-son" style or only teach ancient martial arts to a small number of students. The narrow-range teaching style, "father-to-son" style, can be interrupted for some reason, leading to the loss of the martial art. There are also cases where the person being taught does not focus on the martial art because he is busy worrying about "food, clothing, rice, money", gradually forgetting that he is the only one holding the essence of a valuable martial art...
At the same time, taking on the role of Deputy Secretary General of the Hanoi Martial Arts Association and doing a lot of research on traditional martial arts in the capital, Tran Viet, Chief of Office of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation, said that in Hanoi, many schools still preserve their original martial arts exercises. However, the risk of these exercises being lost is always present, despite the Hanoi Martial Arts Association's great efforts to preserve them. In recent performances of the Hanoi Martial Arts Association, the Organizing Committee always includes original exercises (optional exercises) in the competition content to motivate schools to maintain their "signature" martial arts exercises. In fact, the Hanoi Martial Arts Association has successfully popularized the "Mai Hoa Ngu Lo" exercise - a martial art that martial artists in Hanoi often say that if you study Vietnamese martial arts, you must know. The Hanoi Martial Arts Association has included "Mai Hoa Ngu Lo" in the regular competition system and thanks to that, more and more people practice this exercise.
In fact, many ancient martial arts are lost and need to be urgently restored. Currently, the Hanoi Martial Arts Association is restoring long sword techniques, which were once the fighting weapons suitable for the Vietnamese people. The task is not simple, because many original sword techniques are almost “broken into pieces”, because each person who receives the teachings can only remember a little bit.
Similarly, the “Song ho vi con” form is currently only preserved by a few people in Hanoi, including the son of the late martial artist Tran Cong (Son Dong Khong Dong sect). Then there is the “Song ngu” form - using 2 fish-shaped weapons worn on the hands to fight, very “strange” - currently only practiced by a few sects, including Thieu Lam Hong Gia, Dong Do Viet Vo Quyen... or the “Song nguyet” form is also not practiced by many people.
Widespread dissemination is the best way to preserve
Currently, the Department of Sports and Physical Training is coordinating with the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation to implement a project to restore ancient martial arts. In Hanoi, the Hanoi Martial Arts Association is also working hard to revive and spread ancient martial arts. In Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Dinh... there have also been and are similar positive movements.
That is a good sign. President of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation, Head of the Department of Sports for All (Department of Sports and Physical Training) Nguyen Ngoc Anh shared that the decision of martial artist Nong Trang to widely share the Long Quyen form to practitioners in Cao Bang is truly commendable. “That is the motivation for us to continue to plan to spread other traditional martial arts forms to the community in the future. Of course, this is the story of many people, many parties” - Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh said.
The idea has been formed, the passion is clear, the problem is finding a way to spread the valuable capital in a sustainable way. According to Tran Viet, Chief of Office of the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation, the digitization of martial arts is mainly for preservation purposes. The problem is still bringing martial arts to the community, the more people practice the better. Only then can the vitality of traditional martial arts be restored.
Of course, whether or not that work will bring about the expected success depends on the beliefs of those who are holding the ancient martial arts forms that are at risk of being lost. According to Mr. Tran Viet, asking for permission from the sect to teach their “secret” forms to many people is not simple, especially when the belief that martial arts forms should only be taught to people in the sect or to family members is deeply ingrained in the traditional martial arts community.
Not to mention, the restoration requires a lot of effort. The practitioner must not only search for a good teacher - often in hiding - to learn from, but also research and compare to find the reasonableness of what the martial artist tells.
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, the story at the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation and the Hanoi Martial Arts Association is still full of plans to restore, preserve and bring ancient martial arts to the community. As the insiders say, it is also a career, a responsibility to preserve and promote the quintessence of martial arts left by the ancients, which cannot be abandoned.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/ben-bi-dua-vo-co-truyen-den-cong-dong-691728.html
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