Dao Hong Son (center) suffers defeat against the athlete from host country Thailand - Photo: THANH DINH
At the 33rd SEA Games, despite facing significant disadvantages from changes in weight classes and competition events, the golden boy of Vietnamese jujitsu maintained his optimistic spirit, carrying with him the aspiration to spread his love of martial arts to the community.
Challenges on Thai soil
Arriving in Thailand, Dao Hong Son brought with him two consecutive gold medals from previous Games and the world championship belt in the 56kg weight class.
However, his journey to defend his title this time was more challenging than ever when the host country removed his preferred 56kg category. Son was forced to move up to compete in the 62kg fighting category instead of his specialty newaza (which focuses on grappling and ground fighting).
Sharing his feelings after the heartbreaking loss to the home athlete from Thailand yesterday (December 10th), Dao Hong Son could not hide his disappointment.
"At that moment, I had the advantage, but after the VAR check, I lost points. I lost points in that situation, then I rushed in to retaliate but ended up losing," Dao Hong Son recounted.
Competing in an event outside his specialty prevented Dao Hong Son (right) from winning a gold medal at the SEA Games - Photo: THANH DINH
Competing in the 62kg weight class with a height of 1.49m was truly an uneven battle. While his opponent had a long reach and a height advantage to maintain distance and land striking blows, Son struggled to get close enough to execute grappling techniques.
"This is a new event and a new weight class; it's not my forte. I feel like someone who's used to wrestling has switched to karate. The opponent only needs to win with one punch, one kick, and one takedown to win. No matter how I fight to score points, I'm sure to lose, unless I win by knockout," Sơn analyzed his defeat.
Despite facing numerous disadvantages, from his physique to the referees' decisions, "The Little Devil" maintained a professional attitude and respected the game. He admitted: "The host country always chooses events where they excel. I've done my best, and I've fought hard."
Aspiration to spread Jujitsu
Not only is Dao Hong Son a high-achieving athlete, but he is also known as a "KOL" (Key Opinion Leader) in the martial arts community. With hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, he has been bringing the image of jujitsu and traditional Vietnamese wrestling closer to the public.
Dao Hong Son won the bronze medal in the men's 62kg jujitsu event - Photo: THANH DINH
Hailing from the cradle of traditional wrestling in Trieu Khuc village (Hanoi), Son hasn't forgotten his roots. He regularly participates in village wrestling festivals at the beginning of spring, both to preserve traditional culture and to earn extra income and bring joy to the villagers. Videos of him competing, sharing techniques, or sharing fun everyday moments with his wife have helped dispel the stereotype of martial arts being dry and uninteresting.
At the 33rd SEA Games, although the chances of winning gold in the 62kg fighting category were slim, Dao Hong Son still had goals ahead in the 62kg newaza and team events.
"The 62kg New Zealand weight class is an extremely tough challenge because the world-class competitors in this weight class are very strong. But I will try my best to compete, win each fight one by one, and give my all for my country," the 27-year-old fighter affirmed.
Regardless of the outcome at this tournament, the image of a fighter who is only 1.49 meters tall but dares to face taller and bigger opponents, dares to step out of his comfort zone to compete in an event outside his area of expertise, is already a victory in the hearts of the fans.
That is the spirit of jujitsu – using softness to overcome hardness, using smallness to overcome largeness – which Dao Hong Son has always aspired to convey.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/quy-lun-dao-hong-son-and-the-desire-to-bring-jujitsu-closer-to-the-audience-20251211112902458.htm
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