The quintessence of Hue martial arts: The mystery of 'monkey martial arts'

The martial arts world of Hue in the years after the country's reunification (1975) witnessed the emergence of a 'strange' martial arts sect called Hong sect Hau Quyen Dao, founded by a young martial arts master from Hue.

Mysterious birth

The Hong sect of the Monkey Fist as mentioned in the previous article was founded by martial artist Hoang Thanh. This martial art had never appeared before in the martial arts world of our country. According to martial artist Ton That Binh, when he came to pay homage to martial artist Hoang Thanh as his teacher, he did not know where his teacher learned this Monkey Fist because the teacher did not reveal it.

Martial arts master Hoang Thanh when he founded the Hou Quyen Dao sect in Hue.

PHOTO: DOCUMENTS OF MASTER TON THAT BINH

In the document about the martial arts school, martial arts master Hoang Thanh only briefly wrote: "The Monkey Fist sect originated from Tibet, transmitted to Vietnam before the Common Era, by Buddhist "transmission" priests. Monkey Fist is a secret martial art of "Invisible intention" using the "Hong tat thien" slogan which is the origin of martial arts. Accordingly, Hong is inaction, sublimity, color; Tat is the integration of life and death; Thien is the universe, breath, nature. Students who want to achieve the essence of the Monkey Fist need to understand 3 principles. Meditation: Intention - thought - absolute confidence; Qigong: breath - harmony with the universe; Meditation intention: Meditation - dynamic meditation - static meditation. To summarize the spirit of Monkey Fist is Hong tat thien - Invisible intention.

Monkey Kung Fu practitioners practice

Photo: NVCC

Those who practice Monkey Fist must learn both lightness and qigong. Monkey Fist applies the principle of "using softness to overcome hardness", often combining flexible evasion and tricky attacks. The moves in Monkey Fist often target the opponent's vital points, making Monkey Fist one of the most vicious martial arts. "To practice Vietnamese Monkey Fist to its fullest potential, martial artists must practice the joints of the back of the hand very well. The difference between Vietnamese Monkey Fist and other martial arts is the shock-force fighting style (the joints of the back of the hand must be loose, strike quickly and break the joint with the back of the hand when reaching the target). To achieve this fighting style, there is nothing but hard practice", said martial artist Hoang Thanh.

When we asked whether it was because of his natural talent and profound martial arts background that martial artist Hoang Thanh relied on film materials, especially the film Journey to the West, to create the martial art of Monkey Fist, martial artist Ton That Binh said: "Martial arts are secret, how can they be created without someone to teach them?". According to martial artist Ton That Binh, martial artist Hoang Thanh was once assigned to work in the Binh Dien mountain area, at that time he may have had the opportunity to meet a hermit monk on the mountain to teach him. However, because this hermit monk did not want to reveal himself, he did not let martial artist Hoang Thanh reveal anything when he came down from the mountain. Understanding his master's will, martial artist Hoang Thanh was only allowed to found and develop the school but was not allowed to reveal his master's actions.

Big difference of Vietnamese Monkey Fist

Martial arts master Hoang Thanh used to live on Nguyen Khoa Chiem street, An Tay ward, Thuan Hoa district (Hue city), near martial arts master Ton That Binh's house. He opened a martial arts school to teach the martial arts of the Hong sect of Hau Quyen Dao here to many students in Hue. In 1980, martial arts master Hoang Thanh and his family moved to Bien Hoa city ( Dong Nai ) to live. Here, he continued to develop the Hong sect - Hau Quyen Dao Vietnam.

Martial arts master Hoang Thanh ( right ) at the belt promotion ceremony for his student.

PHOTO: DOCUMENTS OF MASTER TON THAT BINH

Thanks to the spirit of continuous research, up to now, Hong Sect - Vietnamese Monkey Fist has been present in many provinces and cities nationwide, with thousands of students. In Dong Nai, this sect has attracted several hundred students. Not only spreading the sect, martial artist Hoang Thanh always seeks to learn and exchange experiences from martial arts systems both at home and abroad. In Bien Hoa, he approached and researched more about karate and became a senior coach, international and national referee of karate.

The Hong Sect - Vietnamese Monkey Fist founded by martial artist Hoang Thanh has a distinct difference from other types of Monkey Fist, such as China's Shaolin or Vietnamese traditional martial arts. The highlight of Monkey Fist is that it is based on the spirit and fighting techniques of monkeys - intelligent and agile animals.

In the Monkey Fist system, techniques such as jumping, tumbling, and catching are exploited to the fullest, combined with gentle techniques, footwork, and body movements. The eyes are an indispensable element, helping martial artists to be sharp and flexible in every situation. According to martial artist Hoang Thanh, practicing Monkey Fist is not only learning martial arts but also the art of hard training - from qigong, lightness to understanding the principle of "using softness to overcome hardness"... Martial artist Hoang Thanh emphasized that Monkey Fist is not only a fierce fighting martial art, but also has health-preserving value, helping learners train both body and mind. With the flexibility and strength hidden in each movement, Monkey Fist becomes a self-defense and comprehensive development sect.

Although living in Dong Nai, martial artist Hoang Thanh still holds the position of head of the sect and manages activities in Hue City, which has the largest number of students in the country. Here, Hong Sect - Monkey Fist Vietnam continues to develop strongly, leaving a deep impression in the martial arts community. With the combination of tradition and international exchange, the sect he founded is not only a symbol of the quintessence of the country's martial arts but also a bridge for cultural exchange. The trips to exchange and teach Hong Sect - Monkey Fist Vietnam have helped him perfect and enhance the value of the sect, both popularizing it widely and preserving its unique characteristics.

Currently, martial artist Hoang Thanh is the head of the karate department of Dong Nai province (under the provincial sports and physical training center). He has 3 children who are all martial artists, working and training karate at the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Dong Nai province. (to be continued)

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tinh-hoa-vo-hoc-xu-hue-bi-an-vo-khi-185250629223530325.htm