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Text and photos:Photographer Dao Tien Dat (EVAPA, EFIAP…)
Held every two years since its first edition in 2006, the International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts Festival in Binh Dinh is an opportunity for martial arts masters, students, and enthusiasts of Vietnamese traditional martial arts from Vietnam and around the world to "return" to the ancestral land of martial arts. Most recently, the 4th International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts Festival in 2012 in Binh Dinh brought together approximately 1,500 martial arts masters and students from 69 delegations representing 27 countries and territories, along with 28 domestic martial arts delegations. Regardless of race or nationality, all participants blended together in their love of martial arts, showcasing the exquisite techniques of their respective schools in a spirit of exchange and learning.
Tracing history, through time and the intermingling of various martial arts styles, the superiority of each technique and school of martial arts was distilled. During the Tay Son period (1778-1802), Vietnamese traditional martial arts flourished, flourishing brilliantly and developing into a comprehensive system used for training, competitions, and combat against foreign invaders. It is deeply moving to witness martial arts masters and students from French, Italian, and Russian delegations respectfully lighting incense and bowing before the shrine of the Tay Son Three Heroes. Only then do we understand the love and allure of Vietnamese traditional martial arts, the driving force that helped them overcome geographical and linguistic barriers to gather for a martial arts festival in Binh Dinh – the birthplace of the national hero Quang Trung – Nguyen Hue, the emperor revered by generations of Vietnamese traditional martial arts schools as their founder.
Thanks to investment in upgrading the facilities of martial arts schools and building roads to the famous martial arts centers of Binh Dinh province, international martial arts delegations have the opportunity to exchange and showcase their skills during the festival, thereby opening up the potential for developing a unique type of tourism: martial arts tourism! People can see the elderly martial arts master Phan Tho (Tay Son), now over 80 years old, demonstrating the powerful Five Claws technique as if in his youth! The famous Thuan Truyen whip technique, once a legacy of the late Grand Master Ho Ngạnh who dominated the martial arts world, is preserved and taught to students by Master Ho Sung.
The young women of Hoa My village, Binh Thuan commune, Tay Son district, performed whip dances at an international exchange event at Ho Sung martial arts school, reminding the audience of a famous folk song from the past.Roi Thuan Truyen, An Thai styleGreat!Boys from An Thai, girls from An Vinh.The Le Xuan Canh martial arts school (An Nhon) with its chess pieces being martial arts students in a "human chess" game is a unique creation in the traditional Binh Dinh martial arts tradition, blending martial arts with culture and culture. The monks of Long Phuoc Pagoda in Tuy Phuoc district, who spend their days chanting scriptures, suddenly transform into martial arts masters, their exquisite moves captivating and astonishing the audience. Endless applause erupts as the martial arts masters from the Italian International School of Martial Arts perform acrobatic leaps and bounds like arrows at the Long Phuoc Pagoda Club.(This series of photographs won second prize in the Photographic Journalism Awards (PSA) in 2012).
Anyone who goes to Binh Dinh should see it.
The girls of Binh Dinh abandon the whip and embrace martial arts.
This ancient folk verse serves as a unique symbol of the martial spirit of the people of Binh Dinh.
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And it's easy to understand why female martial artist Valeriya Ryabova, from the Jing Wu Dao school (Russia), on the night of her coronation as Miss International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts 2012 at the closing ceremony of the International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts Festival, confided:The allure and sacredness of visiting the land considered the cradle of Vietnamese traditional martial arts motivated me to attend the next three festivals."
