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Vol. 3 & 4 9 / 2001 |
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VOVINAM
THE HIGH SPOT IN
MY LIFE
Whenever you are thinking about joining a martial arts
training school there are some very close considerations that you must take
into account. First how long has the
Master studied and how long has he taught.
Second how are the students, this should really be the first
consideration. The reason that I say
this is because if you really want to know how well the master is check out his
high level students. This will tell you
how good of an instructor he is. When I
was invited to attend a Vovinam class held in Master Tam Huynh’s house I was
impressed by the number of students present on that Saturday morning. However I was not firmly convinced that this
was where I belonged. So I just watched
and watched and watched. I actually
watched for about one full month, what was unique about this was that Master
Tam allowed me to watch without participating and without saying that I would
join. This is unique because most
instructors and especially a master would not allow you to watch a class longer
than 15 minutes and they definitely would not let you continue to come back
without paying some money or stating that you were committed to join.
I finally joined
and I am very happy that I did, because not only did I become part of a
beautiful martial arts family I became a part of a beautiful family. What was most shocking to me was that this
man was offering these classes free of charge and inside of his house, he had
more than 100 students in his training room in his living room, bedroom and
even outside in the backyard. Now this
presented some challenges because a neighbor with nothing better to do than to
call the police started complaining stating that Master Tam was running a
business out of his house. This almost
killed the dream of our Master to continue in the education of the youth in the
Vietnamese culture as well as help them in their adjustment in the United
States. Master Tam was featured in the
Charlotte Observer for this work with the youth and was given the full use of
all park and recreation facilities by our Mayor Pat Mccrory when he was made
aware of the situation. You see there
really is a silver lining in every dark cloud.
Because of some jealous neighbor we were given an even better deal and
that is an answer from God to our prayers that we would be able to carry on our
training.
This is what has
cemented me so deeply in this art form.
The commitment that he has shown for the art, the culture and the youth
makes me wish that I were as committed to something half as deep as he is. Master Tam quite often pays the way, along
with his beautiful wife Master Ha, for the trips that we take he pays for the
vans and for the competition and will never ask you for a dime. However if you want to donate some money to
one of the many charities that he supports he is willing to accept it because
this is a man that is doing the work of God here on earth. And he is such a humble man; he would chop
me if he knew that I was writing this about him so you all do not tell him,
this is our secret so shut your mouths!
How many of you can say that you have opened up your homes and given
away your savings even when you did not have it to give. I bet that it is a very few of you.
Now when I came to
train I was already training in Capoeira, which is a style that comes from my
homeland of Ghana, Africa. I had been training in Taekwondo and T’ai Chi and
other styles however I was willing to give them up to have an opportunity to
train with a man that was so committed to what he believed in. Again what was more impressive was the
commitment and spousal support that he received from Master Ha. He does not get as much community support
that many of you get and may not have the money that you have and receive, but
his heart and his love is big enough to fill the largest bank in any city in
these United States. Now how many of
you can say that about any man who has an opportunity to do more in his day
work as a pharmacist but will not do it so that he may devote that time to
working in the thing that he loves the most... his beloved Vovinam and the
Vietnamese culture.
I know
that I started off writing this article about me, but me me me is dull dull
dull and wouldn’t you like to here about someone who has done so many unnoticed
and unrecognized things? If I did not
see him on a regular basis I would swear that he was at least 6 feet tall
because to do all that he has would seem to require that a man have a stature
much larger than his. Is it not true
that they say that big things come in small packages? Master Tam... small in size humongous in
deed!
Now, because of
him I ask myself daily when am I going to start to live to my full
potential. When will people start to
speak of my name with reverence? You
see Master Tam and Master Ha are two people who will always hold a high spot in
my life. They do not know this but I am
going to start training harder than ever so that I may go to Vietnam and
receive the third stripe on my yellow belt.
And I am stating right here right now that I will never leave this
martial arts style Vovinam is getting into my blood. After all that is why I have two “red” stripes on my yellow belt!
In my self
training tapes that I listen to daily as I strive daily to find out how to
become successful, they suggest that you find a successful man or woman and
copy them. So that is why I am now
patterning my life after this great man.
What, my friend will be your legacy because this man is creating his
everyday what will they say as they eulogize you? Here lies this man who was a good or even great martial
artist...too bad he did not impact the world in any other way? I know that it will not be that way as they
speak about me and I know that they will not say it about my father Master Tam
Huynh.
This man gave me
an opportunity to change the world in my own little way when he allowed me to
sit and watch and watch and you see my friend we all have an opportunity to
impact the entire world in our own little way.
What will be yours? Thanks to
Master Tam and Master Ha’s example I will now work at the Crossroads Charter
High School teaching Vovinam as a part of the high school curriculum. Now isn’t that wonderful? This is something that I have worked on for
the last five years and dreamed of and meditated on and now look at the beauty
of God’s creation as this dream is now brought into fruition and I will now
teach our wonderful Vovinam in a high school setting daily.
So now here I sit
on the verge of visiting Vietnam, given the chance to sit at the foot of our
Grandmaster. I also have a chance to
travel to Paris, France next year, 2002 he and I have even discussed visiting
Thailand and China. Traveling to spread
the teachings of our founder Great Grandmaster Nguyen Loc. Here I am a black man in an art form that
was created by the Vietnamese accepted into the fold and given the opportunity
to allow it to spread into my community.
Although some of the movements are similar to my beloved Capoeira I was
so happy to try a form that was so new.
I fully believe in Bruce Lee’s teachings that you should be
formless. The great Master Lee said
that you should be formless like water.
He said that if you were to pour water into a cup it becomes the cup,
that if you were to pour water into a teapot then it would become the teapot he
said to be formless my friend. You see
Master Lee studied several styles although his heart was with Wing Chun he
became proficient in stick fighting and Muay Thai, American boxing, grappling
Kalis Silat and various other forms.
Now I am not encouraging any of you to go out today and study other
things because your mind may not be able to differentiate the moves, but what I
am suggesting to you is that after you have a very good grasp of Vovinam you
may consider adding to your studies. I
just two weeks ago start training with a master from Thailand in Muay Thai
kickboxing. I said all of this because
there is a move that we do in Vovinam, it is left-hand long punch and the
defender goes back and sweeps around the attacker putting his right knee behind
the attackers left and with his elbow right below the navel at the tantien and
the left hand punching at the groin.
The defender then swings around to the right and uses his knee to lift
the attacker up and down simultaneously.
This will crash the attacker to the earth. This is similar to Capoeira because we use a lot of crouching
moves to evade the attack and then we sweep back in with great ferocity
devastating the aggressor. There are
many moves that we do in Vovinam that are done in Capoeira the scissor locks to
the neck are done in African martial arts quite often. So I know that somewhere some moves of
Capoeira and Africa have been incorporated and I believe that is the reason why
I feel so at home here in this art form.
I believe that some moves, techniques of other forms were used as well
because there are very few “pure” martial arts. Capoeira Regional has Taekwondo kicks in it and Japanese
grappling that later became the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu that is so famous from the
Ultimate Fighting Championships.
So with all that I
have said and it is a mouthful I believe that my meeting this great man was not
a mistake. I believe it is a part of
Gods greater plan that at this time I cannot even comprehend. And I do believe that we will soon know what
this plan is. We here in Charlotte,
NC. Are on the verge of creating
something great, Vovinam is on its way into the school system... 5 years of
hard work and dreaming has finally paid off.
This is something that I have wanted for so long and to have a chance to
introduce it fully into the mainstream of America... Wow!!!
So again I say to
anyone that is considering going into the martial arts. Check out the school the students and most
of all check out the instructors and the master and check out Vovinam if you
want to learn more than just how to kick and punch. I came here to learn how to kick and punch to add to what I
already had and I am now so pleased with how my master has checked out I do not
think that I lost anything I think that I have gained the world. I feel more and more daily that I belong in
the Asian community.
So what do you
think? Does Vovinam check out for you
have not experienced it yet? What about
those of you who have been in the class for at least two years? Believe me you haven’t seen nothing yet;
wait until you have been around for at least three years. It only gets better!!!
So as I say to you
all of the time train hard but most of all train smart.
Inst. Rick White.