Photos

I took that image walking around in the wonderful Hoi An. In a small court there were all that children playin Vovinam Viet Vo Dao, the most common martial art in Vietnam.

*Scanned image*
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Historians of Vietnamese Martial Arts usually trace the roots to Vietnam's origin (first settlement on this territory arised at 2876 B.C.). A more realistic date seems to be about the X-XI centuries A.D. At this time a state was founded in the area of today's northern Vietnam.
The threat of neighbouring Middle Empire constantly forced Vietnam to prepare its troops and, as a result of the problematic but always intimate relationship, numerous details of Chinese state structure, Chinese philosophy, and Chinese culture were adopted. For instance, Vietnam borrowed the Chinese system of state exams. Officials had to be able to use brush as well as sword. The curriculum of military education included, in particular, hand-to-hand combat.
Since the XI century there was an academy of martial arts in the capital, Thang Long city (Hanoi).
This academy prepared master-teachers, who had a diploma of doctor of military science. The most widely known treatise is Linh Nam Vo Kinh (On Vietnamese Martial Art) written in the XVI century.
Of course, martial arts were taught in family schools and in buddhist temples as well.
Many martial arts were created during XVI-XVIII centuries, when Vietnam was separated in several states.
The country was finally united at the beginning of XIX century. But during the period of 1858-1884 Vietnam was conquerred by France and became its colony. During the colonisation martial arts had to be kept underground and were transferred in family schools only, from father to son. Studying was kept secret, students sweared to never use their martial art without serious reason and to not divulge its secrets.
The revival of the tradition in Vietnamese martial arts is connected with Nguyen Loc. In 1938, he founded the first club of Vo Thuat for all interested people.
He named his school Vovinam Viet Vo Dao (often referred to as "the best from Vietnamese martial arts").
In 1945, a first public demonstration of Vovinam Viet Vo Dao took place in Hanoi and subsequently Viet Vo Dao clubs arised in all regions of nothern and central Vietnam. After the death of Nguyen Loc, his successor - Le Sang - organized a big meeting of masters in Saigon for fostering the plan of spreading vietnamese martial arts worldwide.
Nguyen Loc created his school on the base of local schools of Shontei Province and other Vietnamese styles which he studied during extensive travelling as well as on the base of the Linh Nam Vo Kinh treatise. Vovinam is famous for its various kicks - sweeps, blocks, scissors on different levels, jumping kicks, attacks with final jumping on the opponent.

From Martial Arts of Vietnam