rolling techniques in order to avoid getting injured during practice.
Vovinam employs a colored belt system to denote rank, with seven-
teen belts ascending from shades of blue for beginners to the white belt
with blue, black, yellow, and red stripes for the grand master. As with many
martial art systems, the colors of the belts carry symbolic significance. Blue
represents the color of hope, which means that the disciple begins to enter
in the life of a martial artist and to perceive the philosophy of martial arts.
Black represents the color of water, which means that the understanding of
martial arts and its philosophy has started to merge into the body, building
a foundation for the character of the Vovinam disciple. Yellow represents
the color of earth, which means that the martial arts and its philosophy
have permanently become a part of the Vovinam disciple. Red represents
the color of fire, which means that the martial arts and its philosophy de-
velop into a torch that guides the path for the Vovinam’s disciple. White
represents the color of chastity, which means that the disciple’s martial art
and its philosophy have reached the absolute level, and the disciple has also
become the figure of the martial arts discipline of Vovinam.
The major premise of Vovinam’s philosophy is to strive for the bet-
terment of the students, their families, and mankind. The main goals of
Vovinam are as follows: to preserve and develop the martial arts of Viet-
nam, to improve Vovinam by research and creation of new techniques, and
to train students in the strength, techniques, and philosophy of Vovinam.
All the functions of Vovinam are based on an established foundation:
“Take mankind as the end, take character as the goal, and take invincible
will as the means.”
Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao was founded as short-term physical training
that was simple and practical as a tool for the Vietnamese people to use for
their struggle for liberation from the French. As the system matured, a
broader philosophy behind Vovinam was then implemented to become Viet
Vo Dao. Grand Master Le Sang systematized Vovinam techniques to pre-
pare the system to progress from Viet Vo Dao (Vietnamese Martial Arts) to
Nhan Vo Dao(Martial Arts to Serve Mankind).
Prior to 1975, Vovinam was virtually unknown outside Vietnam. The
first Vovinam school outside of Vietnam was opened in Houston, Texas, in
1976 following Vietnamese emigration to the United States after the fall of
South Vietnam to the Communist forces in 1975. In 1980, a German
school was opened. By 2000, the following countries had Vovinam schools:
Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Poland,
Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao’s current
headquarters are located in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam,
and Le Sang remains the grand master of the system.
On August 25, 1999, the first woman was promoted to the rank of656 Vovinam/Viet Vo Dao