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Students show their skills at the Master Phan Tho's martial arts hall. Photo V.T |
Talking about Binh Dinh, the land of martial arts, we also mention Masters living in villages. Coming to these places, we can realize martial arts halls with unique features.
Villages preserving unique features of the land of martial arts
When we leisurely visited villages in Binh Dinh, we were impressed by simple martial arts halls situating in front of or behind houses. Most Districts have such halls.
Master Phan Tho's martial arts hall in Tay Son District is just a corner of the garden, but many people have come here to learn the martial arts. Similarly, Master Ho Sung and Master Lam Ngoc Phu have very simple martial arts halls.
Binh Dinh's famous Masters were once trained at such halls when they were young. Often, they learned the martial arts from their fathers, grandfather before being taught by the others. Master Ho Nhu, for example, began to learn the martial arts at the age of 12. At that time, his mother carefully instructed him each skill; meanwhile, Master Phan Tho sold a cow, which was a fortune of his house, to enroll in martial arts halls.
Follow a tradition
At such halls, the sporting spirit has been passed from generation to generation. "Unlike Chinese martial arts which systematically organised, Vietnamese traditional martial arts become popular. Everyone knows and teach each other," said Master Ho Buu.
It's the popularity that creates martial arts villages in Binh Dinh. This is also the reason why not many secrets exist in Binh Dinh martial arts. "We have no secret. What we know is also known by the others. The difference is that 'practice makes perfect'," said Master Phi Long Vinh.
In Binh Dinh, a Master could learn one or more schools of martial arts. Master Ho Buu, for instance, was the student of two well-known Masters Ho Nhu and Diep Bao Sanh. He was advised to follow many Masters to know the strong points and weaknesses of each school.
Need of rebuilding martial arts villages
At present, there are 93 Masters and traditional martial arts instructors and 4,000 learners in Binh Dinh. The number of martial arts halls, however, is decreasing. The restoration of such halls hasn't paid much attention.
Binh Dinh has many martial arts villages, according to an artist who has visited many festivals nationwide. But they haven't become the destinations in the International Festival of Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts held recently or even the upcoming Tay Son-Binh Dinh Festival 2008.
Such villages will attract more tourists if they are restored. Martial arts competitions which are also attractive to people need to be held at the Festival.
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