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Martial arts master Olivier Barbey, his wife and son practice martial arts techniques in Quy Nhon |
The Son Long Quyen Thuat squad with more than 70 members participating in the 3rd international festival of Vietnamese traditional martial arts left deep impression with unique martial arts techniques. The squad was led by the sect leader Olivier Barbey, a Swiss man practicing martial arts for nearly 30 years.
“Fate” with Vietnamese martial arts
Olivier Barbey had practiced different martial arts sects in his youth but he didn't satisfy with them and wanted to learn any Asian martial arts schools which were performed by the actor Bruce Lee on the screen.
How did you choose Vietnamese traditional martial arts?
When I was 19 years old, I unexpectedly met martial arts instructor Nguyen Duc Moc, the founder of Son Long Quyen Thuat sect, when he was travelling from France to Switzerland to join a martial arts exchanging programme.
I suddenly felt so familiar with him. At that time he was 70 but he was very nimble when performing martial arts skills. All young martial arts practitioners were defeated. Also, he had an inner strength that could push several tall fat martial arts practitioners down with his finger. I was persuaded and then became his disciple.
How could you practice martial arts when he was living in France and you were living in Switzerland at that time?
I worked in a hospital in Switzerland but annually spent 5 months travelling to France to learn martial arts. After 2 years, I was granted a certificate and assigned to teach Son Long Quyen Thuat in Switzerland.
Almost nobody practiced Vietnamese martial arts in Switzerland at that time. However, many decided to practice Vietnamese martial arts later as it is more attractive than other famous martial arts schools thanks to its technical moves, flexible movements and performances with weapons, let alone practical techniques in self-defense.
I have also introduced Vietnamese martial arts into the curriculum at the University of Lausanne (EPFL.Université LAUSAN.NE), a famous university in Switzerland.
Learning Vietnamese martial arts to practice the art of living
What is your motive for pursuing Vietnamese martial arts during 30 years?
Vietnamese martial arts is not only a kind of sport but also a means of practicing the art of living. Martial arts practitioners could learn many good things, a significant way of living from it.
Master Moc arrived in France in 1947 and worked in an automobile factory. Nobody had known he was a martial arts master until he defeated some foreigners who attacked his friends.
When everybody asked him to teach them Vietnamese martial arts, he demanded them to join the peace movements for Vietnam. Many French students were protesting against the Vietnam War so more and more students found him to learn Vietnamese martial arts. Master Moc set up Son Long Quyen Thuat martial arts club then.
The international federation of Vietnamese traditional martial arts was established in France in 1957. The name “Son Long quyen thuat” is dedicated to his homeland, helping people know more about Vietnam.
Perhaps Master Moc has left a deep feeling and impression on you?
I have respected him as my father and he treated me like his child. He always advised that martial arts practitioners have to improve their moral cultivation and get strong and undaunted life but shouldn’t use martial arts to commit any wrongdoings. They must make concessions and have proper behavior
Love between martial arts instructor and practitioners was absolutely banned in his club. However, when knowing the love between me and a French female disciple, he threatened to kill me if I did anything wrong with her.
We got married and have lived happily for 18 years. We are now sharing our passion for Vietnamese martial arts with our 7 year-old son.
Master Moc passed away 6 years ago after being seriously ill. Before his death, he handed over the responsibility as a sect leader to me. His followers and I brought his ashes to his homeland in Bac Ninh on July 20.
“We have learnt many things from Binh Dinh martial arts”
Son Long Quyen Thuat sect has strongly developed in French, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Italy, USA, Algeria. Three martial arts instructors including Olivier Barbey have reached the level 18, the highest level recognized by the Vietnam traditional martial arts Federation.
When did the Son Long Quyen Thuat sect begin to establish the relationship with Binh Dinh traditional martial arts?
Master Moc always encouraged us to practice Binh Dinh martial arts. He took me and some martial arts practitioners to Binh Dinh and stayed there for 2 months to practice Tay Son martial arts in 1998.
Binh Dinh physical training and Sports Department assigned many experienced martial arts instructors such as Dinh Van Tuan, Nguyen Van Canh to help us. At that time we also met and learnt more from other famous martial arts instructors in Binh Dinh.
Since then, Son Long Quyen Thuat has always maintained a heart-warming relationship with Binh Dinh traditional martial arts through exchanging activities. We have also invited some Binh Dinh martial arts instructors to go to French to teach more.
How did your experience contribute to the training programme at Son Long Quyen Thuat School?
Master Moc collected the quintessence of different martial arts sects and combined with experiences he got after two months in Binh Dinh to form an own training programme for his Son Long Quyen Thuat school.
We have learnt some original Binh Dinh martial arts, particularly the Song Phuong Kiem technique of the female general Bui Thi Xuan. Only my wife, martial arts instructor Sarah Barbey, could thoroughly comprehend and perform it well.
At the international tournament of Vietnamese martial arts held in Ho Chi Minh City, she also won the gold medal when performing Lao Ho Thuong Son kata which was taught by martial arts instructor Nguyen Van Canh.
As an experienced martial arts master, could you tell us how to make the propagation of Vietnamese martial arts abroad become effective?
Not all foreigners have opportunities to practice Vietnamese martial arts in Vietnam. More experienced martial arts instructors should be sent abroad and martial arts talents must be nurtured for further development of Vietnamese traditional martial arts.
I think the propagation of Vietnamese martial arts should focus on the quality rather than quantity. To effectively propagate Vietnamese martial arts abroad, it is important to help foreign martial arts practitioners catch up with the development of martial arts in Vietnam.
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