Is Vovinam effective? A look at the Vietnamese martial art

Does Vietnam have its own martial arts & what are the Vietnamese martial arts called?

Vovinam is the name of a Vietnamese martial art that originated in the country during the uprising against the French occupation in the 1930s. The art combines a variety of moves and is mostly based on striking and weapons. Supposedly, the creation of the art was inspired by some of the more ancient Vietnamese fighting techniques that tie in with Kung Fu. Because of this, it has drawn comparisons with Karate and Hapkido at times but also has its own identity. Due to being a fairly modern martial art, the question often gets asked, is Vovivam effective?

Founded by Nguyễn Lộc, the original idea was to teach Vietnamese people to fight and defend themselves from attack. As the 1930s were a particularly testing time for Vietnam, it made sense given the context. Although it may be modern by traditional martial arts standards, like many arts from the region it has origins deeply rooted in Kung Fu which is where the Karate style comes from. Below we shall look at the art in greater detail and judge its effectiveness.

What is Vovinam then?

As said, it’s kind of like Karate with a twist. Like Karate, it has a focus on hard and soft techniques which means it can be practiced at a high or low intensity, depending on the preference of the individual. However, unlike most forms of Karate, it also has a greater emphasis on weapons. Of course, some Karate groups do train with weapons but this is far rarer than Vovinam. Having said this, Vovinam itself doesn’t always use weapons and this also depends on what school you train at.

It isn’t just Karate that Vovinam is compared with. Sometimes it can also be viewed as similar to Hapkido. This is due to its emphasis on weapons and also certain takedowns. For instance, one of the signature moves in Vovinam is the flying scissors takedown. Also featured in other martial arts, this is when your legs jump and scissor into the one leg of the opponent. It can seriously damage the knee ligaments and break legs if done with enough force.

Typically the weapons used in Vovinam are long and short-range weapons such as poles, knives, and various other blades. Often, these would be a common weapon of choice back in the 1930s, albeit some of these weapons are rare by today’s standards. The idea behind weapon training wasn’t just to attack, but it was also to defend. Because of this, Vovinam also has a big emphasis on dodges, footwork, and blocking.

Like other martial arts, Vovinam also features a gi which is typically blue and it also has a belt system. Although this didn’t feature for the first 30 years of Vovinam due to Vietnam’s ban on martial arts, it is common practice today. It also has a belt system which again is typical for most martial arts that use the gi.

There are four belts to be earned in Vovinam, this starts with blue, then yellow, then red and ends with the white belt. Interestingly, most martial arts start with at white belt whereas this is the final belt in Vovinam. For those who wear the white belt, it means that not only have they mastered the physical art, but they have also improved their spirituality along the way.

So, is Vovinam effective?

The answer to this question isn’t simple and can be a combination of yes and no. For instance, whilst Vovinam has lots of practical applications to real self-defense, it also has some negatives that need to be addressed. Firstly, some of the striking that it teaches is fine and is certainly effective. For example, head kicks and punches with the right technique are always going to make you a better fighter so that is a given. Elsewhere, other benefits such as general athleticism and strength will also improve your ability to fight. Not only this but some of its weapon defense can also be applied towards defending against an aggressor.

However, Vovinam is not without its faults either. Perhaps the biggest criticism leveled at the art is the lack of sparring. It should be noted that this depends on the gym as some features full-contact. However, if any martial art does feature regular sparring then it can be questionable in terms of efficiency. For example, it’s widely acknowledged that sparring is a good way to sharpen your skills and pressure test them.

Secondly, one issue with Vovinam is the use of weapons. For example, these days you’re rarely going to get attacked by a long, thin staff or a fan. Back in its day, these would have been common tools to fight with and against, whereas now the reality is other weapons such as smaller blades are more common. Whilst Vovinam does offer practical skills against more modern blades and weapons, it lacks realisticness against certain weapons.

Perhaps the best way to skill-test your Vovinam skills is by entering a Vovinam competition. Although these competitions aren’t that common, they do happen around the world and are mostly seen in Vietnam. Here, you will fight an opponent who is fully resisting. Combined with the adrenaline of the competition match, you can really see where your skills stand in terms of striking and defending when faced against an opponent.

Focus on the fundamentals of Vovinam

Like all martial arts, it can be easy to get carried away with flashy moves that lack real-life applications. For instance, there are some moves found in Vovinam that seem more choreographed rather than legitimate. For example, some of the flying moves may look cool, but you have to question whether they can be performed against a fully resisting opponent. As has been mentioned previously, some of the weapon training is probably more of a homage to the older days of Vietnam.

Because of this, if you are to train in Vovinam, the idea should be to focus on the fundamentals. The same can be said for any martial art as nothing is perfect. With this in mind, for Vovinam to be effective, you should try to spar as much as possible, as well as train using weapons that you believe you may realistically encounter. Regarding strikes, it’s good to train the basic stuff.

For example, a flying scissor kick may not be useful in combat, whereas a regular front kick may provide better results. This means it’s ideal to approach Vovinam with a realistic, healthy attitude based on realism. Of course, it’s good to be open-minded but at the same time, you should also avoid some of the gimmicky techniques that Vovinam can sometimes offer.

Final Thoughts

Vovinam isn’t a perfect martial art, nor does it claim to be. However, under the right teacher and environment, it can undoubtedly offer effective moves that work in a real fighting environment. As we’ve mentioned, it certainly has its flaws but then again most forms of martial arts can be criticized.

To summarise, Vovinam is an effective martial art, but it also depends on what circumstances you train under. If you train smart then the benefits are improved movement, speed, striking co-ordination, and general conditioning. Because of this, it’s kind of like asking whether Karate is effective. Of course, Karate is an effective martial art, but it also depends on how it’s trained and whether you’re going to truly commit to training properly or whether you train mostly for the image. The same can be said for Vovinam which means it’s as effective as you want to make it.

If you’d like to learn Vovinam then check out this classic DVD which is great for beginners.