Joanna James
Who said a holiday is just to sit back and relax? Who said it's just to shop and dine? How about learning some martial arts when you are holidaying in Vietnam? Yes, you can! Vietnam is a country with a long history of martial arts and you can learn some of it when you are there.
Are you someone who loves wrestling? If witnessing an energetic wrestling game arouses your curiosity and interest, you are going to surely love this Vietnamese version of it. Rural areas in Vietnam have a celebration called Tet and, Dau vat (Vietnamese wrestling) is a definite part of it. Yes, the games are full of grabs, takedowns, and sweeps but they all start it after a nice dance to entertain the audience. When one contestant gets his opponent's belly up, he wins. In some areas, these games are done on the sand, and you feel the real sense of a game for sure!
This is known as the most widely practiced martial art in Vietnam. Earlier this was taught to the locals to chase away the French from the country, but now, even the tourists have the chance of learning this amazing skill. One of the most favourite things to do in Quy Nhon when someone is spending a beautiful vacation at a resort the likes of Anantara Quy Nhon Villas is learning this martial art from local instructors, and some hotels have even facilitated this for their guests.
Binh Dinh is a province in Vietnam and there had been great warriors in this province from ancient times. Stories mention about 3 unbeatable fighters in this region, and according to these stories, these 3 warriors are the ones to introduce this martial art to the locals. This martial art style deals with 18 weapons including chains and hammers, and these techniques are quite impressive to watch being in the audience.
The name 'Nat Nam' means one Vietnam, and just as the name suggests, this martial art has been formed by combining all other martial arts that prevail in the country. It was Ngo Xuan Binh to introduce this technique to Vietnam in 1986, and it is said that this martial art is being practiced by Russians as well.
Vietnam was once ruled by the Nguyen dynasty, and at that time Hue was the capital of the country. This Van An Phai martial art was taught to the guards of the Emperor to protect him and is often filled with quick attacks and deadly strikes. They say that the fighting style has some similarities with how cats fight with their opponents.
This is again a good mix of some martial art styles, but this combines the Chinese martial arts with that of traditional Vietnam. If you visit Hanoi and ask about the most popular martial art in that area, people will often tell you this name, and if you are lucky, you will be guided to some places where this martial art is practiced.
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