Go to the temple to learn martial arts

On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, when coming to Ha Pagoda in Hung Tien Commune, Nam Dan District, people will see many young people from all over coming to the pagoda to learn martial arts. The martial arts students wear white uniforms. Under the guidance of the instructors, the lessons take place in the middle of the pagoda yard quite systematically and seriously.

Nguyen Huy Hoang from Nam Anh commune shared: "I have studied martial arts at the pagoda for many years. Coming here to study martial arts is very fun, thanks to studying martial arts, I feel more confident about myself."

Free martial arts class at Ha pagoda, Hung Tien commune, Nam Dan district.

It is known that the free karate teaching activity at Ha Pagoda started in 2014. Currently, the pagoda is maintaining a class of 70 martial artists and a number of clubs in Nam Cat, Nam Xuan, Hong Long communes... led by 3 coaches.

Mr. Nguyen Chi Hieu (28 years old), from Cua Nam ward - Vinh city, the main coach here said: "Teaching martial arts at the temple is to incorporate moral lessons, to educate people. Coming to the temple, children not only learn martial arts but more importantly, learn to be human, so martial arts classes at the temple seem to have their own appeal."

At Nguu Tu Pagoda, Thanh Dong Commune, Thanh Chuong District, free martial arts teaching has been going on for a long time. Currently, the pagoda is organizing a Karate club with 30 martial arts students aged 8-17 years old. The club meets in the afternoon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays every week, led by Hoang Thi Phuong, a 12th grade student from Thanh Chuong 1 High School.

Although she is a 12th grade student, Phuong has been working as a coach here for nearly a year now. Learning martial arts at Nguu Tu Pagoda is about independence and self-reliance, demonstrating the passion for martial arts and the spirit of overcoming difficulties of the youth of the "nut land".

Martial arts students at the temple are carefully instructed by monks and coaches. Photo: Huy Thu

Teaching Buddha Quang Quyen for free at Vien Quang Pagoda, Nam Thanh Commune, Nam Dan District. Photo: Huy Thu

Especially at Vien Quang Pagoda, Nam Thanh Commune, Nam Dan District, teaching Phat Quang Quyen started in 2012. With a systematic and diverse curriculum, in recent years, the pagoda's martial arts classes have attracted a large number of young people in the district to study. Each class usually has 80 - 100 students, divided by age and taught appropriate content, from practicing "soft bone skill", stretching to boxing exercises, real combat moves, sparring...

Every year, monks from Chan Quang Pagoda (Ba Ria - Vung Tau) take turns doing Buddhist work at Vien Quang Pagoda and will teach these free martial arts classes. From Vien Quang Pagoda, many free martial arts clubs were established in pagodas, other communes in Nam Dan district and secondary schools, colleges and universities in Vinh city, creating favorable conditions for many young people to learn martial arts...

Martial arts exchange and performance at Vien Quang Pagoda. Photo: Huy Thu

Free Karate lessons at Co Am Pagoda, Dien Minh Commune, Dien Chau District. Photo: Huy Thu

Martial arts students who participate in martial arts training at the temple are mainly young people. In addition to learning martial arts, they also learn about ethics, life skills, and volunteer experience. It is the inherent beauty of martial arts that attracts and fascinates them.

Venerable Thich Tue Minh, abbot of Gam Pagoda (Yen Thanh), said: Martial arts is a subject that brings many benefits, training students to have good health, perseverance, hard work, and martial arts spirit. Besides, learning martial arts will also make people's minds clear and bright, so that they can study and work better.

National belt exam for martial arts students at Co Am pagoda. Photo: Huy Thu

Over the years, teaching martial arts in pagodas has attracted thousands of young men and women from all over the province to martial arts. From this movement, many talents have been discovered, nurtured and added to the competition teams of units in seasons and sports festivals at district, provincial and national levels.

In fact, during the learning process, some pagodas such as Vien Quang and Gam pagodas have coordinated well with associations, unions, and functional agencies to organize belt exams for martial arts students, creating conditions for them to participate in martial arts performances.

Many pagodas are in the process of being built and renovated, facing many difficulties, but still creating conditions to spread free martial arts teaching activities. Photo: Huy Thu

In particular, Gam Pagoda martial arts school is one of the cradles providing potential athletes for teams at all levels, participating in high-performance sports competitions. There have been five martial arts schools providing more than 20 martial artists to participate in tournaments at the provincial and national levels, winning 8 gold medals, 8 silver medals, and winning the first prize in the traditional martial arts at the provincial sports festival.

Although pagodas still face many difficulties in the process of building and renovating worship facilities, as well as bringing martial arts to young people, with the efforts and enthusiasm of monks, the overcoming of difficulties and the passion for martial arts of martial arts students, the movement of "going to pagodas to learn martial arts" is spreading as a beautiful feature in localities.

Besides learning martial arts, martial arts students also learn ethics, life skills... Photo: Huy Thu

Venerable Thich Dong Tue - abbot of Ha pagoda, Hung Tien commune, Nam Dan district affirmed: The pagoda opens martial arts classes combined with spreading Buddhist teachings to young people to create a healthy playground for them to have the opportunity to contact and learn Buddhist teachings, as well as train their bodies and souls, in order to build a good life and a good religion in the Buddhist community in particular and in the people in general. In recent years, teaching martial arts at pagodas combined with ethics has been a very successful model of educating young people, which needs to be maintained and promoted further./.