From skinny boy to mountain martial artist

"BLACK" FLOWER

“Martial arts has changed my life and I believe that martial arts will change the lives of many people” - that is the confession of Tran Van Hue (born in 1988) when talking about his passion for martial arts.

Martial arts master Tran Van Hue (left). Photo: NVCC

After graduating from high school, although she really wanted to study martial arts at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports, to please her parents, Hue registered for the mechanical engineering major at the University of Economics and Industrial Technology. Throughout her time as a student, Hue still persistently nurtured her passion for martial arts. To earn money to study martial arts, Hue worked as a waitress, worked as a security guard in the morning, went to school in the afternoon, and attended two martial arts classes from 6am to 8am and from 8am to 10am in the evening. Hue recalled: “At that time, because I worked a lot and practiced a lot, I ate very well, with the capacity to eat as much as 4-5 normal people. The income from the job was not high, but I could support my parents and cover my own finances to serve my passion.”

Hue and her students perform a charity fundraising performance. Photo: NVCC

Learning martial arts means perseverance and hard work. Countless times, Hue returned to her rented room with injuries and bruises after each training session. The old wounds had not yet healed when new ones were laid on top. Hue clearly remembered the Iron Thread Fist exercise from her final year of university. It was one of the difficult exercises, requiring mental effort, skill perfection and physical readiness. When practicing, each hand of the practitioner would wear 10kg of metal rings. If not practiced correctly or not meeting the requirements, the exercise would be counterproductive, causing harm to health.

Hue's diligence and hard work finally paid off. The skinny student gradually improved both in physique and technique, and was often trusted and invited to be an assistant teacher for famous martial arts masters.

Tinh Tam martial arts school in Quy Hop of martial arts master Tran Van Hue. Photo: PV

Martial arts not only bring Hue health, it also brings her good brothers and profound experiences. Hue shared: "I have studied many schools but my greatest passion isTraditional martial arts. The nature of traditional martial arts is to use softness to overcome hardness, and use weakness to overcome strength. Learning martial arts is also learning self-control and patience. Once you have overcome physical pain, you will become stronger and calmer mentally" - Hue said.

"MARTIAL ARTS" OF THE MOUNTAIN REGION

Hue returned to her hometown of Quy Hop, Nghe An to start a business with the concern: "How to build a stronger martial arts community in her hometown". At that time, martial arts classes here were small, unfocused and often could not be maintained for a long time. Hue started to apply for certificates from UNESCO, the National Martial Arts Federation, the Provincial Martial Arts Federation, and permission from the commune's culture to enroll students... To encourage people to practice martial arts, Hue built a policy of collecting tuition fees according to "households", only one family member needed to pay tuition fees, then the whole family could go to the martial arts school to study for free. This policy attracted many students who were parents and siblings to study together. Some parents even became coaches of the martial arts school after a period of studying with their children.

Tinh Tam Martial Arts School has won many high achievements in tournaments in the province. Photo: NVCC

Overcoming initial prejudices and competition, Hue's "Tinh Tam" martial arts school has become increasingly crowded and has become the pride of Quy Hop people. Hue's teachers and students have participated in martial arts performances at many large and small events in the province. Hue confided: "Interspersed in martial arts lessons, I always share with the students stories about heroes such as Ba Trung, Ba Trieu, Ngo Quyen, Hung Dao Vuong, Ly Thuong Kiet, Lam Son insurgents, and the cloth hero Quang Trung - Nguyen Hue... Learning traditional martial arts will help students learn the heroic history of the nation, learn about gratitude for their ancestors who died for peace and a great martial arts foundation. From there, they will have the awareness to train themselves, live responsibly, nurture national pride, and continue the patriotic spirit of their ancestors...".

To impart martial arts, a martial arts master must be a person who has “attained the Way” to set an example for his students. Hue has done this. His seriousness in training, his generosity and kindness in dealing with others, his determination and perseverance in the face of difficulties, his sense of responsibility towards himself, his family and society… have convinced everyone. That is why at Tinh Tam, stories such as cycling dozens of kilometers every day to learn martial arts, treating the martial arts school as their home, students obeying their teacher’s every word… are not uncommon.

The name “Tinh Tam” of the martial arts school also contains many meanings that Hue wants to convey: The true power of martial arts lies in the mind, when the mind is calm, the heart contains martial arts. A calm mind will feel every breath, every life, know how to distinguish right from wrong, right from wrong, not winning or losing, not being jealous…

Hue has spread her love for traditional martial arts to many people. Photo: NVCC

After nearly 10 years of construction, Hue's martial arts school has developed clubs both inside and outside the province with thousands of students. For many consecutive years, the martial arts school has won the first prize in the Nghe An Traditional Martial Arts Open Tournament, contributing many athletes to the provincial Sports Center. Hue has become a famous martial arts master, elected as Deputy Head of the Professional Committee of the Association.Martial artsNghe An province's traditional culture. Recently, the Tran family of Vietnam established the Tran Gia martial arts school and Hue was entrusted with the responsibility of preserving, building and developing it.

Sharing her happiness in being attached to traditional martial arts, Hue humbly said: “I am just trying to preserve the tradition of my ancestors. Looking at the students lined up in long, neat rows, practicing enthusiastically on the land of Bai Tap, Chau Ly in the past (now Tam Hop commune, Quy Hop district, Nghe An), I feel like the heroic spirit of “the battle of Bo Dang with thunder and lightning, the Tra Lan region with bamboo split and ashes flying” is being recreated, making me happy with what I am doing”.