Before you read — this bit of information is just about my experience and the paths I took with Vovinam. Please do not use this as a guidance for your life or as a feedback to different schools. All schools have their strengths and weaknesses, and I can personally say that each and everyone one of them in Houston are worth checking out if you are not yet enrolled.
I joined Vovinam at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church when Master Nguyen The Hung first opened classes in the summer of 1999. If I had a say in it though, I would not have started. It was my mom who forced me into it. Of course, she had to bribe me with a new GameBoy Color which had just been released that year. I also sneak Pokemon Red Version into the deal.
The first few months were horrible. Even though I knew almost everyone there from Vietnamese school and Church, I was more of the typical kid who would rather be at home making friends with video games rather than actual people. I mean, with the video games, I could actually do spin kicks, super punches, and shroyukens! In real life, the only things I were doing included running laps around the parking lot in the hot sun, doing nonstop jumping jacks in army count, and even punished one time for skipping warm ups with one of the other members, Michael.
I eventually became used to it, and even liked it. However, I felt as if I wasted an entire two years. My original instructor, anh Dung, had left and moved to California to became a priest. It was him who turned my dread to love for Vovinam. I noticed after he left that even though he would punish us, torture us, make us run in 100° weather, make us run in 40° weather, make us run whenever, he would also be going through all of it with us. Never did he just sit on the side and throw commands at us; it was always him doing it with us. If there was anyone who I would say made the biggest difference in my life, it would be him. He taught me not only to shine within myself, but to make others shine also. But, by the time I figured it out, he had already gone. You know what they say, only until you lose something, do you really know how valuable it really was.
After anh Dung left, the rest of the class and I were combined into chi Hanh’s class. She was one of the Master’s daughters. At first, class started off slow. But eventually, we all got to know each other and slowly learned our way all the way up to black belts. Of the original hundred or so people who joined Vovinam Lo Duc Center when it just opened, only seven remained to get to instructor level: Brian, Katherine, Kim Thi, Hong Thi, Linh, Steven, and I. There was also three more who came into the class within two years or so and also received their black belts at the same time: Lan, Lynh, and Jonathan.
We then started teaching many different classes. Vovinam Lo Duc would always be opening new classes every few months or so. I was teaching with Lynh the very first class I had. After awhile, due to new classes, I was given a new class. This class was my pride and joy. I based almost everything I did off of what I learned from anh Dung. I put my whole heart and dedication into bringing that class up and it really paid off when everyone, including the Master himself, complemented my kids saying how they were the best that he has ever seen in such a long time. Seeing their smiles while I stood in the back really made it all worth while.
During one time period, I left for a month due to family issues. I couldn’t stay away for long though. After a couple months, I came back to Vovinam Lo Duc. Thanks to the instructors who were there for me. From then, many different things happened. I helped yearly at the Annual Thanksgiving Festival held by the Church, often being the first one there to set up, staying the whole time, and being the last one to leave after cleaning up. One year, I got the instructor group together and we created a game for the festival. Our game booth ended up making more money than Thieu Nhi Thanh The did! I also picked up and continued to organize the entire Lock In event for the school. This was one of the first events that helped to let students bond and get to know each other more.
In the beginning of 2006, I decided to leave Vovinam Lo Duc. After being able to work together and learning so much from everyone, I found out it was not the place I wanted to be at. Though I had many great times there, I was not being treated fairly anymore, and though I’ve forgiven and let things go and even ignored many unjust acts, I could not stand being treated that way anymore. I am very religious and help out at my Church many hours a day. I am very active in the community, volunteering at many school and Houston-wide events. I had just also started up a Lion Dance team that would allow anybody who wanted to be experience the magic be able to. However, I was given threats and being punished for not being “devoted” to Vovinam, even though I was still as active as I ever was. One day, after being humiliated in front of my students as well as their parents again, for it has been happening over and over, I finally spoke up and asked what I was doing wrong. I was not given an answer but instead dictated to be quiet and then had to listen to negative comments about my personality. I look around to the other instructors, but everyone just looked away. I realized what my “family” had become, or maybe what they really were instead. When I was given the same threat to choose between “God or Vovinam” and to “listen or get out” for the 5th time, I took the obvious choice and left.
For almost a year, I stayed away from Vovinam, keeping my distance, and trying to get on with life. This was made even harder on me though as my friends whom I hang out with and have known for a lifetime were told frequently not to hang out with me or even talk to me. Many negative words and even made up stories were told of me to try to ruin my reputation not only with Vovinam, but also with the entire community. It got to a point where others were telling me to take it to the authorities and let them handle it. I however still remember what my original instructor did for me and his ways of teaching and tried my hardest to ignore things and continue with my life as best as I could.
When summer of 2007 came, I decided to head over to Vovinam Linh Son Center in North Houston to get back in shape. Master TK was the head master there and welcomed me with a punch in the stomach, which I should have been able to predict and block it since that was his way of greeting everyone. He eventually asked me to join and help teach at Linh Son. I accepted and slowly got to know everyone there.
One thing I came to realize after practice at Vovinam Linh Son was how good everyone was. I was highly surprised at what the dark blue belts could do. I really admire some of them and now, even look up to a few of them. I met the instructors there and even got the chance to met the old instructors who have retired but will come back every once in awhile to exercise with the group. Within a few months, I knew this was where I wanted to stay and help out at; a place where everyone was recognized and everyone was respected.
In September 2007, Master TK opened up a new school at Vien Thong Tu, a Buddhist temple in Northwest Houston. He asked me teach over there and so I happily accepted. I began relearning all the techniques, taking my experience from Lo Duc, as well as the very few times I practiced at Shaolin and TaeKwonDo in the past in order to better improve myself. I have also looked back in my past, and do not hold any regrets or grudges. Though I have long lost an important home, I have noticed that it made a difference; I have seen changes, though few, to their teaching style and their respect to their instructors and students. Therefore, my decision did not go in vain, and so I am more than happy and glad with the results. I am only sad that because of this, it has caused me to lose another thing that was really an important part of my life…
I am still currently instructing at Vovinam Vien Thong Tu and from time to time show up at Vovinam Linh Son to practice with rest of the instructors. Though there are only about 20 students, and there is no indoor practice area, and the grass is full of spikes and the road is rocky and full of gravel, Vovinam Vien Thong Tu has more potential than any other schools in Houston. Hopefully, within a couple years, we will build up into a stronger and bigger school than any other Vovinam schools in Texas!
