Vovinam: The Vietnamese Martial Art Practiced in 70 Countries

When people think of Vietnam, they think of phở, motorbikes, and coffee.

Few know that Vietnam has its own martial art — Vovinam (Việt Võ Đạo) — born in Hanoi in 1938, now practiced in over 70 countries.

In 2023, Vietnam designated it a national intangible cultural heritage.
In 2025, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Japanese Embassy chose Vovinam as the vehicle for a global campaign against gender-based violence.

How did a Vietnamese martial art get here?

An Underground Art in Colonial Times

Vovinam's founder, Nguyễn Lộc, was born in 1912 in Thạch Thất, a district near Hanoi. A sickly child, he took up martial arts to build strength. As an adult, he blended Vietnamese traditional fighting techniques with elements of Chinese and Japanese martial arts, and in 1938 began teaching a small group of friends.

In 1939, he gave his first public demonstration at the Hanoi Opera House. By 1940, he was running classes at the École Normale (now Hanoi National University of Education).

The timing matters: Vietnam was still a French colony.

Nguyễn Lộc's goal was explicit — to awaken national consciousness among young Vietnamese through martial arts. The French colonial authorities noticed, and banned him from teaching.

After the 1954 partition, he moved south to Saigon with his students and started over. He died in Saigon in April 1960, aged 48. On his deathbed, he named his student Lê Sáng as successor. In 1964, Lê Sáng formally christened the art "Việt Võ Đạo" — the Way of Vietnamese Martial Arts.

The Signature Move: The Flying Scissor Kick

Vovinam's most recognizable technique is the flying scissor kick (đòn cắt kéo).

The practitioner leaps into the air, wraps both legs around the opponent's head or torso like a pair of scissors, and brings them crashing to the ground. You won't find this in any other martial art — it's Vovinam's calling card.

The technique demands explosive power, mid-air control, and precise timing. When executed well, it's almost impossible to defend against.

But the risks are real — for both the person being thrown and the one doing the throwing. In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a similar technique (kani basami) has been banned from most major competitions because of the injury risk.

Vovinam classifies the flying scissor kick as a "finishing move." You use it to end the fight.

The Belt System Is Upside Down

Most martial arts use a black belt to mark mastery. Vovinam doesn't.

Its belt progression, from lowest to highest:

Light blue: Beginner, learning basic self-defense.
Blue: Full student, studying the range of Vovinam techniques.
Yellow: Instructor level — equivalent to a black belt in other systems.
Red: Master level, responsible for regional development.
White: Grand master, reserved for the supreme leader of Vovinam.

In Vovinam's world, white represents the highest achievement, not the starting point.

From Southeast Asia to the World

Domestically, Vietnam has pushed Vovinam hard. In 2010, the Ministry of Education instructed schools nationwide to introduce Vovinam classes. FPT Corporation's schools and universities already teach it as a regular physical education course. In Ho Chi Minh City, you can spot group practice sessions in parks most evenings.

Internationally, the World Vovinam Federation (WVVF) was founded in 2008 and now has members in over 60 countries.

Surprisingly, Vovinam has found its strongest following in Europe and North Africa. At the 7th World Vovinam Championship in Ho Chi Minh City in 2023, 35 countries competed. Vietnam took 18 golds and first place overall, with Algeria and Cambodia finishing second and third.

France, Belgium, Italy, and Spain all have active Vovinam dojos, with growing student numbers.

A UN Partnership

In September 2025, the World Vovinam Federation signed a global partnership with Guardian Girls International in Hanoi.

The "Guardian Girls Vovinam" program, backed by the UNFPA and the Japanese Embassy in Vietnam, uses Vovinam training to build confidence and self-defense skills among women, with the aim of reducing gender-based violence.

Vietnam's national Vovinam federation (VVF) has officially joined the program and is rolling it out across the country.

For a martial art to be chosen by a UN agency as a platform for social change is rare in Asia.

From an underground colonial-era fighting art to a sport practiced in over 70 countries with UN backing, Vovinam has carved out a path unlike any other.

Next time you're in Vietnam, take an evening stroll through a park. You might just catch a group practicing flying scissor kicks.