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| President Vo Van Thuong attended the exchange program between Vietnamese Vovinam martial arts and Japanese martial arts in Tokyo. |
Also attending the program were official members of the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation; leaders of several Japanese ministries and branches; and many martial artists and students of Vietnamese and Japanese martial arts schools.
At the exchange program, Vietnamese Vovinam students and Japanese samurai in costumes of each sect performed many unique and attractive martial arts of each sect.
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| Vietnamese Vovinam students and Japanese samurai in their respective school's costumes performed many unique and attractive martial arts exercises. |
Japanese friends said that Japanese martial arts were passed down in Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture, which is considered the birthplace of Japanese martial arts. Kashima Shrine in Kashima City is dedicated to Takemi Kazuchi, a martial arts god who appeared in myths from the time of Japan's founding. Legend has it that about 1,500 years ago, Takemi Kazuchi passed on his swordplay secrets to the shrine's priests, who then passed them down from generation to generation.
Not only that, the Kashima region was also the place where soldiers were trained to protect the country against invaders throughout ancient Japan, and it was here 500 years ago that the martial arts of swords, spears, and sabers of the warriors were systematized, inherited and passed down to this day.
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| Japanese budo is transmitted in Kashima city, Ibaraki prefecture, which is said to be the birthplace of Japanese budo. |
On the Vietnamese side, Mr. Mai Huu Tin, President of the Vietnam Vovinam Federation (VVF) informed Japanese friends about the history of the formation of the Vovinam sect since 1938. Based on the principle of the development of softness and hardness, Vovinam students are trained from basic moves to forms, using weapons such as swords, long sticks, and broadswords. Vovinam - Vietnamese martial arts is the crystallization of the spirit and techniques of self-defense, fighting to protect, build and expand the country of the Vietnamese people since the founding of the nation.
Vovinam is present in more than 70 countries and territories around the world , attracting more than 2.5 million practitioners, contributing to promoting Vietnamese culture and image to the world. Recently, Vovinam has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage.
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| Vovinam has grown steadily in Japan and currently has 10 martial arts classes with over 300 students practicing. |
The special thing is that Vovinam has been spread and developed in Japan since 2012 thanks to professional wrestler Fujisaki Tadahiro - known by the familiar name Fugo. When he came to Vietnam to watch the 2nd World Vovinam Championship in 2011 in Ho Chi Minh City, he was fascinated by the beautiful moves of this martial art and sought to learn and spread it to Japan.
To date, Vovinam has been growing steadily in Japan and currently has 10 martial arts classes with more than 300 students practicing. At the 7th World Vovinam Championship in 2023, Japan has 12 athletes participating.
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