Le Thanh Tri owns the significant achievements in Karatedo

Sensei in Tam Giang Lagoon

More than two decades ago, seinsei Nguyen Van Nhan, Head of Vietnam Cuong-Nhu (Hard-Yielding) Karatedo, came to Huong Phong Commune (Huong Tra Town) to open a martial art club for the children in this rural area. One of the first students to apply to learn the martial art was Le Cong Binh.

Sensei Nhan recalled: “At that time, Binh was the youngest and thinnest of all the children to come to apply to learn the martial art, but I saw a strong will in his eyes. I was not mistaken because only after over a month of getting acquainted with Cuong Nhu Karatedo, Binh proved to be superior to his peers with quick, decisive kickboxing… "

This year, at age 28, sensei Le Cong Binh has been with Huong Phong Dojo since childhood. From being a martial art student, after thetime of hard training with the great passion for martial art, Le Cong Binh became a sensei with the third-rank black belt. He was also entrusted by his master, sensei Nguyen Van Nhan, to the two dojos on both sides of Tam Giang Lagoon, namely Huong Phong and Hai Duong Dojos.

Not long ago, we had the opportunity to visit Hai Duong Dojo, under sensei Le Cong Binh’s charge, right at the office of the Commune People’s Committee. The dojo starts from 17:30 to 19:30. The martial art students are the junior secondary and primary school students. More than 50 martial art students from the other side of Tam Giang Lagoon still practice regularly every week.

Sensei Le Cong Binh said, "Tonight I teach martial art in Hai Duong, tomorrow evening in Huong Phong; the club in Huong Phong also has more than 60 students. I am attached to martial art, to more than 100 martial art students every day. My pleasure is to witness their development in constitution and martial art with each passing day. ”

The two martial art clubs of sensei Le Cong Binh had the students who won medals in the Provincial Karatedo Championship. Most recently, in the early days of July 2019, sensei Le Cong Binh’s students achieved 5 gold medals in Cuong Nhu Karatedo Championship in 2019 at Huong Can Dojo ...

In addition to a coach’s job, sensei Le Cong Binh is also a national Karatedo referee. He has participated in controlling the national Karatedo championships for the past 2 years.

Sensei Le Cong Binh confided, “I learnt martial art from my passion, and martial art is my career. However, like master Nguyen Van Nhan, I always put the word " Văn " (knowledge) next to the word "Võ" (martial art) as expressed through the verses composed by master Nhan: "Đạo (morality) is wind, võ (martial art) is cloud / Here and there has stayed human love for millennia”…


Sensei Le Cong Binh gave a kickboxing performance

10 X boy keen on martial art

We want to mention Le Thanh Tri – a student of Chu Van An Junior Secondary School, Hue City, 10x Le Thanh Tri possesses quite remarkable achievements in Karatedo.

As the youngest in a family of two brothers, right from the 3rd grade, Tri had a special passion for martial art. It is interesting that both Tri and his elder brother loved to learn martial art; both of them joined Nhan Ai (Benevolence) Dojo of the 6th-rank, black-belt sensei Nguyen Dinh Son.

Mr. Le Thanh Son (Tri's father) confided, "My family realized Tri’s passion for martial art, so we arranged for him to learn in order to train his health, did not attach much importance to achievement of winning and losing prizes. It is important that Tri is passionate about martial art, absorbs the fine things that Karatedo brings.”

With the diligence, hard work to learn, improve Karatedo movements like hits, kicks, Le Thanh Tri quickly acquired the special skills from his sensei. Over many years of hard training, Tri has achieved some remarkable achievements. In 2016, he and his teammates won a bronze medal in the men's Kumite team at Phu Dong Health Festival. In 2018, Tri won a gold medal in Hue City Karatedo Champion and a silver medal in Thua Thien Hue Province Karatedo Champion.

According to Le Thanh Tri, the martial art has helped him to gain a lot of valuable knowledge, especially martial spirit, calmness, perseverance, better health, and to avoid other useless games...

Talking about the plan, Tri shared, in the short term, he will pursue my studies; at the same time, he will actively train with his fellow students in the hope of continuing to win glory in the upcoming tournaments. Currently, Tri is also managing, training several other boys in Nhan Ai Dojo. Here, he will hand the competitive experience down to them, thereby deepening their passion for Karatedo.

Story and photos: Phi Tan