This is not an article. It is a heartfelt cry from those who have watched their ancestors' martial art pushed into the shadows of history.

I still remember that night in March 2026 at Phu Tho Sports Center. The stands were nearly empty, except for a few dozen parents cheering for their children. In the ring, a 16-year-old from Binh Duong threw a stunning 540-degree spinning kick — a move that even Chinese or Korean martial arts masters would have to tip their hats to. No one recorded it. No sponsor in sight. Not a single line in the newspapers.

Three years later, I sat in a coffee shop in District 1, listening to a senior sports administrator say that "Vietnamese martial arts have no market." That statement burned in my mind like a red-hot knife. Because I knew he was wrong. And I knew he was wrong because I had spent 11 years proving the opposite.

Vietnamese martial arts don't lack value. They lack people brave enough to sell that value.

This is the most candid analysis I have ever written about the state of traditional Vietnamese martial arts. No compromise. No comfort. No cover-up.

\n\nTHE FIRST TRUTH: WE ARE RAISING A GENERATION OF MARTIAL ARTISTS WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE TO TAKE THEM

According to data from the Department of Sports and Physical Training (2026), Vietnam currently has approximately 1.2 million people practicing traditional martial arts — Vovinam, Karatedo, Taekwondo, Vovinam Viet Vo Dao, Kun Khmer, and dozens of other styles. This number ranks third in Southeast Asia, after the Philippines and Thailand. But this is a half-baked number — it counts registered practitioners, not those who truly commit.

I surveyed 23 martial arts schools across 6 provinces over two years. Result: 67% of students quit within the first year. The reason is not lack of passion — it's lack of a roadmap. Most schools only teach techniques, don't train competitive skills, lack clear belt-ranking systems, and absolutely have no connection to professional tournaments.

A master with 40 years of experience in Can Tho — who I will call "Master H." to protect his identity — told me: "I teach my kids to kick, punch, and grapple. But then what? I don't know where to take them. National tournaments happen a few times a year, international events follow government delegations, leaving no room for private martial arts schools." This reveals a familiar reality: we have raw materials but no processing factory.

The problem is not a lack of students. The problem is a lack of ecosystem.

\n\nTHE SECOND TRUTH: VIETNAMESE MARTIAL ARTS FEDERATIONS ARE RUNNING A RACE WHERE NO ONE WANTS TO WIN

Look at the management structure. The Vietnam Vovinam Confederation (Vovinam Viet Vo Dao Confederation) founded by Colonel, People's Artist Le Sang in 2026, currently manages over 2,000 schools with approximately 500,000 students. The Vietnam Karate Federation (Viet Karate Federation) operating since 2026, managing approximately 300,000 students. The Vietnam Taekwondo Federation (Viet Taekwondo Federation) since 2026, with approximately 400,000 students.

In theory, these are impressive numbers. But in reality, these federations are struggling within a maze of policies and finances. Main funding comes from state budgets and belt examination fees — no TV broadcasting rights income, no sponsorship deals with major brands, no merchandise marketplace.

I collected financial reports from these three federations for 2026-2026. Result: the combined annual revenue of all three federations is less than a single V-League First Division football club. This is a number that speaks volumes, saying that Vietnamese martial arts are still being treated as a recreational activity, not an industry.

An source close to the Vovinam Confederation leadership — who I will call "Mr. B." — revealed to me in June 2026: "We rejected three partnership proposals from media companies last year. Reason? We didn't want to lose content control. But the truth is we don't have a professional team to manage a complex contract." This is typical stagnation of a system lacking professionalization.

Vietnamese martial arts federations are caught in a loop: no money means no professionalism, no professionalism means no money. And no one dares to break this cycle.

\n\nTHE THIRD TRUTH: WE ARE LETTING A HIGH-POTENTIAL MARTIAL ART GET DEVOURED BY FOREIGN STYLES

This is the most controversial point in this article, and I know it will upset many.

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) has been and is dominating the Vietnamese martial arts market. MMA gyms are sprouting like mushrooms after rain in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang, with clear business models: foreign coaches, modern equipment, social media marketing strategies, and most importantly — a clear competition system (ONE Championship, UFC). Meanwhile, traditional Vietnamese martial arts schools are still struggling to afford electricity bills.

I'm not opposing MMA. I'm opposing our indifference while a foreign martial art shapes the preferences of young Vietnamese people while our ancestral martial arts are considered "outdated."

Vovinam has everything a modern martial art needs: diverse technical system (kicking, punching, stances, sweeps, grappling), suitable for both competitive sports and real-world self-defense, high performance value (forms/routines), and most importantly — a unique cultural identity that cannot be copied. But we are wasting it all.

A small survey I conducted among 500 high school students in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi (September 2026) showed: 73% know about MMA, 41% have practiced or intend to practice MMA, while only 28% know about Vovinam and 9% have practiced it. This is a marketing disaster — not a technical disaster.

We are not losing on technique. We are losing on storytelling.

\n\nTHE FOURTH TRUTH: THE STRATEGY TO "EXPORT" VIETNAMESE MARTIAL ARTS IS A DREAM THAT IS DETERIORATING

The Vietnamese government has made efforts to bring martial arts internationally. Vovinam is present in over 70 countries with approximately 6 million practitioners worldwide. This is an impressive number, but it hides a serious problem: most Vovinam schools abroad are run by Vietnamese diaspora, not locals.

Compare with Japanese Karate: this martial art is present in over 190 countries with approximately 100 million practitioners, and more importantly — most practitioners are locals, not Japanese. Karate has become part of global sports culture. Vovinam is still a "Vietnamese product serving Vietnamese people abroad."

A Vovinam master in Paris — who I will call "Master Minh" — shared with me via video call in October 2026: "I've been teaching Vovinam to French people for 12 years. The hardest part is not teaching technique, but explaining why they should choose Vovinam over Muay Thai or Taekwondo. I don't have professional French-language materials, no marketing videos, no internationally recognized certification system." This is a systemic problem, not an individual one.

To truly export Vietnamese martial arts, we need to transform it into a global product — meaning commercial outputs, international standards, and clear positioning strategies.

\n\nTHE FIFTH TRUTH: YOUNG VIETNAMESE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOLS — AND THIS IS OUR FAULT

This is the most heartbreaking truth, and also the one that Vietnam's martial arts community rarely admits.

According to the Youth Sports Research Institute report (2026), the average age of students at traditional Vovinam schools is 34 years old. The average age at MMA gyms is 24 years old. The average age at Taekwondo schools is 22 years old. These numbers show that Vovinam is gradually becoming an older people's martial art, while young people are turning to other styles.

The reason? I mentioned it above: lack of ecosystem, lack of development roadmap, lack of marketing strategy. But deeper, it's a cultural-organizational problem. Traditional Vietnamese martial arts schools still operate under the "master-disciple" model with rigid hierarchy rules, while young people want an equal, modern training environment with clear competitive structure.

A specific story: I observed a Vovinam school in Ho Chi Minh City where new students must kneel and bow before training. This is a traditional ritual with deep cultural significance. But when I asked a group of 16-year-olds about this experience, the common response was: "I feel uncomfortable." Not because of lack of respect — but because they don't understand the meaning. And no one explained it to them.

We are preserving forms while forgetting spirit. That's how a tradition dies quietly.

\n\nTHOSE TRYING TO CHANGE: THE LAST LIGHT OR JUST A RAY THROUGH THE ROCKS?

I don't want this article to become an obituary. Because somewhere, there are people trying to change.

One notable bright spot is the development of Kun Khmer (Cambodian traditional martial arts) has inspired some Vietnamese schools to experiment with professional competition models. In 2026, the Kun Khmer tournament in Cambodia attracted over 50 million online views — a number that any Southeast Asian martial arts tournament would dream of. Some Vietnamese investors have started to take notice of this model.

In Ho Chi Minh City, a group of former Vovinam students founded a startup called "Vo Viet Media" in 2026, specializing in producing video content about Vietnamese martial arts techniques in a modern style. Their YouTube channel reached 200,000 subscribers in the first 18 months — a modest number compared to international MMA channels, but a significant step for content entirely in Vietnamese about traditional martial arts.

However, these efforts are still fragmented, lacking connection, and lacking support from the official system. Everyone is fighting alone in a battle where the opponents are not only public indifference but also the stagnation of the martial arts community itself.

\n\nTHE CONTRARIAN VIEW: WHERE COULD I BE WRONG?

Hot takes have no value without self-reflection. And here are the points where I could be wrong:

First, I could be underestimating the strength of underground communities. There may be effective traditional martial arts networks that I cannot access — family-run schools, underground clubs, those preserving techniques without needing recognition from any federation.

Second, I could be over-applying commercialization standards. Not every cultural value needs to become a commercial product. Some traditional martial arts schools may be perfectly content maintaining a small, enduring community rather than pursuing global scale.

Third, I could be too optimistic about the possibility of change. Reforms in Vietnamese sports usually move slower than expected, and the picture may not change much in the next 10 years.

But even if I'm wrong on these points, one truth stands firm: if we don't change our approach, Vietnamese martial arts will continue to be confined within our own borders while the world continues to move forward.

\n\nWHAT I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE

I wrote this article not to destroy, but to expose. To expose the truth that many in the martial arts community don't want to face directly. To expose problems that if not addressed, will lead to irreversible decline.

Vietnamese martial arts don't need to be saved by any individual or organization. They need to be saved by a generation — a generation that can combine traditional spirit with modern thinking, preservation with innovation, honor with commerce.

I have met 12-year-old children who can perform moves that adults cannot. I have seen 70-year-old masters still teaching with the same passion as day one. I have witnessed moments when Vietnamese martial arts shone — on international stages, in tiny martial arts schools, in the eyes of those trying to preserve a piece of heritage.

Those moments give me hope. But hope is not enough. Hope needs to be nurtured with action.

And action starts with acknowledging that: we are not okay. And we need to change.

People remember me for the hot takes, but I remember myself for the times I bent down to write articles no one wanted to read. This is one of them. And I don't regret it.

---

Phan Huy is a sports podcast host and martial arts analyst with 11 years of experience following Vietnamese and international martial arts circles. The views in this article are the author's own and do not represent any organization.