Binh Dinh Martial Arts Village and the Rise of Traditional Vietnamese Martial Arts on the International Stage

I stood in the training yard of the Binh Dinh martial arts school in Quy Nhon on an April morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the banyan trees. The humid sea air mixed with the steady breathing of the practitioners. The oldest student was 74, the youngest just 8. They were practicing an ancient form, movements slow but every line of the hand carrying absolute focus. I realized: the truest pulse is not in the stands, but under the feet of those early training sessions. Binh Dinh has long been known as the 'martial land' of Vietnam. This region has produced many martial arts figures, from Tran Quoc Tuan to modern masters. But over the past two decades, traditional martial arts have gradually been overshadowed by the rise of MMA and Western combat sports. Domestic tournaments were only playgrounds for a few schools, lacking systematic investment. However, 2026 marked a turning point when Vietnam hosted the 31st SEA Games, and traditional martial arts were included in the official program. The Binh Dinh village began to receive attention again. I followed the Binh Dinh team during their three-month preparation for the 2026 National Traditional Martial Arts Championship. Every day they woke up at 4:30 AM to run along the beach, then trained technique until 8 AM. Afternoons were for sparring and strategy. Master Nguyen Van Long, 62 years old, who has been with the school for over 40 years, told me: 'Traditional martial arts are not just techniques; they are the soul of the nation. Youngsters nowadays like MMA because it’s powerful, but if we combine the essence of tradition, we will have a unique Vietnamese martial art that no other place has.' Interestingly, during the training, I discovered a counter-intuitive signal: the growth of traditional martial arts comes not from rejecting modernity, but from learning to adapt. Young masters began applying modern strength training methods, using heart rate data and video analysis to improve techniques. They no longer relied solely on oral tradition but expanded collaboration with sports medicine experts. This combination creates a new spring for traditional martial arts, pushing it out of its ancient shell onto the international stage. But outside, there is a common misunderstanding that traditional martial arts are just performance forms lacking real combat. I witnessed a sparring match between a Vovinam student and an MMA fighter. In the first two rounds, the MMA fighter dominated with takedowns and ground-and-pound. But in the third round, the Vovinam student unexpectedly unleashed elbow and knee strikes from close range, staggering his opponent. Though he didn’t win, he proved that traditional martial arts have unique weapons if used wisely. The truest pulse is not in the stands, but under the feet of those early training sessions. After the media shock of 2026 when traditional martial arts were labeled 'outdated', people don’t need another perspective; they need a shoulder. I stayed by the masters during those days of lost faith. But now, they have found their direction again. When the stadium is empty, we clap from afar to remind each other that heartbeats don’t need distance. I believe that Binh Dinh martial arts village will lead the revival of traditional Vietnamese martial arts, not only at the SEA Games but also on larger stages. I ended my trip with an evening sitting by the sea with the young practitioners. They talked about difficulties: lack of funds, lack of training space, lack of interest from the youth. But their eyes still sparkled. One 17-year-old student said: 'Maybe we don’t have much money, but we have love for martial arts. That’s something that can’t be bought.' I looked out at the gentle waves hitting the shore. And I understood that traditional Vietnamese martial arts are at a crucial moment: either to be forgotten or to rise strong. The answer lies in the hands of young people like him.