Artist Quyen Linh shares story of the persistent figure bringing Vovinam to the world
WVR - Standing in the midst of Paris, where the 7th Vovinam – Viet Vo Dao World Cup is taking place with nearly 500 masters, coaches, and athletes from 20 countries, artist Quyen Linh, Vice President of the Vietnam Cinema Association, could not hide his emotions witnessing hundreds of international martial artists passionately practicing Vovinam forms in Vietnamese.
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| Young Vovinam martial artists from various countries gather at the Paris 2026 World Cup – faces of different skin colors and languages but all wearing blue martial arts uniforms. |
That moment took him back to memories over 30 years ago, recalling the teacher and colleague who devoted his heart and soul to spreading Vietnamese martial arts worldwide – Dr. Pham Quang Long.
From the film set in 1995 to the international arena
In the Halle Georges Carpentier arena (Paris, France), artist Quyen Linh encountered images of children from France, Europe, Africa, and America diligently practicing Vovinam.
“The children repeatedly practiced each move, falling and getting back up. In the midst of Paris, I heard commands, form names, and Vovinam terminology in Vietnamese. It was a moment when I felt Vietnamese culture beautifully spreading across the world,” he shared.
This image also reminded the artist of 1995, when he participated in the film “Nguoi Ha Noi” (Hanoian). To complete the action scenes, he learned his first martial arts moves from Master Pham Quang Long.
For Quyen Linh at that time, learning martial arts was to serve his role; for Dr. Pham Quang Long, Vovinam was a mission to preserve and spread national identity.
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| Dr. Pham Quang Long, artist Quyen Linh, and leaders of the World Vovinam – Viet Vo Dao Federation at the 4th international belt upgrade exam World Cup Paris 2026. |
Not only a film director and the founder of Vietnam’s first Stunt Club in 1994, Dr. Pham Quang Long has also spent many years persistently bringing Vovinam to the world.
The silent journey of spreading Vietnamese martial arts
In 1998, while studying an advanced directing course in Russia, Dr. Pham Quang Long and his colleagues initiated the Vovinam movement in the host country.
From the first classes, he persistently lobbied for the Russian Federation Ministry of Justice to grant permission to establish the Vovinam Federation, contributing to making Russia one of the countries with a strong Vovinam movement.
More than three decades later, at the 7th Vovinam World Cup in Paris, Dr. Pham Quang Long continued to accompany world Vovinam leaders in promoting this traditional Vietnamese martial art.
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| Dr. Pham Quang Long and artist Quyen Linh reunited in Paris in 2026. (Photo: Courtesy by author) |
According to artist Quyen Linh, behind the success of Vovinam on the international stage is the silent dedication of many generations of masters and those passionate about national culture.
“From an actor learning martial arts to complete a role, today I want to tell the story of Vovinam and the teachers who devoted their lives to bringing Vietnamese martial arts to the world. Behind the techniques are not only skills but also culture, discipline, teacher-student relationships, martial spirit, and a beautiful story about Vietnam,” artist Quyen Linh shared.
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