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VIETCHI POST  No 01
 

I am back home safely in Canada after two months travelling widely through France, Portugal, Poland, Spain and Kazakhstan. Thousands photos are now in my external hard drive under all kinds of classification: landscapes, mountains, old monuments, modern buildings, churches, women and men, animals, street life, and of course many other groups of our eight disciplines through “Stages” in Porto, Les Sables d’Olonne, Vo-Viet  Competition, Chi-Vat Championship, and Chi-Kiem School in Poland. We can make many exciting PowerPoint Shows if someone volunteer to help.

Almaty in Kazakhstan could surprise you. This nice garden-city, surrounded by high mountains, having one and a half million inhabitants is a very dynamic center of scientific, cultural, historical, financial and industrial activities as I can notice during my stay there. Once I wandered around the old part of Almaty I incidentally got into a beautiful modern shopping center named “Silk Way”, suddenly I awakened to the realization that thousands years ago the Silk Road passed by where I was happily standing. What a pleasure!

At Kainar University, for two weeks I taught intensive MBA courses plus a seminar on Dynamic Finance, a kind of seminar I designed for “Black Belt MBA people”, we mean the executive people who would like to know how to successfully apply Martial Art Spirit and Strategy to Business activities under global world. My learners were exalted and I was very  happy, however I do confess that the hot weather and many long days of teaching made me, in the end, more tired than usual. The good thing is you clearly feel that here, in this former Soviet state, people really want to learn and to contribute to the growth of their new republic. Kainar is among the first private universities in this country, a university with clear vision and high mission, but it is not among the most prestigious and wealthy universities in Almaty and that is why I admire the efforts of its rector, deans, and faculty members in running this promising institution through challenges. Here, in Almaty, students fight hard for having an opportunity to learn, while in Paris or elsewhere in Western Europe some students also fight hard but for having the right to “strike”!  So, in life, there are two different kinds of challenge on the same issue of learning. If asked I would advise our youth to travel far away and learn how people elsewhere today are so willing to learn. Travelling is to open the eyes and see how we often miss to see what is missing around us.

            Charles Phan Hoang  ( June 2008)

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This non-edited LETTER is for internal communication among our friends and members at LBB (Leading Black Belts World Organization) and VIET-CHI Disciplines. Dr. Charles Phan Hoang is a distinguished international university professor of Research Methodology for Economics and Social Sciences; emeritus university professor in Canada and the USA. He is the Grand Master and Chancellor of Leading Black Belts World Organization (LBB).

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Le ciel de Porto                Nơi đây trời đẹp như mơ

Est toujours bleu

Parfois il y a des jours        Dù cho mưa gió, gió mưa bên ngoài

Il pleut, seulement dehors

Jamais dans mon cœur      Lòng tôi  cứ thấy đẹp hoài

Porto! Oporto!                 Porto trời vẫn xanh dài suốt đêm!

Le ciel est toujours bleu,

même dans la nuit           

Il fait nuit ici,                     Đêm là đêm ở bên đây

le soleil se lève déjà là-bas   Còn như bên ấy « soleil » chan hòa

Je le sais car

j’aime le ciel de Porto          Trên đời ai hiểu được ta

Qui protège les gens

que j’aime                        Có đoàn đệ tử thiết tha ân tình

Ceux qui partagent avec moi   Cùng nhau khởi cuộc hành trình

Ce grand voyage                Con đường vạn lý nhiệt tình xông pha

Ceux de là-bas,

avec impatience                 Con đường lý tưởng Võ Ta

Qui m’attendent                      Đợi mong ngày tới Thầy qua dậy truyền

OUI! Il fera beau à Ofir           Đúng rồi, trời đẹp qúa ta

Nous allons tous à la plage       Hò nhau ra tận bãi xa mịt mùng

Le sable est fin                        Cước quyền điệp điệp trùng trùng

On s’entraine

jusqu’au matin                       Luyện công luyện kiếm anh hùng sợ chi

Sans peur                              Thâu đêm ta luyện can gì                             

Le ciel de Porto est

toujours beau. /.                   Sớm mai nắng đẹp bên trời Porto ./.

             Charles Phan Hoang   (02 juillet 2008)

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VIETCHI POST  No 03

TINH-MAT, 28 PERFECT NUMBER MOVEMENTS

One of the most important form (Quyen, kata) of VIETTAICHI is the TINH-MAT.

Its full title is NHI THAP BAT TINH MAT CHIEU/ 28 Secret Perfect Movements.

This Quyen teaches us many techniques, vital points, acupuncture meridians, martial arts strategies etcetera. One important question is Why the number of 28?

28 is a "perfect number". In term of philosophy it is a concept of beauty, a secret of heaven, and a mystical number that appears in old cultures of many different people in Asia and in the Middle East.

In Mathematics, precisely in the field of Number Theory, a perfect number is a positive integer that is equal to the sum of its integral factors, including 1 but excluding itself. Six is the simplest example of a perfect number. We notice that the numbers that can divide 6 without remainder is 3, 2, and 1. Six is a perfect number because:

       6=3x2xl  and   6= 3+ 2 + l 

This make us think to another Quyen of Viettaichi: The Six Wonderful Movements “LUC-DIEU”. But for now, let us come back to the number 28.

 This is a “perfect number” because the numbers that can divide 28 (without remainder) are 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14, and we note that also:   

       28= 14+7++4 +2+1.

The concept of numerical perfection is well known from the time of Pythagoras (fl. sixth century B.C. ). Perfection depends on a number's divisors, numbers that will divide perfectly into the original one. For instance, the divisors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. But 12 is not a “perfect number” because the sum of the divisors (1+ 2+3+4+6 = 16), is greater than the 12. It is called an "excessive" number, not a perfect number.

In the Quyen TINH-MAT there are 28 movements, each movement is a lesson which deal,  in the same time, with several issues from health improvement method, martial art technique, acupuncture vital points to social relationship and wisdom. Like the moon that orbits the earth every 28 days, Viettaichi practitioners execute the 28 movements in the same way:

Being in perfect harmony with oneself and with the Nature.

This is a secret for a Healthy and Happy Life

       Master Charles Phan Hoang (founder of VIETTAICHI)

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VIETCHI POST  No 04

FROM THE NOTEBOOK OF MASTER PHAN-HOANG

ENTRE-DEUX-MERS.

Parfois sur l’étiquette de certaines bouteilles de vin on voit  la mention « Entre-deux-Mers », mais où se trouve cette région au nom mystérieux? Voici mes notes prises il y a vingt-et-un ans que je viens de retrouvées par hasard, juste au moment où je prépare mes bagages pour faire un autre voyage de Montréal à Paris :

« Le 16 mars 1987 sur un vol Air Canada, Montréal-Paris, j'ai lu ceci : Si vous désirez boire un bon vin Entre-deux-Mers, sur quel océan vous engageriez-vous pour en trouver sur place ? Les deux mers en question sont la Dordogne, longeant Bergerac et Lisbourne avant de rejoindre la Garonne qui elle est un fleuve provenant d'Espagne et se jetant dans l'Atlantique. »

Voilà une bonne  réponse. Je connaissais pourtant pas mal la Dordogne mais sans savoir, pendant  longtemps, qu’elle est le lieu de naissance de cette belle appellation. Les trois villes, Limoges en Haute-Vienne, Périgueux en Dordogne et Brive dans la Corrèze, forment un triangle intéressant reposant sur les trois départements bien différents et offrant un circuit que je connaissais très bien. Récemment j’ai eu l’occasion de revoir la Haute-Vienne et la Dordogne, mais pas encore la Corrèze.  En 1963, l’ancienne impératrice du Vietnam, Nam-Phuong Hoang-Hau, repose dans une petite cimetière à Chabrignac en Corrèze. Elle s’est réfugiée en France après le renversement de l’empereur Bao-Dai qui a eu lieu en 1955 au Vietnam. 

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VIETCHI POST  No 05

EMAIL CORRESPONDANCE  WITH  DISCIPLE

--------------------------- 

VOVIET Communication <vovietblackbelt@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear G.

Although I am very busy, it always a pleasure for me to be helpful for my disciples.

Please feel free to ask questions, I will try my best to provide you with guidance.

What is the motivation to keep us going?

My answer: A deep passion to whatever we practice. In addition, a good environment (friendship, team, club) can be a plus. A STRONG SENSE  of the meaning of life and LOVE are significant..

Thank you

Phan Hoang

(I am writing in a class room at International University of Florida while my students working on finding data through the web :-)
------------------------------------------- 

Dear Grand Master,

I can see that you wrote on a Saturdaty, you are teaching all the time, even during the week-end !

I received your answer with great interest. I have to thank you so much. I will keep your words with me for long. I read and re-read your message. The terms you use, their order of appearance are great source of meditation, and such a guidance for me….

I was such impressed by your words “then a STRONG SENSE of the meaning of life”. Taking some distance to be able to analyse one’s role, to determine one’s mission is certainly a point to address early. And a tricky point. You seem to have chosen education as the cause of your life, vvd/vtc ('sword ;-) ) being only tools (/symbols ;-) ), and not ends to achieve your goals. This is a deep source of thinking as well, about what to expect from life, and how to succeed in life in general. Always the same question ! Morality, ideology and religion can give some clues, but they also have their limitations. I have a deep passion for vvd, and for me it’s a passion in its own, maybe that disturbs me a bit. I have to precisely determine how it fits, or adds to my destiny (being modernisation of society…I’m in the computer industry!).

--------------------------------------  
G.C  wrote:

Dear Grand Master,

Good idea to go to Miami by this time of the year. Better than Paris or Warsaw! Whether adapt to the environment or change the environment!

… I am impressed by the energy you devote to your students. I sometimes wonder how long I’ll be able to stay focused on our great art. Job, family, friends can be so demanding sometimes. What makes some people remain in the way, what makes other stop?

Everybody has his own reason. I like to learn the motivations of different people, different levels, different backgrounds. I shall not ask you what keeps you on track, because you told us you had no time for personal answer, which I totally understand. Furthermore it’s a private question. But I wanted to express my feeling about the motivation you share with your students... (G.C).

VOVIET Communication <vovietblackbelt@yahoo.com> wrote:

[to G.]

I am about to go to Miami for almost three weeks teaching intensive doctoral courses and training my disciples VTC-VV early morning and evening!

Please say Hello to all the Paris group and tell them I expect to see all of you in Warsaw 30 April- 01May

Best wishes

Phan Hoang

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VIETCHI POST  No 05

    - From Master Phan Hoang : MESSAGE FROM Portugal

I trust you are enjoying the nice weather of summer and i wish all of you and your family a joyful vacations. kindly send  us some pictures of your place.

I am writing this from the beach of OFIR in Portugal. This beach is reallya Paradise! Our Summer Sessions of VO-VIET and VTC are going very well here. Closing ceremony is on Thursday 24 and a “SOIREE DE GALA” will follow! Friday through Sunday 25-27 we do the PEACE SWORD Chi-Kiem intensive training. There will have 28 participants, all cannot wait! It will be a wonderful experience. The National Television has come for an interview and filming about one hour. We were very excited!

Warmest thoughts and best wishes

Phan Hoang

QUOTATION:

-“THOSE WHO KNOW DO, THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW TEACH.” (AUTHOR?)

-“THUAN VO THUAN CHONG, TAT BIEN DONG CUNG CAN” (Vietnamese proverb: Good understanding between spouses could help to solve any problem, even drying the Ocean).

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VIETCHI POST  No 06

THE ART OF PEACE-SWORD “CHI-KIEM”

   Master Charles Phan Hoang   - August 2008

Looking at the course of History and looking around the world today, it is not hard to find that peaceful people are very often harmed by belligerent guys wanting to provoke war. War is enemy of peace, but true Peace should not have any enemy although this is quite a paradox. Therefore the best way to make peace is to change the nature of war, turn instruments of war into tools for peace, turn belligerent spirit into dynamic mind for development. It is like the best way to get rid of enemies is to make them friends. My concern now is focused on one traditional weapon which is a symbol of war: the sword. I want to change it into a Sword of Peace.

 For centuries, the sword has been a weapon and a symbol of superiority. Although the beauty of some kinds of swords is very attractive, the main purpose of a sword still was a tool for killing. Therefore the techniques of the majority of sword schools are based on fighting and killing techniques. In such environment, it is hard for the practitioners to really keep their mind to be peaceful. They often take the training for peaceful mind as for wining a superiority over the opponent in order to win. In fact they are preparing for war. Our society needs more real peaceful women and men. Peaceful people must find a way to be stronger than belligerent people. I created, many years ago, the Art of Peace Sword keeping in mind this guideline of thought.

WHAT IS CHI-KIEM, THE ART OF PEACE WORD?

This discipline is an art for Peace. CHI-KIEM, Peace-Sword, is made of wood, which is the opposite of steel. Wood is a symbol of Peace. When fighting is needed Chi-Kiem techniques could prove to be very strong in counter-attack against a metal sword, still all trainings and techniques of Chi-Kiem are based on the purpose of Peace and good health. Peaceful mind, and peaceful life are the aims of Chi-Kiem. Physical development, technical skills, strategy building, inner energy training, mental training,  all are guided by Peace Spirit. Chi-Kiem is NOT another school of sword, it is another way to consider the art of sword. CHI-KIEM is a new discipline: A way of Peace, Self-development, and Happiness.  

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF PRACTISING CHI-KIEM? The practice of CHI-KIEM brings us joy, discipline, confidence, inner energy, and peace in life. CHI-KIEM makes us Strong and Happy.

The term of CHI-KIEM/PEACE SWROD is for short, the full name of this discipline is VIET-CHI-KIEM: The Ultimate Sword for Peace.   

THE MOTTO of Chi-Kiem is:  HONOR and VISION

In another chapter we will show details on the dimensions of Chi-Kiem sword and practical way to make oneself a training sword of Chi-Kiem. ( Continued on the next issue)

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VIETCHI POST  No 07

(continued)    CHI-KIEM

DESCRIPTION OF PEACE-SWORDS CHI-KIEM

There are three types of swords in CHI-KIEM for different purposes.

Type 1.  HANH-KIEM (Hành-Kiếm) - Wooden sword for all practices, inner energy and combat training. This is the most usual form of  Peace-sword for many occasions.

For advanced practitioners there are two other categories to consider, as follows.

Type 2.  TAM-KIEM (Tâm-Kiếm) - Wooden sword of advanced practitioners for training in meditation, self healing, advanced techniques.  

Type 3.  TUONG-KIEM (Tuợng-Kiếm) – Sword made of steel as a symbol and not for use, for leaders and masters.

All these three types of Chi-Kiem observe the following description:

The length of the blade depending on the height of the user; it is about the length from the first joint of the fingers -holding the shield of Chi-Kiem while the tip touching the armpit-, to the end of the arm. The standard is of  60 centimeters.

The length of the handle is equal to two times of the fist of the user.

The shield between blade and handle is in oval form (like a flower, the best is with 8 petals)

The knob is rounded and its length is about 25 milimeters. 

The wooden training sword HANH-KIEM (type1) is the easiest to be made with less formal requirement. However standard for solidity, simplicity, and beauty should be respected.

The wooden sword TAM-KIEM should be made with a wood of excellent quality.

In Vietnam, there is a wood named the Mun, western visitors in the 17^th century once named it the iron wood. Another good wood well known in South Vietnam is named Cam-Lai. That is the reason why, in our jargon, we also call our good wooden Chi-Kiem Sword the “Cam-Lai-Kiem”. In Western countries, the wood of oak is recommended among others of high quality.

PRACTICAL WAY TO MAKE A HANH-KIEM

The wooden training sword HANH-KIEM is the easiest to be made with less formal requirement. However standard for solidity, simplicity, and beauty should be respected.  Follow step by step the indications on the pictures below to make your own Training Hanh-Kiem (Type 1), the most usual.

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There are Friends and there are Mexican Friends!! 

 I first met Professor Jorge Morelos in October 2000 at the TEC DE MONTERRAY, campus ITESM, just outside of Mexico City. He is a graduate from Georgia TECH and teaches Finance.  We became quickly close friends and he helped me discover many aspects of the wonderful Mexican society.

Recently I received an email from him with a very nice humorous text. I thought I should share it with you. Here it is, enjoy. (phan-hoang)

 
FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Are the reason you have food.
. . . 
FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Call your parents mom and dad.
. . 
FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.
 . .  
FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing and just being together and then take a plate to go.
 . . . 
FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours.
 . . . 
FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' ass that left you.
 . . . 
FRIENDS: Are for a while.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Are for life.
 . . . 
FRIENDS: Pretend it is OK when you are being a pest.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Tell you, 'Ay, como chingas!!!!! 
 . . . 
FRIENDS: Will ignore this.
MEXICAN FRIENDS: Will forward this to their other Mexican friends!!

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VIETCHI POST  No 08

BEING A TEACHER

“The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a
CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid
going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to
become a teacher?” He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.”

To emphasize his point, he said to another guest; “You’re a teacher, Susan.
Be honest. What do you make?”

Susan, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied,

“You want to know what I make?
 * “I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.
* “I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence.

“You want to know what I make?
* “I make kids wonder.
* “I make them question.
* “I make them criticize.
* “I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them understand that if you have the brains, and follow
your heart, and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you
must pay no attention because they just didn’t learn.”

Susan paused and then continued. “You want to know what I make?  ‘I MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.’ 

THERE IS MUCH TRUTH IN THAT STATEMENT:
“Teachers make every other profession possible!”(Received in my email box, 2006. Excerpt)

Dear Truongs, LBB, and Peace Black Belts, this is worth sending to every teacher you know and everyone on your mailing list, for that matter. Transmitting to others our arts and knowledge of any of the eight Viet-Chi disciplines we are proud to be TEACHERS.

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VIETCHI POST  No 09

CHI-VAT       A Unique School of Strong Body-Mind Training

What is Chi-Vat?  Chi-Vat is a modernized Vietnamese grappling art. It is a new discipline of martial art, a self-defense method and a sport. It is a way of training  for  a Strong Body-Mind with high moral value principle.  

Origine

The root of  this modernized discipline is from a thousand year old method of vo-vat in  Vietnam. This oldest discipline has been recently restructured and modernized by the Grand Master Charles Phan Hoang who founded the discipline of CHI-VAT with the help of his accomplished disciple Master Ryszard Jozwiak (Dung Tien) who is a famous master of Vietnamese martial arts in Poland. Grand Master Charles Phan-Hoang is a Canadian citizen and a prestigious university professor in the USA.

Goal

The practice of CHI-VAT is for cultivating physical and mental strength, developing equilibrium and happiness in life.

Particularity 

Unlike the majority of martial arts disciplines, the method of CHI-VAT does not imply fist strike and leg kick. The sport of CHI-VAT uses many techniques of grasping, pushing, pressing, turning, locking, and with different scissors to put the opponent down on the ground and out of combat.

Vision

Thank to its new approach to combat, its attractive training methods, this sport of  CHI-VAT will be rapidly adopted in many martial arts centers, sports centers, elementary and secondary schools throughout the world.

Teacher training

With International Leading Black Belt Organization,  CHI-VAT Teacher Training Program offers various possibilities to those who wish to become teacher of CHI-VAT.

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VIETCHI POST  No 10

THE BIRTH OF VIETNAMESE MODERNIZED

GRAPPLING SPORT  CHI-VAT

When we observe children playing at school or on a playground we quickly notice that they love pushing, grasping, turning, running back and forth, and making noise. That is the natural way of children playing. Unfortunately there are few sport disciplines that could fill the need of children. The best discipline we know could be Judo. However Judo, although excellent, has its own limits.

For many years I have been searching to create some discipline that could help children, and also adult people, more willing to practice. One evening, in Warsaw, during an intensive training of Leading Black Belts I ordered that everyone spontaneously present something without hesitation. When it came to his turn, my senior disciple, master Ryszard  Dung-Tien showed us some moves of Vat, a well-known Vietnamese discipline. Although aged over fifty, he still did it so well and so fast that all of us were surprised and felt young like children willing to play against each others. So, that evening we turned the planned training into a Vat analyzing session. The Vietnamese traditional Vat has a long history and great value, however it needs to be modernized if one wants to offer something new, helpful and attractive to our modern society. Since that evening, four years ago, I feel fortunate having master Ryszard working closely with me. He has the most needed background to support creating a new martial art discipline with Vietnamese roots and modern approaches. After several years of hard work and serious research, last October 2006 we reached the goal set for our efforts. All Leading Black Belts who attended my training in Warsaw last October worked very late that night to practice the new discipline we call CHI-VAT. Before these Leading Black Belts, I established the foundation of CHI-VAT, pronounced its ethics code, provided guidelines to its development, and declared the rules and the ceremony for Competition.  Around midnight, the birth of CHI-VAT was declared and then I appointed master Ryszard to the highest position of DAI-DO.

Now it belongs to all others to contribute to the development of this newest discipline of martial arts. The future of CHI-VAT is exciting!

Phan-Hoang, March 2007

www.vovietjournal.org

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VIETCHI POST  No 11

WHY DO WE EMPHASIZE THE ROLE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT?

Research and development are works directed towards the deep understanding of things, the improvement and innovation to the practice. Hence, at any discipline and organization, progresses are made thanks to research and development activities.

Research starts with identifying an issue or a problem which is often unnoticed by others and then raising a number of questions in order to discover solutions. For example, Front Leg Kick which is a popular and most simple technique at any martial art school could be an issue when researchers raise questions on its real effectiveness and its side effects that could harm students in long term. The next step is to find out how the current practice is, how many different techniques there are (this is called "literature review"). Following steps are setting appropriate method of investigation, collecting unbiased information and analyzing the obtained data. Expected outcome could show a number of situations (in the case of Front Leg Kick, a variety of techniques so far unknown by each others) and bring truth or answer to the questions (e.g. what is the correct method for training Front Leg Kick).

Development is a dynamic application of the knowledge obtained from research outcome. This help, on the one hand avoid past errors, and, on the other hand, improve the practice, create new way of doing and training, reaching higher performance with less effort.  

Regarding our own activities, first we identify a number of subjects related to our fields of interest, regarding our eight disciplines such as Viettaichi, Voviet, Chi-Kiem, Chi –Vat, then put it on our agenda.

In practice, we cannot just rank these subjects by priority because we have to wait until the moment we have someone volunteer for taking the subject of  his or her interest and call for creating a small group of black belts who want to train themselves of these techniques. We must start with modest program, find practical outcome and  quickly develop our expertise. Frequent communication between members is crucial; fortunately nowadays there is Internet and Email easily available everywhere we are.

Currently we are building a team for "NHAO LAN" -Rolling, falling, jumping- techniques.

Send me a few words through email (vovietmailbox@vovietjournal.org) if you are interested to being part of this team. Don't ask me what you have to do, just tell me you want to do something then I'll tell you what is the best you can do.

I would never ask lazy people to show up, I prefer to encourage busy people to engage in.

Busy people are motivated by success,  lazy people are busy to cause failure.

Be Strong, Be Helpful

Phan-Hoang  (VIETCHI Post, 05 September 2008)

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VIETCHI POST  No 12

 LETTRE DU MAÎTRE PHAN-HOANG

LA RENTREE DES CLASSES

J'espère que la rentrée des classes et la reprise des entraînements  se sont bien passées chez vous et de tout cœur je souhaite à tous une excellente année scolaire 2008-2009; Paix et Santé.

A Ottawa, il fait très beau depuis le mois d'août jusqu'à ce jour. Ceci m'a permis de faire mon entraînement le matin au parc et de souvent pédaler dans l'après-midi, pour une vingtaine de kilomètres, en suivant les pistes cyclables qui traversent quelques quartiers résidentiels, serpentent dans deux ou trois sous-bois et puis continuent son chemin en longeant tranquillement la rivière d'Ottawa, une belle rivière rêveuse qui change complètement son paysage à chaque saison.      

Durant la période de 'Back To School', comme on le dit en anglais ici, j'aime bien aller jusqu'au centre ville en vélo , m'arrêtant 'par ci et par là' , pour pouvoir vivre pleinement la vibrante ambiance de la rentrée des classes à différents endroits comme écoles, librairies, magasins, Marché By Ward, centre commercial Rideau, rue Spark. Dans tous les pays, chaque année la rentrée des classes donne une ambiance vibrante et un dynamisme fantastique, même provisoire, à toute la société. D’où vient cette force mystérieuse?  Je pense que l'explication tient en quelques mots, RENOUVEAU, DEFI, et ESPOIR . La rentrée des classes est essentiellement cela.

Malheureusement beaucoup de gens, absorbées par d'autres soucis de la vie, ont oublié l'excitation et le dynamisme qui leur inspiraient par la rentrée des classes, chaque années,  au temps où ils étaient des écoliers ou jeunes étudiants pleins d'espoir dans l'avenir. Ils cherchent maintenant le secret du succès de la vie auprès des adultes en oubliant leur plus précieux trésor qui se cache dans leur jeunesse lointaine: aimer le RENOUVEAU, accepter le DEFI, et garder ESPOIR.

Nous, pratiquants de notre Art, nous sommes assez chanceux, à tout âge, pour avoir encore, chaque année, à vivre l'enthousiasme de notre 'rentrée des classes' en reprenant le chemin de notre salle d'entraînement, même si ce n'est que pour une où deux fois par semaine. Notre Art ne nous entraîne pas pour être plus fort que les autres, mais pour nous aider à découvrir notre faiblesse et de le surmonter. Notre Art nous fait grandir pour pouvoir accepter le défi le plus grand: SAVOIR ACCEPTER LES DEFIS AVEC L'ESPOIR LE PLUS SOLIDE..

Meilleurs souhaits à tous.