Humanities Vovinam Club - a new meeting point

To commemorate Vietnamese Journalists' Day (June 21, 2014), the K58 Public Relations class (Faculty of Journalism and Communication), with the support of the Student Union of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Executive Committee of the Journalism and Communication Faculty, established the Humanities Vovinam Club. Unlike specialized clubs such as the Film Club (Faculty of Literature), the Student Social Work Team (Faculty of Sociology), and the Young Writers Club (Faculty of Journalism and Communication), the Humanities Vovinam Club is the first martial arts club at the University with a strong emphasis on culture, sports, and aesthetics.

The Humanities Vovinam Club took a commemorative photo with Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen (Deputy Head of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication) and Ms. Nguyen Mai Lan (President of the University's Student Union) on its launch day.

The club currently has over 30 members. The club's leadership structure includes Pham Kien Trung (K58 Public Relations - Head of the Vovinam Club at the Faculty of Humanities), and the club's main coach is Tran Hong Thuy (K54 Journalism and Communication student). Besides the main members from the K58 Public Relations class, Vovinam at the Faculty of Humanities also attracts many students from within and outside the university. These include students from the Psychology, Tourism, and Sociology faculties (University of Social Sciences and Humanities), as well as students from the University of Science (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Hanoi University, Dai Nam University, and Thuy Loi University… A special feature of the Vovinam Club at the Faculty of Humanities is that it continuously recruits new members. New members will receive dedicated guidance and support from the coaches and other club members. The club consistently maintains stable and effective training sessions from 6 PM to 8 PM every Monday and Wednesday. During these sessions, the number of members always fluctuates between 25 and 30. Therefore, for almost six months, the BC training ground at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities has become a meeting place for interaction and training for Vovinam members at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in particular, and students interested in and passionate about Vovinam in general. Coming to Vovinam at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities means experiencing a serious and effective training atmosphere, but also one filled with laughter and enthusiasm.

The Humanities Vovinam Club during a training session.

"The club's initial purpose came about quite by chance. Our K58 Public Relations class wanted a club to create a unique mark during our student years, while also allowing us to improve our health and support our studies, given the nature of Public Relations, which requires a great deal of activity.“Pham Kien Trung (K58 Public Relations - Head of the Vovinam Club at the University of Hanoi) shared. From 10 members at its inception, Vovinam at the University of Hanoi has gradually affirmed its position in cultural, sports, and arts activities and movements within the university, and has progressed to exchange activities with many other martial arts clubs in Hanoi.”

Vovinam Nhân Văn members participating in an extracurricular activity.

After a short period of operation, Vovinam at the Faculty of Humanities quickly found its true voice and purpose. This was to maintain and develop the first and only martial arts club in the university to discover and nurture talent; to create lasting connections with the school, teachers, friends, and other universities; and to contribute to preserving the traditional martial art and promoting the traditional values ​​of the nation. Operating in an environment where female students outnumber male students, and with the majority of the club members being female, Vovinam at the Faculty of Humanities had to make great efforts to find a new direction for development.

"Learning martial arts is about overcoming oneself, about expressing one's full potential. Learning martial arts is about defending what is right. Learning martial arts is also about learning to be a good person."—Huyen (a K58 Social Work student) shared. Although a new member of the club, Huyen learned martial arts very quickly and became one of the outstanding members. For Huyen, as well as the members of the Humanities Vovinam Club, Vovinam - Vietnamese martial arts is not just about learning martial arts, but also about learning ethics and how to be a good person. The Humanities Vovinam Club always brings Huyen harmony with her fellow members, enthusiasm, physical fitness, and a relaxed spirit, helping her train effectively and study better. In addition to participating in training and activities with the club members, Huyen is also an active member in exchanges with the Ba Dinh branch of the club.

Besides the active support from the university's Student Union and the Executive Committee of the Journalism and Communication Faculty's branch, the members also contribute a small amount of funding to maintain academic activities and exchanges with clubs outside the university.

Currently, the Humanities Vovinam Club maintains friendly relations with the Ba Dinh and FSB Vovinam Clubs. Members of the Humanities Vovinam Club frequently visit these clubs for training, exchange, and learning. To foster closeness and familiarity, the three clubs—Humanities Vovinam, FSB, and Ba Dinh Vovinam Club—have organized joint outings. These opportunities expand relationships and promote the image of the Humanities Vovinam Club to outside friends, while also allowing members to better understand, appreciate, and bond with each other. In the near future, the club plans to expand its relationships with the Van Quan and Ngoai Giao Vovinam Clubs.