Vovinam Viet Vo Dao was founded by Master Nguyen Loc in 1938 and is based on both traditional Vietnamese martial arts as well as a combination of foreign martial arts.  It can be considered a form of “mixed martial arts” due to the vast amount of techniques being taken and utilized more effectively from other martial arts.  It is one of the most popular Vietnamese martial arts and is practiced on all continents.

The philosophy of Vovinam Viet Vo Dao centers around the principles of yin-yang, the harmony between hard and soft, and the belief that a strong body and rational mind produce an invincible will.  Often called simply Vovinam, Vovinam Viet Vo Dao uses a combination of holds and grips as well as kicking, chopping, elbowing and falling. Offensive movements often center around sending an opponent falling to the ground and keeping him pinned. More advanced techniques involve the use of some weapons such as the sword and the bo staff. A Vovinam Viet Vo Dao practitioner is constantly in motion, rolling with falls and always transforming stances so that the opponents have no idea what to expect next.

The spiritual component of Vovinam Viet Vo Dao centers around a respect for honor, a refusal to succumb to temptation and a determination to serve in life in order to build a better and more productive society. Training consists of making practitioners focus on their strengths, including speed, strength, toughness, accuracy and flexibility, the principle being that quick practitioners can use their skills to defeat stronger and slower ones.

Vovinam was first brought into Texas around 1975.  It has seen a steady growth and popularity ever since and was chosen a couple times to host the Vovinam World Conference, the latest being in 2004.  There are now over 15 Vovinam centers currently open in all of Texas.

http://vovinamhouston.org/about-us/

To learn more about Vovinam and it's history, visit our wiki page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vovinam