DRILL HALL
of
VÕ-TRẬN ĐẠI-VIỆT
BÌNH-ĐỊNH SA-LONG-CƯƠNG
Toulouse

        Master TRỊNH Quang Thắng opened Bình-Định SA-LONG-CƯƠNG Toulouse Drill Hall since 1987.

       His family is originally of Hà-Tĩnh. He had a propensity for Martial Arts studies since his most young age.

       In 1956, at the age of 12, he was able to follow the teaching of Bạch-Long Sơn-Tây Martial School System (Security Guard Organization at Sơn-Tây of an earlier era), from Master Lê Văn Tào (alias "Năm-Tào") in the capital of South Việt-Nam (at 586/132A, Trần Hưng Đạo Street - Saigon) untill to 1964, in which year he left for France in order to go to university at Marseille.

       In 1968, he was introduced to SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System recently established in France under the aegis of Grand-Master TRƯƠNG Thanh Đăng (founder of SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System residing at 447/43, Nguyễn-Cư-Trinh Street - Saigon).

       In 1975, at the inauguration of the Vietnamese Cultural Association of France (A.C.V.F.), he was Instructor in Chief of SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System at Marseille.

       In 1978, he obtained the Degree of Yellow Belt Rank First Cycle from SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System.

       In 1992, he was the first Martial Arts Master reaching 4th Degree of Yellow Belt Rank Second Cycle from SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System, trained abroad.

       From this very same year 1992, he was in a complete training program from SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System with Martial Rector TRƯƠNG-Bá-Đương.

       In 1999, he was raised to the 5th Degree of Yellow Belt Rank Second Cycle Martial Arts Master of SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System.

       On November 2004, he obtained the 6th Degree of Yellow Belt Rank Third Cycle Martial Arts Master of SA-LONG-CƯƠNG School System supervised by Martial Rector TRƯƠNG Bá Đương, President of the Bình-Định Sa-Long-Cương International Federation.

***

       In addition, since 1972, he was lucky to meet the Old Master Nguyễn-Thông at Montargis in Loiret (France), one descendant of the War Lord Phan-Bá-Vành (Famous Leader of Yellow Flags) and who was also the first someone having enlightened him, as to the horseback wielding of the Cavalry's Vouge from Battle Fields Martial Arts School System.

        On this occasion, the Old Master Nguyễn-Thông made him know the distinction of Four Martial Arts School from Việt people, existing since ancient times within Đại-Việt nation :

         1 - Martial Arts School for preserving the Physical Body, that means "Võ Tự-Vệ - Self Defence Martial Arts" ;
         2 - Martial Arts School for preserving the Gardens and Parcs, called brievly vắn-tắt là "Võ Vườn - Gardens Martial Arts" ;
         3 - Martial Arts School for preserving the Ricefields and Plantations, called brievly là "Võ Ruộng - Ricefields Martial Arts" ;
        4 - Martial Arts School for preserving the Country and Nation, called brievly with modesty "Võ Trận - Battlefields Martial Arts".

       Then afterwards, by following the analytical indications from Old Master Nguyễn-Thông he came in searching the "Battlefields Martial Arts School System" and he had the happy opportunity to associate with Old Master Lê Trọng Đào, in the district of An-Nhơn (at Hamlet of Hòa-Nghi), a descendant from celebrious Generalissimo Lê Vãn Khôi (dead in 1834, law's son of Left Wing's General Lê Văn Duyệt 1764~1832, under the reign of Minh-Mạng Emperor 1820~1841).

       He had the happy opportunity to learn near by numerous Old Master from Traditiona Martial Arts Lineages as well as Hương-Kiểm LÀI Lineages, Xả Đàng HÂ-Hân Lineages, inherent in illustrious Lineages of Battlefields Martial Arts such as Khiển TƯỜNG Lineages, Khiển PHẠN & Khiển THI Lineages from Martial Arts Region of Bình-Định in Việt-Nam with who he was able to continue to still perfect more in Eighteen Sections of Martial Career.

***

       The acquisition of this Intangible Cultural Heritage handed down by Martial Arts Lineages of Origin allowed him to have a direct awareness of the specific martial character of Battlefields Martial Arts School System from Việt people through out the Diversity in Codified Sequences which always keep the Unicity in Military Arts Principle.

       Aiming at the goal for preserving efficiently and restoring correctly the cultural heritage of Martial Arts of the Ancients, Master TRỊNH Quang Thắng established, since 1997, the « Department of Đại-Việt Medieval Martial Arts ».