From an early age, Zucca Riccardo fell in love with traditional Vietnamese martial arts. (Photo: Pham Ly)

Love grows from martial arts studio

From an early age, young Zucca Riccardo (Milano, Italy) fell in love with traditional Vietnamese martial arts. He studied the sport with a Vietnamese master, who is living in France.

In 1982, Zucca Riccardo founded a studio and sect named Tam Cuong. He regularly went to Vietnam to attend festivals and more in-depth martial lessons with local asters. Guided by Le Kim Hoa, Vice President and Head of the Academic Committee, Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation, Zucca joined Thanh Long Vo Dao (Thanh Long school of martial art), under Vo Tay Son - Binh Dinh genre.

My Duyen and her husband Zucca Riccardo teach for three studios in Italy. (Photo: Pham Ly)

In 2006, Zucca Riccardo attended a Martial Arts Festival in Binh Dinh and met a girl named Nguyen Thi Phuong Thuy (commonly called My Duyen) from Long An. The two fell in love right when they met. While waiting for her boyfriend to practice martial arts for performances, My Duyen gradually became passionate about martial arts and started to learn basic lessons. Their love grew in martial arts studios and resulted in a marriage in 2011.

After getting married, My Duyen accompanied her husband to settle in Italy. It was Zucca who inspired My Duyen to follow the path of martial arts. My Duyen started to learn the sport twice as hard as other students. She came to the studio almost every day to practice and teach. Thanks to her husband's support and tutoring, My Duyen took an exam to become a martial arts coach in Italy.

After 40 years of practicing and coaching, Zucca Riccardo has a Master's degree from the Vietnam Traditional Martial Arts Federation and a Grandmaster's degree from Thanh Long Vo Dao. In Italy, Zucca Riccardo holds a Meastro 7 degree in KungFu Vietnamita. My Duyen currently earned a certificate of senior coach from Thanh Long Vo Dao and a Maestra 1 degree in KungFu Vietnamita.

Zucca Riccardo, My Duyen and their child (Photo: Pham Ly)

Promoting Vietnamese traditional martial arts in Italy

Five Thanh Long studios are currently operating in Italy, teaching nearly 100 students in different cities. My Duyen and her husband teach at three, while the school's students with long experience and high expertise teach at the other two. The youngest student is 4 years old and the oldest is over 60, most of them are Italian. The studios open classes in the evenings from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays and Sundays, they train coaches and masters.

When they have free time, My Duyen and Zucca Riccardo teach physical education classes at the primary school where they live to introduce the Vietnamese ancient martial arts to children in Italy.

Zucca Riccardo and My Duyen perform a lion dance. (Photo: Pham Ly)

For 40 years in martial arts, Zucca Riccardo's dojo has trained thousands of students, from whom many martial arts schools and sects have been opened, promoting Vietnamese traditional martial arts to international friends.

Each year, the couple holds two competitions or takes their students to participate in tournaments across Italy. Zucca Riccardo and his wife even brought their students to Vietnam for a martial arts exchange visit.

"To stay close to my origin, I always try to use Vietnamese while coaching my students. For example, I count from one to ten, greet and say the names of the moves and exercises in Vietnamese," My Duyen said.

My Duyen said Italian people were extremely fond of Vietnamese martial arts, so she and her husband hope the sport will grow stronger because it expresses the spirit and cultural identity that are preserved and handed down through thousands of years of Vietnamese people's national construction and defense cause.

My Duyen, her colleagues and Vietnamese Ambassador to Italy Nguyen Thi Bich Hue (Photo: Pham Ly)

Nowadays, Vietnamese traditional martial arts are well received and spread all over the world not only because of its warrior and sports spirit, but more importantly for its ethics of staying humble, generous and respecting teachers, which are always appreciated by students.

When receiving invitations, or joining festivals in Italy, she and her husband try to participate to introduce, preserve, and develop Vietnamese culture in general and traditional martial arts in particular.

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