Grand Master Lê Sáng

We are always heard the word "revolution" but our Vovinam is also teach us a theory calls "self-revolution" by late grand master Nguyen Loc. So what is resolution ? and what is self revolution ? Why Master Nguyen Loc and Vovinam want us to learn more about this self revolution. we will discuss with a few examples, before we will dig deep into the real meaning of this self resolution of our late grand master Nguyen Loc.

Real meaning of the word resolution

Kinh Ðịch, is a set of oldest Oriental books, this books had talked about the words revolution in this sentence : " Thiên địa cách nhi tới thời hành, Thang, Vũ, Cách Mạng thuận hồ thiên nhi hồ nhân " mean: the world is changing only a year, King Thang became King while King Vu, exchanged his lives to obey God will to satisfy his people will. Here the changing King Vu 's live is the resolution by God's will. And also book Trung Dung has written as: "Thiên mệnh chi vị, Tinh chi vị Ðạo, Tu Ðạo chi vi Giáo " mean: anything that God had given to calls the way or can be translate as religion. Therefore anything God gives, it has very wide meaning. In the old age, Kings becomes Kings that is God 's will to give them a gift to look after their people. These are the definitions of the resolution according to Chinese culture. To the western world, the revolution come from Latin language is revolutio. the word revolution has its origin is the word revolver mean go around, go and came back. This revolution word has two words can be separate as : re and evolutio mean show, tell, elaborate. So the revolution mean change to the better and this is also the same mean as the old Chinese say: changing thing that God gives.

Example : Western world put too much attention to their needs but the Eastern world pay attention to their intellectual. Therefore, in the way of doing thing of Western world they always put their needs and benefit in front of all, and the same to Eastern world they put the intellectual in front of all.

The French revolution in 1789 and Russia 1917, to tell us that the western people put their priorities are their benefit and needs. And the only way to solve the conflict is go to war and it will take a long time to solve, it cost so much .... According to history, the Eastern world had not much war as the Western but beside the needs of those as the western world, they also need the intellectual. This intellectual is always use and put in front of the needs and benefit. If the revolution only accord to politic as changing the social, the government, or the management, the passage of Confucian for 14 years thought out China is a politic to change his kingdom by that time, because any where he went he taught about hoe to change the kingdom. But the local people did not support his idea of revolution, no one would listen to him and help to change of the society life by that time. At old age, Confusion change his idea instead of using politic to fight (change) the society. He went home and tried to teach for his people know the benefit of the change that he believe when he were young, and refused all the request from King Lo. The move make his idea became very famous for thousand years, until now.

The example above, give us the mean of revolution is changing to get new idea make thing better. Depend on where and when so they can have the different revolution. In China, Ton Trung Son (1866 - 1925) he had his own idea about revolution. His revolution using step by step to open the knots , resolve each problem at a time in timely manner and very slowly.

The Self-revolution of Vovinam

As we have seen, since the beginning:
The politic revolution is changing the politic with a new politic. For example: the change of kingdom to a democratic government, or the society revolution changes the bad social life with another new better social life.
Self-revolution is a theory for Vovinam only. Later Grand Master Nguyen Loc idea as men must always change to a new form to catch up with civilization in both intellectual and physical
It is different with other revolution - Most of them are change the society, political government - The self revolution of Vovinam aims at a self, change of own way life, change of old own bad habit, change ourselves to a better form, better person, better human being.

With many individuals will become a huge group of good people, this will create a much better society, therefore Grand Master Nguyen Loc show his idea of self revolution. The good and healthy men including physical and intellectual these are the spotlight of the night if there are more spotlight the dark will be gone
If we want to follow to this self revolution all Vovinam must train ourselves in 2 main parts as follow:

1. intellectual: A solid way of life, good understanding of what you about to do for your future, you must be a good citizen love your people and built your country to be the better country, must have a strong intellectual mind, a strong willing to work at any circumstances, and a will mentally trying to keep and maintain physical at a high level

2. Physical: You must have a strong and healthy body have technique to defense and attach, if needed
Conclusion: The social and politic revolution are only a sideline tools , it appears in the period of time in history , then disappeared and forgotten. But the self-revolution is a main basic tool for any revolution . It is wisely to keep practices the self-revolution at all time in order to maintain at high level. We must maintain feeding our thought the intellectual mind, keep physical at high level for true meaning living of a Vovinam disciple. always do the self-revolution for our life of today is better than yesterday. All those practices will improve our way of living life and it becomes the best living way and a conscientious civilization of human.

Grand Master Lê Sáng

Tranlated by Chieu Tran