Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was wowed by Vietnam’s traditional martial art, Vovinam, during his official visit to the Southeast Asian country.

PM Trudeau touched down in Hanoi on Wednesday morning, commencing his official trip to Vietnam from November 8 to 9, prior to his attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leader’s week in the central city of Da Nang.

A welcome ceremony hosted by Vietnamese PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc was held at the Presidential Palace in the afternoon of the same day.

That evening, a banquet at the International Convention Center in the Vietnamese capital featured a mesmerizing display of Vovinam, or Vietnamese kickboxing, to honor Trudeau’s visit to the Southeast Asian country.

Vovinam can be practiced with or without weapons, though it primarily focuses on finding the equilibrium between hard and soft, using an opponent’s own force and reactions against them.

The sport first came into being in 1938 as a means of using practicality, flexibility, speed, and ingenuity to outmaneuver opponents. 

It invokes hand strikes, elbow strikes, kicks, and leverages techniques for both offense and defense.

PM Trudeau commented on the martial artists’ abilities in female self-defense, 1v3, weapons use, and leg attacks in combat.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (second right) and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau (third right) and officials enthusiastically applaud a captivating Vovinam performance. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A female performance by athletes Mai Thi Kim Thuy and Nguyen Van Cuong was a particular highlight of the event for its effective display of counterattacks.

Trudeau offered sincere compliments to the practitioners following the outstanding performance.  

Vovinam is the fusion of Vietnamese culture with the quintessence of martial arts,  he remarked.

Mai Huu Tin, president of the Vietnam Vovinam Federation and president of the World Vovinam Federation for 2017-2022 tenure, ended the event by presenting the Canadian statesman with a traditional Vovinam uniform, or ‘vo phuc,’ and an honorary red belt adorned with five stripes and embroidery of his name.

PM Trudeau is known for being an athlete and avid boxer. In March 2012, as a member of Canada’s Parliament, he competed in a boxing match against Canadian senator Patrick Brazeau in Ottawa to raise funds for a charity.

Following his visit to Hanoi, the Canadian PM flew to Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday morning to meet with Vietnamese business leaders and participate in an armchair discussion at Ton Duc Thang University.

The next stop on his trip will be Da Nang, where he will attend the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, during which he is expected to promote Canada as a partner of choice for trade and investment in the region in a bid to deepen economic cooperation with APEC economies.

Following his business trip in Vietnam, PM Trudeau will travel to the Philippines to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila.

Athletes display their Vovinam skills at the state banquet on November 8, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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