Binh Dinh has many advantages in developing mixed martial arts.

From April 4 to 8, the national mixed martial arts training course was organized by the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation, and the Department of Culture and Sports in Quy Nhon City. On this occasion, Binh Dinh Newspaper reporters had an interview with General Secretary of the Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation Mai Thanh Ba about the opportunities to develop this sport in Binh Dinh.

* Could you please introduce some features of mixed martial arts?

- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a sport in which fighters can demonstrate all the techniques and skills of all martial arts in the world. MMA originated from the desire of schools to find out which martial art is the strongest in the world. All the quintessence of martial arts has created MMA.

* How is the MMA movement in Vietnam now, sir?

- The MMA movement has developed in Vietnam for more than 10 years, but spontaneously and without state management. In 2020, with the permission of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the MMA Federation was officially established. After 3 years, despite having to go through the Covid-19 pandemic, the MMA Federation has organized a number of events and tournaments that have attracted the attention of the public and martial arts lovers in Vietnam.

* What is the current MMA tournament system in Vietnam like?

- Currently, we are building the Lion Championship tournament system, a professional tournament in which fighters will be ranked and receive bonuses immediately after the match ends. Thereby, forming professionalism in which fighters can live by their profession and by their dedication to the audience.

Instructor demonstrates knockdown and wrestling techniques at the national mixed martial arts coach training course held in Quy Nhon City. Photo: HOANG QUAN

* MMA matches are very attractive and engaging to audiences, but some audiences are concerned that the punches can potentially injure the fighters…

- For a long time, we have been familiar with disciplines that have standing techniques such as traditional martial arts, vovinam and later imported disciplines such as karate, taekwondo..., disciplines that specialize in ground fighting such as folk wrestling, freestyle wrestling. MMA is a combination of standing and ground fighting techniques. Therefore, in competition, some people see the boxer fall but still continue to fight, in fact, when on the ground they still perform their own fighting techniques.

Another point is that MMA gloves are quite thin, which can cause great damage, but are actually very safe in that if the boxer is stunned and does not pass that decisive moment, the referee will stop the match, unlike boxing where the referee will pause to count. Science in the world has also studied that the rate of injury and after-effects in boxing is higher than MMA.

*With the traditional martial arts movement developing strongly in the localities, what advantages does Binh Dinh have when having fighters participating in MMA, sir?

- Binh Dinh already has the inherent factor that the people here love martial arts. And in Binh Dinh's traditional martial arts, there is a part of MMA skills, which is the foundation for Binh Dinh martial arts to develop this mixed martial art. We just need to try to accept new techniques, training methods, I think Binh Dinh will have great potential to develop with today's modern MMA. I have witnessed Binh Dinh martial artists competing at the Lion Championship with a lot of potential, but also need to add some new techniques, I think they will
success.

* Thank you!

On the afternoon of April 8, the 2023 national mixed martial arts coaching training course held in Quy Nhon City closed. On the morning of April 8, the trainees took the theoretical and practical exams. As a result, 160 trainees were awarded certificates, of which 11 trainees achieved excellent results. The training course was organized to improve the professional qualifications and training skills of the coaches, and improve the management capacity of the referee force in the coming time.

HOANG QUAN (Implementation)

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