Research
Articles & Research
Essays and research by Master Redouane Guendouzi on Vovinam pedagogy, coaching science, and the culture of Vietnamese martial arts.
The Belt Is the Curriculum: What Vovinam's Blue–Yellow–Red Ladder Teaches Us About Motivation, Mastery, and Student Retention
From the light-blue belt of the beginner to the red belt of the master, Vovinam's ranking system is a public map of the journey — and a complete theory of human motivation. A world champion examines what sport science says about why visible milestones keep students training for years.
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Red Means Responsibility: My Climb From Black Belt to Master (2007 → 2022)
Black belt in 2007, second degree in 2010, third degree in 2018, red belt 4th-degree Master in 2022 — every stripe earned, none given. A two-time world champion reflects on what each belt taught him, and why red means responsibility.
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Thirteen Kids on a Monday at Five: Vovinam Arrives at the Mecca Center
13 kids lined up Monday at 5 PM at the Mecca Center in Willowbrook, IL. By Wednesday: 16. The USAVVF children's Vovinam program launches — mats with kids on them.
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Training Tip of the Week: Your Basics Are the Trophy
Spend more time on your basics than your highlights: the 100 slow-reps rule, why slow comes before fast, and how basics build discipline in children without speeches.
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Seventeen Years Later, on the Same Mat: From World Champion to World Referee
In 2006 a referee raised his hand at the Vovinam World Cup. In 2023 he was the WVVF referee raising someone else's — on why a career doesn't end when you stop competing.
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One Week, One Thread: What Seven Days of Vovinam Taught Me All Over Again
From world titles to referee's duties, from black belt to red — one thread runs through seven days of Vovinam: the mat only asks what you bring today.
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