Introduction 

Dear masters, members of the World Council of Masters, 

As President of the International Technical Board, I have the honor to propose improvements to the Vovinam-VVD 1st level saber techniques [¹]. Currently, according to the international training program, the 1st level saber techniques are taught as follows: 

-        1st Dang Black Belt level: Quyen Luong Nghi Kiem Phap and counter-attack techniques from N°1 to N°7. 

-         2nd Dang Black Belt level: Song Luyen Kiem and counter-attack techniques from N°8 to N°15. 

The remaining four saber technical levels are reserved for masters, especially for those masters who wish to specialize and become a "saber master". These saber techniques are part of our heritage and unique strength compared to other martial arts in the world, because we have been able to preserve the authenticity and substance without drifting towards the spectacular or the demonstrative aspects. 

Currently in Vovinam-VVĐ (2022) worldwide, to my knowledge, there are only a hand-full of masters who still have the knowledge of the five levels of saber techniques!

Twenty-four years ago, in 1998, at the 3rd World Congress held in Houston, Texas, USA, I submitted my second-degree red belt thesis with the aims of developing and preserving these saber techniques. I think it is time now to turn this knowledge into a book so that this Crown-Jewel of our Vovinam martial art can be preserved and advanced over time. 

However, there is an important issue that has persisted for more than 70 years: our 1st level saber techniques have several deficiencies: inconsistency and contradiction between the 3 foundational elements that compose it: Quyen Luong Nghi Kiem Phap, Song Luyen Kiem and 15 counter-attack saber techniques. In the past, I was aware of these issues, but being still young, not sufficiently qualified and in a position to submit a change proposal. 

Today, as President of the International Technical Board, I think it's time to propose this Saber reform proposal to embed the logic, synergy and consistency between the 3 foundational elements that make up the 1st level saber program. Then publish them officially in a book that will serve as an important reference. 

Analysis 

The 1st level saber techniques have the following main shortcomings: 

1.Incompleteness: 

-        In the current training program, there is a complete lack of basic saber techniques such as: guards, attack and blocking techniques. These are foundational techniques that must be taught before practicing the Saber Quyen, the Saber Song Luyen or the 15 counter-attack saber techniques. It's like we don't learn the basic techniques such as punches, kicks, parries, elbows, knees... before learning Khai Mon Quyen, Long Ho Quyen, the Song Luyen, the counterattacks, etc. 

-        Furthermore, the necessary basic saber knowledge wasn’t taught: the ways of holding the saber or the use of the saber when standing, sitting, pivoting backwards... Or the types of sabers or their characteristics (size, length, thickness, weight, curved saber, straight saber, single-or double-edged saber...). 

2.Excessive Repetition: 

Currently, in Saber Quyen, there are 78 techniques, including 36 "saber slash" techniques, which represents nearly 50% of Quyen. Below is the detailed analysis: 

-        26 saber slash techniques from bottom to top: 33.3%, more than a third of the Quyen, 

-        10 saber slash techniques from top to bottom: 12.8%,

(Including a total of 36 techniques, representing 46.1% of Quyen). 

-        11 horizontal slash techniques, 

-        4 vertical slash techniques,

-        4 45°slash techniques (including 2 from bottom to top and 2 from top to bottom), 

-        7 stab techniques (3 straight strike techniques, 2 vertical strikes from top to bottom, 1 vertical strike from bottom to top and 1 horizontal strike), 

-        15 blocks,