• White Belt of President of the World Council of Masters.
• Direct disciple of the founding master Nguyen Loc.
• Founding member of the 1st Council of Vovinam-VVD Masters in 1964.
• Secretary General of the World Council of Masters of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao, 2 terms: 1996-2000 and 2000-2004.
• Member of the World Council of Masters (2004-2008, 2012-2016).
• President of the Supreme Council of Masters (2008-2012).
• President of the World Council of Masters (2016-2022)

Grandmaster Nguyen Van Cuong is one of the highest-ranking masters of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao, founding member of the Central Direction and of the 1st Council of Masters Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao in 1964, Secretary General of the World Council of Masters for two terms (1996-2004), President of the Supreme Council of Masters for the term 2008-2012 and in 2016 he held the position of President of the World Council of Masters Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao until this day.

Grandmaster Nguyen Van Cuong was born in 1938 in Hanoi, northern Vietnam, to a modest family with a tradition of Western medication for many generations. 

In 1954, his family migrated to the South of Vietnam. He attended LaSan Taberd, Ho Ngoc Can (baccalaureate I) and Chu Van An (baccalaureate 2) high schools, then graduated in law and arts from the University of Saigon. 

In 1966, he graduated from the National School of Administration, 11th cohort. A few months later, because of the war, he was called up for services. Coming from the 23rd cohort of the School of Reserve Officers of Thu Duc. In 1967/1968, he was appointed deputy prefect of Di Linh district, then in 1972, he became deputy governor of Lam Dong province until April 1975.

After two years in prison (brainwashing center) due to political regime change in Vietnam, he escaped from prison in 1976 and crossed the Thailand border then moved to the United States (Oklahoma) in 1977 until this day. 

Grandmaster Nguyen Van Cuong started Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao in 1956 through his friend, Master Tran Huy Phong. He trained with the founding master Nguyen Loc at the "Thu Khoa Huan" club, Aviateur Garros street in Saigon, and since then he has become one of the pillars of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao. In 1964, with the great masters at the time, he created the 1st Council of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao Masters and legalized Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao in the form of a national federation. He holds the position of Treasurer of the Central Directorate with the rank of Red Belt 4th Dang.

In 1990, on the occasion of the first world congress of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao in California in the United States, he became a founding member of the International Federation of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao and chaired the Consultative Commission of this federation

In 1995, in response to the appeal of master patriarch Tran Huy Phong, master Nguyen Van Cuong and the masters of the former Council of Masters in 1964, published on September 16, 1995, the declaration of the official establishment of the Provisional Council of Masters abroad. This council was the precursor of the World Council of Masters and the World Federation of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao, created during the 2nd World Congress in 1996 in Paris.

During this 2nd World Congress, having obtained the confidence of the masters present, he was elected to the position of Secretary General of the World Council of Masters of Vovinam-VVD for two consecutive terms (1996-2004). Subsequently, he continued to hold many key positions and especially in 2016, on the occasion of the 8th World Congress in California-USA, the congress entrusted him with the highest responsibility of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao: Chairman of the Council Mondial des Maîtres, a position that replaced that of Patriarch in our school.

From the function of Patriarch to the

Function of President of the World Council of Masters 

(1)   From the time when Master Founder Nguyen Loc established Vovinam in 1938 until his death in 1960, the post of Patriarch did not exist and his title is simply Founder of Vovinam 

(2)   4 years after the death of the Founding Master Nguyen Loc, in 1964, the first Council of Masters of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao created the function of Patriarch and master Le Sang was elected to this post. 

(3)   In 1986, Master Le Sang passed on the title of Patriarch to Master Tran Huy Phong. But in 1990, master Tran Huy Phong retransmitted it to master Le Sang. 

(4)   In 1996, on the occasion of the 2nd World Congress, which was held in Paris for the creation of the World Council of Masters and the World Federation of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao, the congress voted to repeal the function of Patriarch to replace him with the function of President of the World Council of Masters. But this position is left vacant because the Congress still recognizes the title of Patriarch to Master Le Sang until the day of his death. In 2002, during Master Le Sang visit to the United States, during an extraordinary meeting of the World Council of Masters, Master Le Sang was officially installed as President of the World Council of Masters (see photo below). 

(5)   In 2004, Master Le Sang resigned from the position of President of the World Council of Masters due to the exceptional circumstances in Vietnam. The World Council of Masters has elected master Nguyen Dan (brother of Founding Master Nguyen Loc) to temporarily replace him as acting President, as Grandmaster Le Sang is still alive. In 2010, after the death of master Le Sang, master Nguyen Dan officially assumed the position of President of the World Council of Masters and since that date, this function has officially replaced the function of Patriarch of Vovinam-Viet Vo Dao. 

(6)   In 2016, after the death of Master Nguyen Dan, on the occasion of the 8th World Congress, held in California, United States, the Congress elected Master Nguyen Van Cuong as President of the World Council of Masters and he has always assumed this high responsibility to this day