Letter addressed to Master VANG Ngoc Ha (8th Dang, Thieu Lam Hong Gia - Vo Co Truyen (Hung Gar Kuen), Founder and Grand Master of Hung Gar Kuen La Croix Rousse, France).

My Very Dear Master Ngoc Ha – Si Fu,

Thầy ơi, I am writing to you today from the plane taking me back to Vietnam. You have chosen to cross the Gate of the Eternal Orient, this final Journey, on December 12, 2024, at 7:46 am. Even if our last exchange on WhatsApp, where I benefited from your teaching, left me with a bitter presentiment that you would soon make this decision, I did not think it would happen so quickly. Perhaps it is a denial on my part, or certainly selfishness, because I still expected so much from your teachings and your love. What I am certain of is that you fought until the last day, without ever abandoning anyone, much less your close family: your children, grandchildren and brothers. I am convinced that after having assumed your responsibilities, prepared the rails for everyone's future and passed on your knowledge, you decided that it was time.

Frankly, in view of all that you have accomplished, it would be impossible to contest your decision, even if, for us, this day has come far too soon.

Si Fu, although I am not very present in France, my country, my adopted homeland and the one you had chosen, my memories and my learning are nourished by the teaching of my parents, my close family, but also of my three Masters - my Si Fu.
My first Si Fu is Master Minh BUI. Everyone knows it, because his teaching, still alive in me, continues to guide me today. I wish him health and long life, because Master Minh is still among us, and we can still benefit from his wisdom. You, my second Master, who has just left us discreetly but with eternal significance, will always occupy a special place in my heart. I will come back later to our relationship, marked by much discretion, but without forgetting the symbolic moments. My third Master was the late Master Ha Chau, who left us more than ten years ago.

Since I was five years old, when I started martial arts with judo, then evolved to Shotokan karate and later Kyokushinkai karate, since I was 12 years old Hung Gar Kuen (Hong Gia) has become my life path (it has now been 42 years of practice in Hung Gar). It is thanks to my first Master, Si Fu Minh BUI, that I had the privilege of meeting and knowing you. I will always remember your arrival at the Hung Gar School of Croix Rousse in 1985. At the time, Sino-Vietnamese martial arts were still relatively undeveloped in Europe, and we were fascinated by Bruce Lee.

At that time, Si Fu Minh BUI had three main students: Anh Khuong, Anh Thanh and me. Anh Hau, Anh Thanh's little brother, joined us later. This budding fraternity led me one day to your home in Gerland. I still remember that first meeting: a large living room decorated with traditional Vietnamese lacquered furniture, and your welcome, wary but kind.

Shortly after, Anh Thanh and I, then teenagers, began climbing the stairs of the Croix Rousse slopes, armed with the keys to your Hung Gar Kuen School, to train in this place that, for me, embodied a real dream. No other teenager my age had access to such an opportunity – this Chance. These memories, engraved in my memory, have accompanied me for almost forty years.

Your School – Hung Gar La Croix Rousse, still located in the same place in December 2024, has not changed. The landmarks of the Tao Lu (Bai Quyen), the exchanges with Anh Thanh, and even the smells, remain intact. During my last visit to greet Anh Tuan, your son and my Big Brother, I felt that time had frozen.

These moments are teachings and fraternal memories that continue to shape me day after day. I realize that, although my parents gave me a flawless education with love, your guidance through Kung Fu played a determining role in my life. Your examples remain models for me. Today, I try to live with dignity and honor in the spirit of Hung Gar, and to pass these values ​​on to my children.

Your teachings also allowed me to meet Master Ha Chau and become his disciple. Without you, I probably would never have dared to approach this internationally recognized figure.

I still remember your words during our last exchanges, where you encouraged me to persevere and not give up. You urged me to unite Hung Gar practitioners and ensure that this teaching continues. Don't worry, we will do everything to honor your wish, and Anh Tuan will play a key role in this transmission.

This Friday, December 20, 2024, at 3 p.m., I came from Vietnam to pay you a final tribute before the coffin was closed. Your image, peaceful and reassuring, will remain forever engraved in me. Even in this difficult time, you brought together what was scattered: your children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, as well as your disciples. The ceremony was beautiful and respectful, marked by fraternity between believers of different faiths and non-believers.

Finally, during this evening, surrounded by your daughters, a butterfly appeared during the burning of the elements of the funeral altar. We saw a symbol there. We wish you a beautiful reunion with your wife Si Mao and all those who preceded you in the Eternal East.

We love you and will continue to carry your teachings in our hearts and lives.