The Cuong Nhu International Annual Training Camp is a place for students of the martial art Cuong Nhu to come together in peace, friendship, and combat. Specialized instruction in Shotokan, Judo, Aikido, Chung, Tai Chi, Vovinam, Grappling, Yoga, Pressure Points, Kendo, and training in Kung Fu weapons were featured from May 22-25 in Raleigh.
Though uncontrolled martial arts could be used for vicious brutality, it has become something else entirely through intertwining the philosophical teachings of Cuong Nhu with the philosophies of martial arts as a whole.
“We train hard all weekend, learning techniques that, if applied incorrectly, could cause serious injury,” State martial arts club sensei Cameron Parsons said. “The weekend itself is the epitome of friendship and camaraderie.”
This year, despite the draining effects of an economic downturn, the 2009 IATC saw an increase in attendance. Students traveled from all over the continental United States and from as far away as Germany.
“This year we had around 350 attendees with representation from forty-seven [dojos],” Parsons said. “[This is huge] given that even with the severe decline of the economy we had a dramatic increase in participants.”
The training camp gave students the opportunity to receive hands-on training from the most distinguished masters of Cuong Nhu in the world, with over eighty sessions spanning a variety of classes, from hand-to-hand combat to meditation and massage techniques.
“This is one representation of why our style is called Cuong Nhu,” Parsons said. “[Cuong Nhu] literally translated from Vietnamese means ‘hard-soft’.”
Since the first IATC was held at the University of Florida in Gainesville under the Redwood Dojo in 1994, attendance has increased annually, matching and surpassing its record numbers while held in Raleigh.
“What brings people to training camp from all over the world and has kept me coming back for nine training camps now is to reconnect with our Cuong Nhu family,” Parsons said.
According to Parsons, the friendly and familiar faces of training camp have a tendency to leave a greater impact on students than any physical training.
“While there are classes offered from masters and instructors from a variety of martial disciplines, I learned new joint locks, new katas, new weapons, [and] sparred people from all over the world,” Parsons said. “Each Training Camp is like a family reunion… those friendships will last a lifetime.”
