In preparation for the major tournaments martial artists are training hard at the National Sport and Physical Training Centre in Hanoi after returning from the Republic of Korea.

Trainer Truong Tuan Vu said it is important to perform well in SEA Games and win some berths for the 2012 Olympic in London, therefore his squad must follow a very strict practicing schedule.

There are some changes in training methods. In addition to focusing on stamina in the morning sessions, martial artists also have some skill and strategy practices to raise their morale.

Teakwondo consists of many kicking techniques which can help martial artists quickly gain important points. A kick to the head will bring them three points and it can rise to four if it is a spin kick. Thus, the spin kick is called the finishing strike as it enables martial artists to reserve their situation.

Martial artists are encouraged to compete with different types of competitors who have their own attacking and defending strength. This will help them improve their skills very fast. Young martial artist Luong Nhat Minh, who bagged a gold medal at a South East Asian championship, said he will do his best for a place in the national squad to compete in the upcoming SEA Games in Indonesia.

Taekwondo was the sport which brought Vietnam the first Olympic gold medal and has proved to be the most successful sport of the country.