His community club now attracts about 250 regular students despite limited facilities and recurring financial strain.
Most afternoons at Hero Núp Primary School, long after regular classes end, the schoolyard still echoes with sharp calls of martial arts commands. On the training ground, Phát quietly adjusts each student’s stance, determined to keep the discipline alive. “In remote areas, if I miss a few sessions, the kids may stop coming”, he said. “That’s why I almost never cancel a class”.
Phát’s commitment stems from his own difficult journey learning Vovinam. He began training in 1999 and often travelled long distances on dirt roads. When his motorbike broke down, he walked from early afternoon to make it to class, returning home late at night, experiences he says strengthened his resolve to stay in martial arts long term.
From 2004 to 2005, he assisted his teacher at the former Chư Prông District Boarding School for Ethnic Minorities and later taught at Lê Lợi Secondary School in Ia Tôr commune. Teaching, he said, helped him build communication skills and reinforced his belief that rural students needed a healthy, structured environment outside school hours.
In 2015, he and a colleague opened a class in Ia Pia, requiring him to travel 25 kilometres on unpaved roads after work to ensure students were not left waiting. When his partner stepped back in 2019, Phát took over full responsibility, running classes at the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee headquarters and Lý Thường Kiệt Primary School. Enrollment at times exceeded 220 students.
The Covid-19 pandemic forced a temporary pause, but classes resumed in 2022. That same year, the Ia Pia Vovinam - Việt Võ Đạo Club was formally established, gradually stabilising and expanding its training activities across the commune.
Phát often uses personal funds to sustain the programme. While tuition is collected, many students come from low-income families and pay late. “Sometimes fees don’t cover expenses, and I make up the difference”, he said. “But seeing the kids train and the movement stay strong keeps me going”.
Students say the classes have helped them grow in confidence and discipline. Nguyễn Minh Thảo, 12, from ANẻh village, said she joined because her sister trained but remained because of the supportive environment. Another student, Siu JiNe, 10, from Hle village, has already won a youth gold medal in sparring and says martial arts has made her “more confident”.
School leaders also see the benefits. Principal Trần Đức Khiêm of Anh hùng Núp Primary School said the late-afternoon schedule helps students build exercise habits and improves community sports participation.
In 2025, the Ia Pia club sent seven athletes to a youth Vovinam tournament and won five medals in sparring and performance. The club also frequently exchanges with teams inside and outside the district, creating broader opportunities for students.
Since November 2025, Phát has continued teaching at Anh hùng Núp Primary School and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee yard due to the lack of a rented venue. Classes run from Monday to Saturday and now draw around 250 participants.
From a modest training circle on a schoolyard to a flourishing rural club, Siu Hồng Phát’s persistence has helped embed discipline, resilience and community spirit among Ia Pia’s youth.