Qwan Ki Do: Vietnamese martial art enters European universities
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In October 2026, the Italian city of Cervia hosted the World Championships & Junior Championships of Vocotruyen, a Vietnamese martial art, attracting 600 athletes from 45 countries.
Pham Xuan Tong, born in Vietnam in 1947, founded Qwan Ki Do in France after studying martial arts with master Chau Quan Ky in Ho Chi Minh City. Tong combined Vietnamese and Chinese techniques to create a systematic martial art, establishing Qwan Ki Do officially in 1981.
Roberto Vismara, an Italian martial arts master, became one of Tong’s earliest students in 1976 and helped spread the discipline throughout Italy. Qwan Ki Do gained traction in Romania as well, with Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași incorporating it into its sports programs and awarding Tong an honorary doctorate in 2018. Notably, Qwan Ki Do became a subject for university entrance examinations at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in 2020.
Applicants for the sports and athletic performance program could choose Qwan Ki Do as their practical exam, with the assessment accounting for 60 percent of their total score. The university assessed applicants on technique, precision, and spirit. While other Vietnamese martial arts like Vovinam also have international followings, Qwan Ki Do uniquely appears as an examination discipline at this Romanian university.
