Every afternoon throughout the week, students, both male and female, file one by one into the multipurpose gym facility.
Instead of practicing how to dribble a basketball or strike a volleyball, the group learns how to punch, kick, block and strike; they practice Cuong Nhu, a comprehensive style originating in what was then North Vietnam.
Created by Grand Master Ngo Dong in 1965, Cuong Nhu, which is literally translated as “hard soft” in Vietnamese, combines seven different fighting disciplines. The styles, Japanese Shotokan (karate), Judo and Aikido, Vietanmese Vovinam, Chinese Tai Chi and Wing Chun, and Western Boxing, alternate between striking the opponent, which is the hard style, and subduing them, the soft style. The belt colors in increasing order are white, green, brown and black with two stripes having to be earned between each color.
The Grand Master created the style “for his fellow countrymen in Vietnam,” said Chief Instructor Demetrius Harris. “All martial arts were developed to help build up the oppressed,” said Harris.Ngo Deng, a supporter of democracy, was certainly oppressed during the height of Communist insurgency. Practice sessions were held inside because he had been placed under house arrest. Grand Master Deng and his family secretly fled Vietnam in 1971 and came to the United States to teach. One of his pupils, William Hudson, started his own dojo at Florida A&M in 1981.
The Pegasus Dojo has offered Cuong Nhu instruction to FAMU students, who have also been able to earn credit for the activity. The $75 registration fee for a two-hour course covers the purchase of a traditional gi, or uniform, a style patch, a manual complete with diagrams and a ranking test fee.
“Some people might test two ranks above (other people), because they pick things up that quickly,” Harris said.
Monday through Friday classes usually run for 75 minutes with voluntary one-on-one instruction beginning afterwards. The course also includes a graded written component to teach students about the history of Cuong Nhu and its founder.
James Kote, a brown belt from Gainesville who studies history and Japanese at Florida State University, said, “Back when I was a white belt myself, I had to take a couple different written tests. Just getting to this rank…I can’t even count how many rank tests I’ve taken.”
The course flyer states that students can improve “coordination, body control, confidence, self discipline and the ability to defend oneself.”
Of all the principles, Harris treasures discipline the most.
“It there’s not discipline, they [a student] can be like a loose cannon,” he said. “A lot of scenarios and bad situations can be avoided.”
The students seem to take to this advice. “There’s a point where you have to realize that…this is just to teach yourself how to fight and not to hurt somebody for real,” said Shanell Hall, a senior nursing student who has previously taken Tae Kwon Do.Kote said his training has come in handy in real life.“You’re not out here to put anybody down permanently and hurt them,” he said. “I put them down on the ground and calmly step away.”
Harris said he is optimistic membership will increase, but he is looking for a special kind of student.“I’m not looking to have quantity,” he said. “I’m more about quality…My goal is that hopefully they become [instructors] themselves…It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of effort…everybody can’t do that.”Every afternoon throughout the week, students, both male and female, file one by one into the multipurpose gym facility.
Instead of practicing how to dribble a basketball or strike a volleyball, the group learns how to punch, kick, block and strike, they practice Cuong Nhu, a comprehensive style originating in Vietnam.
Created by Grand Master Ngo Dong in 1965, Cuong Nhu (literally translated as “hard soft” in Vietnamese) combines seven different fighting disciplines. The styles, Japanese Shotokan (karate), Judo and Aikido, Vietanmese Vovinam, Chinese Tai Chi and Wing Chun, and Western Boxing, alternate between striking the opponent (hard) and subduing them (soft). The belt colors in increasing order are white, green, brown and black with two stripes having to be earned between each color.
Chief Instructor Demetrius Harris explained that the Grand Master created the style “For his fellow countrymen in Vietnam. All martial arts were developed to help build up the oppressed.” Ngo Deng, a supporter of democracy, was certainly oppressed during the height of Communist advocacy (practice sessions were held inside because he had been placed under house arrest). In 1971, Grand Master Deng secretly moved his family out of Vietnam and came to the United States to teach. One of his pupils, William Hudson, started his very own dojo at Florida A&M 10 years later.
Since 1981, the Pegasus Dojo has offered FAMU students instruction in Cuong Nhu. Students are also able to earn credit. In addition to the typical registration fee for a two-hour course, a $75 class fee covers the purchase of a traditional gi, or uniform, a style patch, a manual complete with diagrams and a ranking test fee.
“Some people might test two ranks above [other people],” Harris says, “Because they pick things up that quickly.”
Meeting every weekday, classes usually run for 75 minutes with voluntary one-on-one instruction beginning afterwards. The course also includes a graded written component, teaching students about the history of Cuong Nhu and its founder.
James Kote, a brown belt from Gainesville, who studies history and Japanese at Florida State University noted, “Back when I was a white belt myself, I had to take a couple different written tests. Just getting to this rank…I can’t even count how many rank tests I’ve taken.”
The course flyer states that students can improve “coordination, body control, confidence, self discipline and the ability to defend oneself.”
Of all the principles Harris treasures discipline the most.
“It there’s not discipline, they [a student] can be like a loose cannon,” he said. “A lot of scenarios and bad situations can be avoided.”
The students seem to take to this advice. Shanell Hall, a senior nursing student who has previously taken Tae Kwon Do, says “There’s a point where you have to realize that…this is just to teach yourself how to fight and not to hurt somebody for real.” Kote, who has used his training in real-life situations, shared this sentiment. “You’re not out here to put anybody down permanently and hurt them…I put them down on the ground and calmly step away.”
Regarding the future, Harris is optimistic membership will increase. “I’m not looking to have quantity,” he adds, “I’m more about quality…My goal is that hopefully they become [instructors] themselves…It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of effort…everybody can’t do that.”