Ko Sa Ha Phi – From the Village to the National Arena
Driven by a passion for traditional martial arts, a young man of the Cil ethnic group spent countless nights traveling long distances from his village to Da Lat to train. His unwavering perseverance led him to become an athlete who has won multiple medals at national competitions and, today, a coach of Lam Dong Provincial Traditional Martial Arts Team.
That young man is Ko Sa Ha Phi (born in 1991), currently living in Hamlet 2, Ta Nung, Cam Ly – Da Lat Ward. Although his love for martial arts ignited at an early age, the lack of training facilities in his remote village left that passion smoldering quietly for years. It was not until 2008, when he was in 11th grade, that his family allowed him to ride a motorbike to Da Lat to study martial arts.
Classes were held in the evenings, and each session required Ha Phi to traverse a deserted, winding mountain pass from Ta Nung to Da Lat—a round trip of more than 40 kilometers.
Yet hardship did not deter the young man’s passion. Regardless of rain or darkness, Ko Sa Ha Phi consistently rode alone to Da Lat to train. There, he studied traditional martial arts under master Ho Tuan Linh at a training site located in the yard of Doan Thi Diem Primary School.
Witnessing the persistence and determination of the Cil youth, master Ho Tuan Linh continuously encouraged and motivated Ha Phi to train harder. That perseverance soon paid off: at the former Xuan Lam Dong Traditional Martial Arts Tournament in 2009, Ha Phi won his first gold medal in the men’s 45 kg sparring category.
That first gold medal propelled Ha Phi further along his martial arts journey. He was selected for the provincial Traditional Martial Arts Team and competed in regional and national tournaments in both traditional martial arts and kickboxing. Over the years, Ha Phi consistently brought medals to Lam Dong sports in sparring events, initially in the 45 kg category and later in the 50–51 kg class.
At the national level, during the three consecutive years of 2014, 2015, and 2016, Ha Phi won a total of three gold medals, including two national traditional martial arts championship titles and one National Cup gold medal.
In 2018, responding to the aspirations of many ethnic minority residents in the area, Ha Phi opened a martial arts training hall of approximately 100 square meters at his home to teach martial arts. Classes have been held regularly in the evenings, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
For more than six years, Ha Phi’s training hall has educated multiple generations of students of various ages, primarily Cil youth from the local community. The class currently has around 20 trainees. Notably, the training is offered almost free of charge.
“Many of the children come from disadvantaged backgrounds. I opened the class so they can improve their health and find motivation to move forward. If they truly love martial arts, they can pursue it seriously,” Ha Phi shared.
Currently, Lam Dong’s Traditional Martial Arts Team includes two Cil ethnic athletes from Ta Nung trained by Ha Phi: Ro Lim (female, 14) and Ha Than (male, 18), both specializing in sparring events. Another athlete from Ha Phi’s village, Gli Ro Li (female), has won multiple medals at national competitions and is currently studying martial arts at a University of physical education and sports.
For Ha Phi, martial arts have become his breath of life—an inseparable part of his existence. In 2025, he was selected as an assistant coach of Lam Dong Province’s Traditional Martial Arts Team. According to master Ho Tuan Linh, head coach of the provincial team, Ha Phi’s strength lies particularly in sparring events.
“It is hoped that in the coming time, alongside athletes strong in forms, Lam Dong’s traditional martial arts will have more outstanding sparring athletes developed through Ha Phi’s coaching,” master Ho Tuan Linh said.