Nguyen Thanh Thien (Philippe)

Nguyen Thanh Thiên, whose English first name is Philip – in French, Philippe – was born in 1962 in Vietnam, of Vietnamese and English parents.

He first went to school in Saigon, at the Lycée Jean-Jacques Rousseau. In 1970, due to the escalation of the US-Vietnam war, he emigrated with his family to France. From then on, he followed the French curriculum up to University, having spent 4 months a year at an English school in Great-Britain during his primary and secondary school years. Building on this, he drew a multi-faceted view of learning and of acquisition of knowledge. After a short time studying Chinese at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilization, (INALCO, University of Paris), he obtained a Bachelor degree in econometrics and finally chose a career in martial arts. He has been a martial arts teacher since 1985.

In 1970, on his arrival in France, he started Judo which he practised for several years.

Starting in 1980, when Noro sensei, a master in Aikido, had recently created Kinomichi, he followed this way and has pursued it ever since. He remained 15 years at F. Jaillot’s dojo, where he perfected the Aiki technique, and left the dojo in 1998 in order to further his research. In 2000 he joined Master Noro and in 2008, the master granted him authorization to teach Kinomichi. In 2011 he felt the need to withdraw from Kinomichi in order to intensify his research, still remaining on good terms with Master Noro. Today, he pursues his study alongside the masters he encounters. In 2008, he meets Ikeda sensei in the United States and after in France for most inspiring workshops. In May 2011, during an international workshop in Alkmaar in the Netherlands, he meets Maruyama sensei (an uchideshi of Ueshiba sensei) and joins Aikido Yuishinkai.

Maruyama sensei recognises the 7th dan Yuishinkaï to Nguyen Thanh Thien.

Additionally, he studied Tai Chi Chuan – the Yang style – (for 2 years), before developing a passion for the Chen style with Master Wang Yang and her father Master Wang Bo (for 3 years). Then for 2 years he visited Guy Roland’s dojo for Kendo and Luc Levannier’s dojo for Traditional Judo – the latter had been a student of Master Mochizuki Minoru. He was marked by his brief encounter with the Venerable Rahula Walpola, an eminent erudite and master in Theravada Buddhism, who earned a doctorate from the Sorbonne University.

In 1998, he met Imai soke for the first time, as well as Iwami sensei, the master’s assistant at that time. In 2000, he asked the Spanish fencing master Ricard Pous Cuberes to introduce him to the Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu sword school, founded in the 17th century by the renowned samurai Miyamoto Musashi. His second encounter in Europe with Imai soke, Musashi’s 10th successor, resulted in his being invited to Japan. As requested by Imai soke, Iwami Toshio sensei initiated him in the art of Musashi. He was hosted by his master and personally received his teachings. In 2001 Iwami sensei asked him to organise a course in France. In 2004 the invitation resulted in the arrival of a delegation of 6 people, including 4 Japanese masters and an audience of 70 students coming from 10 different countries. The second course in 2005 was equally successful. Every year he travels to Japan to deepen his knowledge of the Way of the sword with Musashi’s 11thsuccessor. As early as 2003, Iwami soke appointed him Head of Europe for Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu but after a few years he turned down this honour in order to concentrate on the development of Musashi’s art in France, thus remaining at the head of it there. He is currently the longest-practising European of Niten. In 2011 the 8th edition of the international course of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu will be held in France for 7 days of instruction with 3 Japanese masters invited by Nguyen Thanh Thien. More than 50 students gathered coming from many countries to study kenjutsu.

In Aikido Yuishinkai, Nguyen Thanh Thiên disseminates his teaching and research activity, abiding by the Venerable Rahula Walpola’s exigency: “Tolerant yet uncompromising”. Tolerant of all forms of our art, of its whole creative power, of its perpetual blooming. Uncompromising regarding the core values we share, i.e. physical, moral and psychological integrity, the necessity to study all aspects of our art, to improve our knowledge of them and their transmission. Uncompromising in the effort to study, yet always tolerant before the difficulties of the task.

He writes articles on martial arts and Eastern philosophies, and is currently completing a book devoted to the Way of the warrior.