Lach Vuthy Experiences as a Judo Coach
BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA
Lach Vuthy, 41, one of the Cambodian Judo Federation (CJF) coaches in Cambodia, has told about his experiences as a coach while providing an interview with The Southeast Asia Weekly on September 16. Vuthy was born in 1968 in Phnom Penh and has three brothers and four sisters. He is only one son of his family who is involved in Judo. He is married and the father of a son and a daughter. His wife, Chan Chean, 37, and all of their children are trainee of the Judo coach. Chan Chean obtained a third Dan black belt and teaches the national Judo team with Vuthy at the National Stadium in Phnom Penh.
Vuthy had received fourth- level Dan black belt from the Kodokan Judo Institute in Japan in 2008 and currently the trainer and coach of the national Judo team of Cambodia. He started his training with a veteran Judo coach in Phnom Penh in 1974 under Lon Nol’s regime and later resumed his training in 1983 after he survived the Khmer Rouge regime.
“I started training Judo when I was 7 years old. I decided to study Judo because I wanted to become a professional Judo boxer or Judo coach in Cambodia. I am now happy because my dream became true and I am able to work with Cambodian people and promote the people’s health and sport in Cambodia,” he said.
Nowadays, Vuthy is very busy, he teaches over a 100 trainees per day for CJF and other private schools in Phnom Penh. He has competed in many nationwide Judo competitions and he won the National Judo Championships in 1984, 1985 and 1993.
Vuthy continued to say that in order to improve his Judo skills, he went to Japan three times. The first time in 1998 he went to past the exam for his second Dan; in 2004, he gained the third Dan and 2008, he mastered the fourth Dan at the Kodokan Judo Institute in Japan.
He added that he attended the International Judo Federation Continental Referee competition in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and gained an IJF Continental Referee Certification in 2003. Since he began teaching in 1995 over 600 students so far have trained with him. Vuthy wants to continue his own training and attend Karatedo competitions in Japan so he can compete with foreign fighters and gain the five-level Dan.
Chim Keo, 18, is a trainee of Lach Vuthy in Phnom Penh. Keo has trained Judo since 2008. He said he decided to train Judo because he wanted to become a future professional Judo boxer and Judo coach in Cambodia. “I will continue my hard training with Vuthy in the future. I hope that after several years of Judo training with him, my Judo skills will be so improved that I can work as a Judo coach in future,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly.
Nicoletta Alcidi, 20, is another of Lach Vuthy’s trainees. She also started training with Lach Vuthy in 2008. She is also a third year Architects student at the Norton University in Phnom Penh. She decided to train Judo with Lach Vuthy because she wanted to improve her health as well as gain some self-protection skills. “I began training with Master Lach Vuhty over a year ago. I like training Judo with him because he is a good trainer. He is strong, capable, friendly and gentle coach. He is strict but is the only qualified and experienced Judo coach in Cambodia,” she said. She has already attended two national Judo competitions in Phnom Penh and as result, she won a bronze medal in 2008 and won a gold medal in 2009. ////
Lach Vuthy, 41, one of the Cambodian Judo Federation (CJF) coaches in Cambodia, has told about his experiences as a coach while providing an interview with The Southeast Asia Weekly on September 16. Vuthy was born in 1968 in Phnom Penh and has three brothers and four sisters. He is only one son of his family who is involved in Judo. He is married and the father of a son and a daughter. His wife, Chan Chean, 37, and all of their children are trainee of the Judo coach. Chan Chean obtained a third Dan black belt and teaches the national Judo team with Vuthy at the National Stadium in Phnom Penh.
Vuthy had received fourth- level Dan black belt from the Kodokan Judo Institute in Japan in 2008 and currently the trainer and coach of the national Judo team of Cambodia. He started his training with a veteran Judo coach in Phnom Penh in 1974 under Lon Nol’s regime and later resumed his training in 1983 after he survived the Khmer Rouge regime.
“I started training Judo when I was 7 years old. I decided to study Judo because I wanted to become a professional Judo boxer or Judo coach in Cambodia. I am now happy because my dream became true and I am able to work with Cambodian people and promote the people’s health and sport in Cambodia,” he said.
Nowadays, Vuthy is very busy, he teaches over a 100 trainees per day for CJF and other private schools in Phnom Penh. He has competed in many nationwide Judo competitions and he won the National Judo Championships in 1984, 1985 and 1993.
Vuthy continued to say that in order to improve his Judo skills, he went to Japan three times. The first time in 1998 he went to past the exam for his second Dan; in 2004, he gained the third Dan and 2008, he mastered the fourth Dan at the Kodokan Judo Institute in Japan.
He added that he attended the International Judo Federation Continental Referee competition in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and gained an IJF Continental Referee Certification in 2003. Since he began teaching in 1995 over 600 students so far have trained with him. Vuthy wants to continue his own training and attend Karatedo competitions in Japan so he can compete with foreign fighters and gain the five-level Dan.
Chim Keo, 18, is a trainee of Lach Vuthy in Phnom Penh. Keo has trained Judo since 2008. He said he decided to train Judo because he wanted to become a future professional Judo boxer and Judo coach in Cambodia. “I will continue my hard training with Vuthy in the future. I hope that after several years of Judo training with him, my Judo skills will be so improved that I can work as a Judo coach in future,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly.
Nicoletta Alcidi, 20, is another of Lach Vuthy’s trainees. She also started training with Lach Vuthy in 2008. She is also a third year Architects student at the Norton University in Phnom Penh. She decided to train Judo with Lach Vuthy because she wanted to improve her health as well as gain some self-protection skills. “I began training with Master Lach Vuhty over a year ago. I like training Judo with him because he is a good trainer. He is strong, capable, friendly and gentle coach. He is strict but is the only qualified and experienced Judo coach in Cambodia,” she said. She has already attended two national Judo competitions in Phnom Penh and as result, she won a bronze medal in 2008 and won a gold medal in 2009. ////
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