The Journey of Thinh Truong Nguyen

Thinh Truong Nguyen was born in 1951 in Hai Phong, Vietnam — a coastal city where the sea breeze carried the scent of salt and the hum of fishing boats filled the air. When the Geneva Agreement reshaped the country a few years later, his family joined the great migration south, settling in Nha Trang, a seaside town that would become their new home.

Thinh’s father continued his public service, while his mother devoted herself to raising their four sons. Life in Nha Trang was peaceful and full of learning. The ocean became their playground, and its vast horizon, their daily reminder of curiosity and freedom. Each morning, Thinh watched the sunrise over calm waters; at sunset, he listened to French melodies drifting from a nearby radio — sounds that blended with Vietnamese lullabies to form the soundtrack of his childhood.

He attended a French kindergarten, where a kind teacher opened his mind to new languages and ways of thinking. Yet, even as he learned about other cultures, his parents reminded him never to forget his roots — to speak Vietnamese at home, to respect elders, and to value harmony in family life. These lessons quietly nurtured his lifelong desire to preserve and honor Vietnamese heritage, no matter where life would take him.

In 1962, the family moved to Saigon. Thinh’s days were filled with studies, martial arts, and dreams of a peaceful future. While his brothers practiced Judo, Thinh discovered his passion for Karate — not only as a physical art but as a path toward self-discipline and mindfulness. To him, Karate resonated with the Vietnamese spirit of perseverance, humility, and respect — values deeply embedded in his upbringing.

In 1971, Thinh was chosen to study abroad through a special educational program. Leaving Vietnam was bittersweet, but he carried with him the culture and traditions that shaped his identity. He often said that while one can live in another country, one’s heart can still speak the language of home.

In America, Thinh pursued his degree in mechanical engineering at San Francisco State College, Utah State University, and Old Dominion University, where he graduated in 1976. To support himself, he taught Karate in the evenings, using his classes not only to teach self-defense but also to share lessons of Vietnamese respect, gratitude, and harmony. Many of his students came to understand that martial arts, like culture, is a bridge — connecting people through shared discipline and mutual respect.

As his family gradually reunited in the United States, Thinh focused on rebuilding a sense of belonging rooted in Vietnamese values: strong family ties, deep respect for parents and teachers, and appreciation for simplicity and kindness.

In 1983, he founded the International Silkisondan Karate Association, an organization that combined traditional martial arts with the timeless virtues he had learned in Vietnam. Through his teaching, Thinh reminded students that strength means more than power — it means integrity, compassion, and responsibility.

Over the years, Thinh has continued to live by the principles passed down from his parents: to respect elders, to nurture family unity, and to preserve one’s heritage even in a new land. He often said that while change is inevitable, one’s cultural roots are the anchor that keeps life steady.

Today, that legacy lives on. His son, Kha Nguyen, continues the family tradition as the second-generation teacher, while his granddaughter, Annikha Nguyen, proudly represents the third. What began as a young boy’s passion for Karate in Vietnam hasgrown into a multigenerational story of resilience, identity, and cultural preservation — a testament to the enduring power of Vietnamese heritage and the belief that wherever life takes you, your roots can still bloom.