05/16/2026
In loving memory of the founder of Cuong Nhu…
In loving memory 25 years ago today O’Sensei Ngô Đồng, Ph.D
Founder of Cuong Nhu Martial Arts
October 4, 1937 - May 15, 2000
Growing up in Hanoi, Ngo D**g was immersed in martial arts from an early age. As a child, he learned Vovinam from his brother Ngo Quoc Phong, one of the top five students of Vovinam's founder, and studied Wing Chun and Aikido with his other brothers. Although their father, Ngo Khanh Thuc, was then attorney general of northern Vietnam, the Ngo brothers tested their fighting skills on the street by engaging the hustlers and professional street fighters inhabiting the alleys and back streets of Hanoi.
After moving south to Hue, Vietnam in 1956, Grand Master D**g began Shotokan Karate training under a former Japanese captain, Choji Suzuki. After years of fanatical training, he earned his fourth degree black belt. He also studied judo and earned a black belt in that system. In 1965, feeling his training had been physically rigorous but lacking on the mental and spiritual side, he founded Cuong Nhu, in which he would blend the principles and techniques of many arts, while infusing the training with his personal philosophy of self-improvement, community service, and love and respect for others.
Grandmaster D**g married Chau Thanh Nu Ton in 1963 and had four children. In the tradition of early martial arts masters, he was a family man, civic leader, scientist and author. He earned two degrees, in Biology and Chemistry, in Vietnam and served as professor of Biology at the University of Hue from 1961 to 1971. After the devastating 1968 Tet offensive, he organized a civil defense organization, The People's Self-Defense Forces of Hue, to help protect the public from the random violence spawned by the war. His organization engaged some 25,000 people in a program of karate, games and friendly competition to rebuild morale and spirit. He was devoted to the development of Cuong Nhu and the personal growth of thousands of students. He also published books on subjects ranging from martial arts philosophy and technique, to flower arrangement.
In 1971, he traveled to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in Entomology at the University of Florida. In September 1971, during his post-graduate studies, he opened the first Cuong Nhu Karate Club in the United States. Having earned his doctorate in three years, he returned to Vietnam in 1974, where he was appointed president of Da Nang College. An outspoken opponent of communism, O'Sensei D**g was placed under house arrest by the communist government of Vietnam in 1975. He and his family later took the tremendous risk of escaping by boat to Indonesia. They returned to the United States in November 1977, on Homecoming Day at the University of Florida.
During the 1980s, Grandmaster D**g developed into an accomplished runner. In 1986 he completed his first two marathons, which he ran on consecutive weekends. His first ultra-marathon was the 100-mile Western States run in Squaw Valley, California. He ultimately completed 23 marathons, eight 50-mile ultra-marathons and fourteen 100-mile ultra-marathons.
Grandmaster D**g retired from the University of Florida on August 18, 1994. He was awarded with dual proclamations from the City of Gainesville and Alachua County, Florida, declaring August 14, 1994 as Dr. Ngo D**g Day.
On May 15, 2000, O Sensei Ngo D**g passed peacefully on from this life. Three sons, a daughter and seven grandchildren survive him. His many Cuong Nhu students are all deeply touched by his spirit and honored to have shared in his life.
All those who knew Dr. Ngo appreciated his love of nature, the outdoors, and enjoying the simple pleasures of life such as watering a rose bush or feeding koi goldfish.
To commemorate his life, the family commissioned an oriental plant garden built and maintained in his honor at Kanapaha Nature Center in Gainesville, Florida. This garden contains plants and flowers loved by Dr. Ngo as well as a plaque dedicating it in his memory. Kanapaha has over 50,000 visitors each year, and is a popular place for weddings and picnics. This memorial serves as a place for family and friends to visit and remember Dr. Ngo.
This year Cuong Nhu celebrates its 60th Anniversary.
Cuong Martial Arts Association
Cuong Nhu offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to develop the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—while helping individuals make the most of their unique strengths.
