This year's tournament includes a total of 41 martial arts clubs with 504 athletes from various units, schools, provincial and city Military Command (an increase of 12 clubs compared to the 2022 Tournament). The participating athletes mainly consist of officers, soldiers, workers, and defense officials who regularly practice martial arts.

The athletes will compete in two age groups, from 18 to 27 and from 25 to 35, in the qualifying rounds. The male competitors will compete in 9 weight categories, while the female competitors will compete in 6 weight categories. The match duration is 2 minutes per round for males and 1 minute 30 seconds per round for females, with a 1-minute break between rounds.

Major General Bui Hong Quang, Deputy Director of the Military Training Department, delivered the opening speech for the tournament.

In his speech, Major General Bui Hong Quang emphasized that the 2023 Unarmed Martial Arts Tournament for All Military Martial Arts Clubs aims to encourage and promote physical training in general and martial arts training for specific agencies and units. It also serves as an evaluation of the performance of various martial arts clubs, providing a basis to further enhance the quality of physical training and martial arts practice throughout the armed forces, contributing to the improvement of the military's combat capabilities.

Furthermore, Major General Bui Hong Quang, Deputy Director of the Military Training Department, also mentioned that in recent years, with the attention and guidance of the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, and the leaders of all agencies and units throughout the armed forces, the sports and physical training movement has developed significantly and comprehensively, achieving numerous positive results. The quality of training and physical fitness of officers and soldiers has been gradually improved, meeting the training requirements and combat readiness. Particularly, the high-performance sports units of the military consistently achieve top rankings in national and international competitions, maintaining their position among the leading three units nationwide. The training and practice of martial arts have also seen extensive participation from officers and soldiers, contributing to enhancing their skills, determination, and physical fitness, thus ensuring the successful completion of assigned missions.

Mr. Nguyen Thuc Hien, Deputy Chairman of the People's Committee of Can Tho City, presented flowers to the performing arts team to celebrate the opening ceremony.

To ensure that the 2023 Unarmed Martial Arts Tournament for All Military Martial Arts Clubs achieves its objectives and requirements, the Deputy Director of the Military Training Department suggests that the Organizing Committee continues to actively coordinate with relevant agencies and units to effectively carry out the tasks of ensuring, organizing, and managing the competition closely, in accordance with the plan and ensuring safety. The referee team should be well-versed in the regulations and rules of the competition, fulfilling their role with a sense of responsibility, and conducting matches accurately, objectively, and fairly. Coaches and athletes of the participating clubs should strictly adhere to the discipline of the military, the rules and regulations of the competition, and the provisions of the Organizing Committee. They should uphold the spirit of "Unity - Confidence - Integrity - Nobility" to make the 2023 Unarmed Martial Arts Tournament for All Military Martial Arts Clubs a place for gathering, exchanging, and accumulating experiences in training and competition, thereby elevating the martial spirit of the nation.

The tournament will run until August 11th. Immediately after the opening ceremony, the athletes proceeded to compete in the qualifying rounds based on their age groups.

The athletes are advancing through the qualifying rounds.