An international Aikido festival opened in Hanoi on Oct. 28 with the participation of 23 teams from five countries and territories.

During the festival, which will last till Oct. 30, martial artists, instructors and coaches will exchange experiences and perform unique techniques of Aikido.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed in the 20 th century. It entered Vietnam over 50 years ago. The martial art has been developed in Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City , Da Nang and the provinces of Khanh Hoa, An Giang, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Hanoi has about 3,000 Aikido martial artists. They are practicing at 12 clubs in the city./.