Born in 1970, Mr. Chính is the older brother of all blind students attending our Swedish Massage Training course organized in Ninh Binh province . Mr. Chinh lived unaware of his visual impairment until his early 20s. Tragically, due to retinal degeneration, he then lost his sight completely. At that time, he was a father of two sons—one now 27 and the other currently serving in the military. His wife works as a farmer, and Mr. Chính himself has become an active, influential member of his hometown’s blind association.
In the beginning, Mr. Chính harbored a deeply skeptical view of massage. “When I heard the word ‘massage’, I thought it was just some form of entertainment, not something that actually improved health,” he confessed. This perception was largely shaped by the unregulated and informal nature of traditional Vietnamese massage, or tẩm quất, in the past. “There were no rules, no proper posture, people could even sit with their backs turned to clients—completely disorganized,” he recalled.
But all of that changed when he participated in Omamori Spa’s training in Swedish massage. “Now I understand its real value. Even a simple hand-stroking technique, done properly, can be incredibly relaxing and beneficial.” For Mr. Chính, this structured approach wasn’t just about learning new techniques; it was about instilling dignity and professionalism into the craft. “Massage needs to be done in a more refined, respectful way. Our communication and technique should reflect that.”
The path to confidence, however, was far from easy. After losing his vision, Mr. Chính spent three years isolated in his home, battling debilitating depression and self-doubt. “I was imprisoned within four walls,” he recalled. His turning point came when members of the Blind Association reached out, offering him encouragement and a pathway to training and re-entry into society. Through education and crucial community support, he gradually overcame his fears and began to expand his world.
Later, stepping into a leadership role within the local blind association, he embraced the vital mission of helping others like him. He shares a powerful story of a 23-year-old man with vision loss whom he visited no fewer than 15 times, patiently convincing both the young man and his family that he should pursue vocational training. “They wanted to lock him inside. The family feared that a blind person couldn’t survive out there,” Mr. Chính recounted. But he persisted, sharing his own hard-won wisdom: “I told them, staying at home, isolated, makes you lose yourself. If you learn a trade and earn a living, you’ll gain confidence and independence.”
His tireless efforts have truly helped change lives. What once began in 2004 with a handful of blind massage practitioners struggling to find clients and even food has now blossomed into a well-respected, professional cooperative in Ninh Bình. Mr. Chính remembers those difficult beginnings: “In those early days, some of my friends had to sell brooms during the day and wait for clients at night. Sometimes, they’d go days without a single customer.” Today, thanks to pioneers like Ms. Lương, a former city-level Blind Association leader, and dedicated trainers, professional massage therapy is a growing, respected career path for the blind community in Vietnam.
Mr. Chính himself admits he didn’t fully grasp the true healing power of massage until he became a student himself. “Only after lying down and experiencing it from my classmates to practice Swedish massage in this course, did I understand how healing it could be. If I had a massage like that every morning, I might not even wake up for work the next day—it was that good!” he joked, the warmth evident in his voice.
During the course, he’s also embracing a new challenge: learning English with Mark online. “Studying with a foreign teacher is like learning to read for the first time,” he said with a smile. “It opens up your mind.”
