When Phung Thi Hong Ngoc and Nguyen Ngoc Bich entered the arena at the Thai Army Museum Gymnasium, the audience was surprised. Both were disguised as "cuong thi" (Chinese vampires), complete with red bloodstains at the corners of their mouths and a yellow talisman stuck to their foreheads.

The performance by Hong Ngoc and Ngoc Bich.

They then began performing characteristic Jiu-jitsu moves for the women's Duo Show event. Occasional applause echoed from the stands, acknowledging their unique approach.

Ultimately, the Vietnamese duo scored 47,5 points, placing third behind Thailand 1 (50,5 points) and Thailand 2 (48,5 points). Their bronze medal marked a significant achievement, making them Vietnam's first athletes to win a medal at SEA Games 33.

After winning the medal, Hong Ngoc shared the origin of the routine's idea. "Ngoc Bich and I are both very afraid of ghosts," she stated. "When competing, I noticed that most people performed by the book, and I hadn't seen anyone perform a 'cuong thi' style like this. So, the two of us decided to use our own fear to create the routine."

Regarding the bronze medal, Hong Ngoc expressed no complaints about the judges' scoring, believing that Thailand's two teams deserved their top positions. She also hoped this opening medal would motivate her teammates to perform with more confidence in subsequent routines.

Jiu-jitsu, also known as Nhu Thuat, is a Japanese close-combat, grappling, and self-defense martial art. It is a fighting system that emphasizes using leverage and an opponent's force to control them, rather than relying on absolute muscle strength. This martial art is considered one of the most effective self-defense disciplines and has been introduced and developed strongly in Vietnam in recent years.

Hong Ngoc and Ngoc Bich are both key members of the Vietnamese Jiu-jitsu team, specializing in Duo Show/Duo Female events.

Duc Dong