Cuong Nhu (pronounced koong-NYOO in Vietnamese) was founded in 1965 by Grandmaster Ngo Dong. Cuong Nhu Oriental Martial Arts Association is a federally recognized non-profit educational organization. Cuong Nhu is a martial art that blends the basic elements of a number of different styles. Cuong Nhu has its roots in Shotokan Karate and combines aspects of Aikido, Judo, Wing Chun, Vovinam, Tai Chi Chuan, and Boxing. It is this blending of hard and soft styles from which Cuong Nhu derives its name, which is Vietnamese for Hard (Cuong) + Soft (Nhu).