After Chin Hoa died, the instructors of Tây Son Nhan held a meeting and it was decided that because Ba Lien was the best student that he would be named Grand Master of the system.  Ba Lien refused the position because he did not want to worry with the politics in the system and was to retire to the mountains to become a Buddhist Monk.

The group then chose Nguyen Van Mach to be the new Grand Master of the system because of his knowledge and ability to build the system. Nguyen Van Mach was born February 14, 1921 in Binh Dang - Cho Lon, Quan 8.  He learned from his father and uncle as well as training with many other masters of Kung Fu in different styles. 

Nguyen Van Mach taught many students and at one time had as many as thirty schools in South Vietnam. He was well known and respected in the community not only for his skills, but also for the fact that his fighters never lost a fight. 

Shortly after taking control of the system, war broke out between North Vietnam and South Vietnam.  As a result, kung fu schools were closed and students scattered in many different parts of the world.  Nguyen Van Mach was considered to be a rebel to the Vietnamese government because he worked with the people from the south.  He moved to the Long Thanh area that is now known as Ba Ria - Vung Tau and eventually died there.  There he continued the teachings that he learned from Chin Hoa.  He taught many students and owned a small company there.  In 1975 the war between the North and South ended.

To Dinh Thanh (Xuyen Son Nhan) - Grand Master of Tay Son Nhan - Vietnam - 1990 - Present

Born January 29, 1954

To Dinh Thanh learned Kung Fu from Nguyen Van Mach.  After Nguyen Van Mach promoted him to instructor level, he was also fortunate enough to study with many other Masters such as Luu Van Lien, Ba suu, Ba Toc, and Ba Lai.  Each of these masters has certified and recognized To Dinh Thanh as being a worthy and gifted student and a Master of the System.  He is a Doctor of Herbal Medicines and Accupuncture as well.  He has achieved the highest level possible of Kung Fu in Vietnam and as a result the Government of Vietnam recognized him and certified him as being the Grand Master of Tay Son Nhan.  He is one of the top Masters of Kung Fu in Vietnam and currently has 3 certified Masters of Tay Son Nhan under him teaching Kung Fu in Vietnam including his son, To Din Phi who boasts over 50 Black Sash students of his own.  Although he is not teaching at this time, he makes sure that the system is running smoothly and that each instructor is teaching true Tay Son Nhan.   

Hong Nhan - Grand Master of Tay Son Nhan - USA - 1991 - Present

Nguyen Van Mach's oldest son, Nguyen Van Deu began learning at the age of 5 years. At the ripe age of 15, Nguyen Van Mach decided that it was time for his son to enter the ring. Back then, the only padding used was thin gloves much like today's motorcyle gloves. No head gear, no feet pads, only the gloves. The rules were simple, fight until the other fighter can no longer continue. Nguyen Van Deu was very scared. He told his father he did not want to fight, that he was afraid of his opponent. Nguyen Van Mach told him that he had placed a considerable bet on him and that not only would he fight, he would also win or he would beat him when they got home. Nguyen Van Deu was so scared of his father that he forgot about the fear he had about his opponent. He won his first fight quickly. Every fight after that, Nguyen Van Deu knocked out his opponent and his opponent lost blood. Thus he was given the name Hong Nhan (Red Albatross). (In the U.S. we are more familiar with the Eagle, so he changed the name of Nhan to mean Eagle instead of Albatross.) (Scholars would also state that Hong means pink. The older generation of Vietnamese would remember that Hong was also a strong color, not exactly red nor pink, but very similar to the color of blood. As we know it in the U.S. he is 'Hong Nhan', or 'Red Eagle'.)

Nguyen Van Deu entered the South Vietnam Military and worked with the United States. After the war, North Vietnam placed Nguyen Van Deu in prison with the other South Rebels. After a year in prison, Nguyen Van Deu was released.  His father convinced him to move to the USA and told him that he would hold the rank of Grand Master in the USA.  He opened his first American Kung Fu school in Dallas Texas under his kung fu name "Hong Nhan" where he taught many students. Hong Nhan loved fighting and if the students showed any fear would tell them to leave the school. Hong Nhan promoted the students on fighting ability in the ring.  Although he did teach Kung Fu, most of the training was strictly fighting. From this school, he produced 5 Black Belt students.

Hong Nhan after moving to  the USA lost all contact with the other instructors in Vietnam as well as his certifications. In 1991, Tony Jordan helped Hong Nhan to go back to Vietnam to visit.  Because he worked for the American Government and moved to the USA, the Vietnamese government will always refuse to recognize Hong Nhan as the Grand Master of the system.  However we will recognize him as being Grand Master in the USA.

When he was not in Vietnam, Hong Nhan lived in Sifu Tony's home, ate his food, drove his car, and spent the majority of his time in the USA with Tony.... they became best friends and even today remain in contact with each other! 

Enter Sifu Tony Jordan - Gray Eagle

 Tony Jordan moved to the Dallas area and met one of Hong Nhan's students. Due to irreconcilable differences, this instructor will remain nameless. However, at the time that Tony Jordan began training, he had smoked and worked as a salesman for many years. As such he was in very poor condition. This instructor taught Tony out of his home and through extremely tough conditioning exercises, Tony gained strength and stamina. Hong Nhan moved to California but visited with this instructor about every 4 to 6 months. During those visits, he would put on seminars in the yard. Tony continued training and practicing the techniques of the seminars on the side. After Tony earned his Brown Sash, Hong Nhan moved back to Dallas, Texas and realizing that Tony's heart was really into the Kung Fu, he took him to the side and began an in depth training. Tony earned his Black Sash from Hong Nhan and became the 6th Black Sash trained by Grand Master Hong Nhan.  Sifu Tony Jordan has trained with many of the Masters of Tay Son Nhan in Vietnam including To Dinh Thanh as recently as November of 2004.  Forms and techniques that before were not available to American students are now being taught due to Sifu Tony's travel and training while there. 

Sifu Tony Jordan was given the name Lam Nhan, "Gray Eagle" due to the fact that the first time Hong Nhan met him, Tony was wearing a pair of faded gray Gi pants. Hong Nhan felt that for someone to train so long that he was truly in love with Kung Fu. Some one with a Gray Eagle personality also is relaxed and easy going... if you want to be friends, great. However if you choose to fight, then prepare to get down and dirty. This fits Sifu Tony Jordan exactly. Sifu Tony Jordan was promoted to 3rd Degree Black Sash in March of 1996. 

On July 29, 2000, Grand Master Hong Nhan promoted Sifu Tony Jordan to 4th Degree Black Sash and appointed him as the Chief Instructor of Tay Son Nhan in the United States.  On August 16, 2002, Grand Master Hong Nhan Promoted Sifu Jordan to 5th Degree Black Sash. 

January 1, 2002, Sifu Tony Jordan was certified as a Master of Tay Son Nhan, recognized by the Tay Son Nhan Federation in Vietnam, by Grand Master To Dinh Thanh, and by the Vietnamese government as being a Master of this system.  Sifu Tony Jordan is the ONLY PERSON IN THE USA to hold this very distinguished honor.  This honor is due to the time and training under Grand Master To Dinh Thanh and the fact that he knows that Tony Jordan will stay true to the Tay Son Nhan system. 

Sifu Tony Jordan opened his school in Garland, Texas in 1992 and dedicates his teaching and training to be exactly as was taught by each Grand Master before. Sifu Tony Jordan has gone to great lengths and expense to insure that the skills taught in his school are authentic and that nothing is modified or changed.  Sifu Tony Jordan takes great pride in pointing out the Flag and Certificate of Nguyen Van Mach that hang in his school. This is because Grand Master Hong Nhan feels that he teaches the same as his father had taught before...