Son of Lê Văn Hiển (1887-1959) and Nguyễn Thị Mùi (1887-1993), master Lê Sáng was born during the Spring of 1920 in Trúc Bạch, Tonkin, North of Vietnam. At the age of 19, after going through illness, his mother, Nguyễn Thị Mùi, advised him to look for a martial arts master and to practice Võ to strengthen his legs. The young Lê Sáng signed-up for Vovinam classes held in the High-School of Pedagogy of Hanoi "Trường Sư phạm", where Master Nguyễn Lộc was teaching.

The founder master and the young Lê Sáng would become friends. Lê Sáng followed and helped Master Nguyễn Lộc in most of the Cities around Hanoi, hen he followed Master Nguyễn Lộc to the South in 1954.

Following the death of the Founder Master, in 1960, Master Lê Sáng became his successor. World Patriarch of Vovinam, he founded in 1964 the notion of "Việt Võ Đạo". The Việt Võ Đạo, philosophical concept inseparable from Vovinam, that was a real innovation. Master Lê Sáng synthesized in 1964 several philosophical ideologies linked to the Vovinam martial arts roots, to arrive to the Việt Võ Đạo - Nhân Võ Đạo philosophy.

When the War ended, the 30th of April 1075, the country was re-unified but reprisals and numerous disciplinary actions were perpetrated against people who have been on the side of the Americans. However, these actions were also engaged against great personalities as well as leaders of masses in the South. Master Lê Sáng was incarcerated but he never participated in the war and had always been a civilian, and never committed any crime. He was imprisoned from 1975 to 1988.