Mentoring: Vietnamese-American movie actor Johnny Nguyen has opened a martial arts school in HCM City, aimed at finding and nurturing young kung fu artists. —File Photo

HCM CITY — Vietnamese-American movie actor Johnny Nguyen, star of such blockbuster action movies as Dong Mau Anh Hung (The Rebel) and Bay Rong (The Clash), recently opened a martial arts school in HCM City, aiming to find and nurture young kung fu artists.

Dedicated to the school of Lien Phong kung fu founded by the film star's grandfather, master Nguyen Chanh Minh, the school has already attracted a large number of young students, including many underprivileged kids.

Johnny Nguyen said the school was founded not only to spread his family's good fortune but also to develop kung fu as a sport.

"Martial arts are no longer dedicated to combat, but are considered a sport that requires the harmony of body and spirit," he said.

Although all of his family members studied martial arts at a young age, including boxing, aikido, and judo, Nguyen is the only who pursued and developed his grandfather's Lien Phong kung fu.

His martial arts school has been built in a typical Vietnamese architectural style featuring clay walls and palm-leaf roofs on a 1,700sq.m site within University Village on Nguyen Huu Tho Road in District 7. Together with his best friend and martial arts master Patrick Huan Nguyen and four talented stuntmen, the actor is one of the instructors at the Lien Phong school.

Students from nearby universities and poor children living in the area get special attention from Johnny Nguyen. University students get reduced fees, while underprivileged kids are able to train free-of-charge.

"Many of them show an aptitude for the martial arts which can help them to be potential kung fu artists in the future," said Johnny Nguyen. "I just want to give them a starting block."

The actor also believes that the school will help him to find potential stunt artists for his and other Vietnamese action movies.

Lien Phong kung fu was founded by master Chanh Minh in the southernmost province of Ca Mau in the early 20th century. It's a combination of esoteric acts that were handed down in his family from generation to generation and is famous for rapid movements which often consist of seven to eight consecutive blows. — VNS