HÀ NỘI — A new martial arts comedy series produced by Lương Tuấn Anh, an aviation-student-turned-martial artist, launched yesterday.

Comprised of 15-minute sketches, Lão Quy Phiền Quá is based around the practice of ‘Master Turtle’ and his development in martial arts.

"We practise in the mountains for long hours, and we like to film it for fun," Lương Tuấn Anh told Việt Nam News.

"Ooway! Master you are annoying", as it is called in English, tells how ‘Master Turtle’, who has been training in the mountains for hundreds of years now finds a stranger moving in on his turf. The master finds himself teasing the stranger as a form of entertainment.

It is a humourous way Tuấn Anh and his friend see their life of strict self-discipline and self-training.

"The level of success is made by those who train," he said, "each person shall attain the level of success true to the dedication they put into training."

The series stars two martial arts partners, Lương Tuấn Anh playing ‘Master Turtle’ and Bùi Mạnh Tưởng playing the strange man. Like any hero movie, it needs to have a role for a young beautiful girl played by Tiểu Trúc Mai, who is also very good at martial arts.

A fan of the kung-fu style movies as a child, Tuấn Anh seriously practised zen kung-fu in 2010. Lương Tuấn Anh trains himself in the tradition of the martial artists at Shaolin Temple in China. It is not strictly suggested that martial artists should be vegetarian, but along the line, the practitioners tend to consume more vegetables and fruit. It’s not forbidden for practitioners to have a family or relationships. "Everything shall come very naturally," Tuấn Anh said.

Born in 1983, Lương Tuấn Anh spent his early 20s studying Russian literature, then aviation in the Russian Federation. A college drop out, he later opened a mochi sweet shop. Since 2010, he seriously dedicated four hours each day to honing his martial arts skills, meditation and training in beautiful scenic places in the mountains.

Martial Arts films were popular in Việt Nam in the 1990s, with the Lý Huỳnh - Lý Hùng father and son team and company. Imported movies starring Bruce Lee were also hugely popular among the youths of Việt Nam, where boys would take martial arts classes to boost their health and keep fit.

Self-security reasons usually come second, as martial arts experts say that when you practise to a certain level, it’s all about self-discipline and confidence, and not about fighting or hurting another person. — VNS