Vietnamese martial artists have set their sights on at least one gold in Kempo Shorinji when the event makes its Southeast Asian Games (SEA) debut at the upcoming Games in Indonesia next month.

The team is currently being coached by married couple Ho Nhat Thong and Nguyen Thi Huyen Dieu, two of the country's most famous taekwondo artists.

Thong won gold medals at the SEA Games in 1997 and the Asian Games in 1998, while his wife won golds at four consecutive SEA Games and a bronze medal at this year's world event.

"I spent most of my time researching documents and watching videos on this sport to find a suitable way of playing it with Vietnamese martial artists," said Thong.

"It is really hard but I like challenges and the chance to improve my knowledge of kungfu," he added.

The team is also being supported by two Indonesian experts.

At a recent pre-SEA Games Kempo Shorinji tournament at the Gelanggang Gymnasium in Jakarta, Indonesia, Viet Nam won three gold medals, three silvers and six bronzes.

Kempo Shorinji was established by Doshin So as a system for self-improvement and training in Japan in 1947. He based the discipline on Shaolin kungfu.

The training methods are based on the philosophy "spirit and body are not separable" and "train both body and spirit". Kempo Shorinji is often credited with having the three benefits of self-defence and training, training the mind, and promoting health.

VNS