The Raid director Gareth Evans releases intense five-minute samurai short on YouTube

Officially speaking, it's a 'test action sequence'

'Pre Vis Action' sequence from Gareth Edwards, Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman (YouTube)

Things have been a bit quiet on the Gareth Evans front since he unleashed the frantic sequel to sleeper martial arts hit The Raid in 2014.

Excitingly, however, the Welsh director has now posted an unheralded short to YouTube - and it's an unrelenting must-see you can watch here.

In the description, Evans explains how the five-minute samurai short is, in fact, a 'test action sequence... designed in a bid to create choreography that maintains the style and rhythm' of The Raid films, 'while staying within the parameters of a PG-13/12A audience friendly certification.'

The plot synopsis runs as follows:

'In a time of civil war, a young warrior is given the task of delivering a treaty between two rival lords. During her journey through the woods however, she finds herself hunted by two assassins intent on intercepting her message of peace in a bid to maintain the fear, instability and violent rule of their leader.'

What ensues is a B&W breathlessly-choreographed sequence that proves Evans' directorial flair still remains minus the violence of those 18-certifcate films that propelled him to acclaim.

The short was designed in under a week with shooting occurring over the course of three days in Hirwaun, Wales.

There's no word on whether this is linked to a future project. Evans is currently working on The Raid 3 as well as action thriller Blister, a film of which no additional details are known.