Tuesday & Thursday
6.00 to 7.00pm
What is Zen Do Kai?
Modern Skills - Traditional Values. Zen Do Kai is a Martial Arts System designed over four decades ago; founded in 1970 when Bob Jones opened his first martial arts club in Elizabeth St., Melbourne.
Originally intended to cater for those who worked in the security industry, the demand and popularity grew beyond expectation.
With the famous Bruce Lee movies flooding the cinema's more and more, people sought to participate in the martial arts phenomena...providing specialist security services and personal body guarding to all almost every major international Rock & Roll artists who toured Australia, tempered this popularity.
SOKE BOB JONES 
Zen Do Kai has never had a closed attitude, nor is it a closed system, we are an open system, and as such we have to be open to influences and ideas from all around the world.
We must always be guided by a thirst for knowledge, understanding and meaning to the things we do and those things that have been handed down to us from previous generations. Using modern self defence principles but keeping with traditional martial arts values, we seek to improve the system, improve ourselves and to be aware of creating the opportunities for the individuals within our organisation to achieve their personal best. We are proud, not only of our system, but of the many thousands of students that have developed from it. Train in Zen Do Kai and we are sure you will find the experience fulfilling, exciting and most of all .... enjoyable.
Zen Do Kai has continually evolved by adding and replacing the principles and techniques of many martial arts disciplines together with the strong Bob Jones fighting tradition to form a modern, effective and comprehensive self defense system.
With schools across the whole of Australia & New Zealand, it is by far the largest Martial Arts organisation in Australasia, boasting nearly 1000 classes per week catering for all walks of life.
The formal name of our system or style is Zen Do Kai Martial Arts. This is because the full gamut of what we teach does not fit into one category of martial art.
 Our syllabus not only includes what can be described as Karate techniques and Karate Forms (or Kata), but also the principles and practices of realistic personal defence strategies, close quarter combat (cqc), locks, holds and restraints along with escapes, throws and falls, vital point striking, grappling, as well as traditional weaponry like swords and staff at higher levels. Although from the outside, Zen Do Kai may seem to be simply a mix or blend of variour fighting traditions such as Muay Thai, Karate and Jiu Jitsu to make a new "style", Zen Do Kai is definatley much more than merely the sum of its parts.
Zen Do Kai is not longer the art OF other arts, it is the art OF ALL arts - an art unto itself, the infinity of Martial Arts with limitless potential for anyone who makes it a part of their life.
Hence to encompass all these element, the term "Martial Arts" sits comfortably along side Zen Do Kai. For us it translates as - "the best of everything in progression".
Here is a clip of Soke Bob Jones recently as he describes the purpose of Zen Do Kai in todays time:
What You will Learn
- STAND UP SELF DEFENCE POSTURE & FOOTWORK: Pre-Fight Stance (the fence), Engaged Fighting Stance, Step & Slides, Switch, Blitz Penetration Stepping (shotting for takedowns), Sprawls (defending takedowns) and More ...
- STAND UP HAND STRIKES & DEFENCES: Jab, Cross, Hooks, Uppercuts, Overhands, Hammer Fists, Palm Strikes, Vital Target Striking, Covers, Slips & Weaves, Level Changes, Crashes and More ...
- STAND UP KICKS AND DEFENCES: Front Kicks, Round Kicks, Side Kicks, Blocks, Parries, Catches, Evasions and More ...
- STAND UP ELBOWS: Round, Over, Uppercut, Jumping, Spinning and More ...
- STAND UP KNEES: Straight, Round, Jumping and More ...
- STAND UP TAKEDOWNS: High Single Legs, High Double Legs, Low Singles and More ...
- STAND UP TRANSITIONS: Cover and Crash, Parry and Crash, Level Change and More ...
- CLINCH POSITIONAL CONTROLS: Neck Ties, Underhooks, Body Locks, Whizzers, Against a Wall/Cage, Restraining Locks and More ...
- CLINCH POSITIONAL ESCAPES: Using Hair, Pressure Points, Face Pushes, Cross Faces, Using Other Positions and More ...
- CLINCH POSITIONAL TRANSITIONS: Snaps Downs, Duck Unders, Arm Drags, Level Changes and More ...
- CLINCHING STRIKES: Punches, Elbows, Knees, Kicks, Head Buts, Open Hand Strikes Pressure Points and More ...
- CLINCHING TAKEDOWNS: Body Turns, Trips, Reaps, Hip Throws, Double Legs, Single Legs and More ...
- GROUND POSITIONAL CONTROLS: Stand Up From Mount, Side Controls, Back Control, Kesa Gatame and More ...
- GROUND POSITIONAL ESCAPES: Escape and Stand Up From Mount, From Side Controls, From Back Control, Guard and More ...
- GROUND STRIKING: Punches, Elbows, Open Hand Strikes, Vital Point Striking, Head Buts and Knees from All Positions, Defending and Escaping From All Positions and More ...
- PERSONAL PROTECTION SKILLS: Environmental Awarness, Early Danger Detection, Danger Evasion and Escaping, Verbal Difusion, Mental Triggers, Fear Management, Flinch Response, Distraction Techniques, Strategies Against Weapon Attacks, Strategies Against Mulitple Attackers and More ...
- MARTIAL ARTS WEAPONRY: Traditional Weaponry Practice using the Katana, Bo Staff, Short Stick, Sai, Tonfa Nunchaku and More ...
A Typical Class Would Be
- Joint Warm Up
- Solo and Parnter Drills to Match the General Topic of the Class
- Strength and Conditioning Exercises
- Skill Work using Shadow Work, Partner Work or Pad Work
- Isolated Sparring Drills to Improve "live" Skills Against a Resisting Partner
- Specific Self Defence Scenario Drills
- Sparring - Stand Up Only, Clinch Only, Ground Only or Full MMA Depending On Class Topic
- Kata Practice
Zen Do Kai Martial Arts Grade Progression
The Zen Do Kai system is a totally systemised, tested and certified class with international levels of standard. Each level requires a minimum amount of time, a minimum number of classes as well as a formal skill testing process before a student is allowed to proceed to their next goal (which is a coloured belt or a black tip). Examinations are held 4 times a year but only people meeting the requirments are eligble to attempt them. Testing for the next level Belt require a fee, but all "Tip" testing is free.
| Grade |
Classes Needed |
Minimum Time |
| White Belt (beginner) |
|
|
| White Belt with Black Tip |
10 |
2 months |
| Yellow Belt |
+ 15 |
+ 3 months |
| Yellow Belt with Black Tip |
+ 15 |
+ 3 months |
| Orange Belt |
+ 15 |
+ 3 months |
| Orange Belt with Black Tip |
+ 15 |
+ 3 months |
| Blue Belt |
+ 20 |
+ 3 months |
| Blue Belt with Black Tip |
+ 20 |
+ 3 months |
| Green Belt |
+ 20 |
+ 3 months |
| Green Belt with Black Tip |
+ 20 |
+ 3 months |
| Brown Belt |
+ 30 |
+ 3 months |
| Brown Belt with Black Tip |
+ 40 |
+ 3 months |
| Prob. Black Belt Sho Dan Ho |
+ 50 |
+ 6 months |
| 1st Dan Black Belt Sho Dan |
+ 100 |
+ 1 year |
| Prob. 2nd Dan Black Belt Ni Dan Ho |
+ 100 |
+ 1 year |
| 2nd Dan Black Belt Ni Dan |
+ 100 |
+ 1 year |
| Prob. 3rd Dan Black Belt San Dan Ho |
+ 150 |
+ 18 months |
| 3rd Dan Black Belt San Dan |
+ 150 |
+ 18 months |
| Prob. 4th Dan Black Belt Yon Dan Ho |
+ 200 |
+ 2 years |
| 4th Dan Black Belt Yon Dan |
+ 200 |
+ 2 years |
| Prob. 5th Dan Black Belt Go Dan Ho |
+ 200 |
+ 2 years |
| 5th Dan Black Belt Go Dan |
+ 200 |
+ 2 years |
Zen Do Kai Martial Arts Grading Requirements
Coming Soon
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