Zen Do Kai
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Zen Do Kai is a freestyle martial art system which was developed in Australia in 1970 by Bob Jones. The style was founded by Jones and Richard Norton when they left the Japanese Goju Kai karate dojo of Tino Ceberano.
Jones opened his first Zen Do Kai martial arts club at 48 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. It was originally intended to cater for those who worked in the security industry with Jones. It is a martial arts system which has evolved over the past three decades.
Zen Do Kai is a simplified street fighting art with clubs located across the whole of Australia and New Zealand; and affiliates based in most major cities; as well as schools in Israel, Japan, Indonesia and the USA. It became the largest Martial Arts organisation in Australasia, with nearly 1000 classes per week.[citation needed]
Jones describes Zen Do Kai is an "open system", and as such is "open to influences and ideas from all around the world". Zen Do Kai means - "the best of everything in progression". Its elements include self defence moves, katas, and strike work. Although Zen Do Kai is considered a form of karate, it also contains elements of Thai kickboxing in that each student is taught to fight in a Thai kickboxing stance and to use all of its techniques. It is set apart from many forms of karate because it allows kicks to the legs to take place during sparring and pad drills as well as many other techniques and practices used by Thai kickboxing. The Zen Do Kai philosophy encompasses the principle of "if it works, use it" and as such contains eleements of a variety of other martial arts including Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Aikido, the Filipino martial arts and many more.
Zen Do Kai uses katas as a form of discipline during training and these katas have been selected for the aid in rudimentary development of stances and techniques. Zen Do Kai also places a large emphasis on grabs and holds and other general close combat and ground fighting techniques which may make Zen Do Kai very well suited to practical defence situations. While it would be equally useful in streetfighting, Zen Do Kai follows the classical martial arts model with a distinct hierarchy, a philosophy and the promotion of the ethical code of bushido. Zen Do Kai schools place an emphasis on self defence but do not promote fighting or violence.
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[edit] The Founder, Bob Jones
[1]Bob Jones has been training and teaching martial arts since the 1960s. Many black belts in Zen Do Kai were once employed the security industry as this was the original inspiration for Zen Do Kai. The organisation is now much larger and more diverse. Zen Do Kai black belts have done security for rock concerts, and in the eighties Bob Jones personally toured as bodyguard to many major rock and roll celebrities including the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, David Bowie, Boy George, and Linda Ronstadt. He wrote of his experiences in his book 'Let the Good Times Roll'
Bob Jones travelled to the USA in the 1970s and brought the kickboxing concept back to Australia. He is considered the 'father of Australian kickboxing' and is generally and affectionately referred to as "the Chief".
Bob Jones's advises and guides his organisation of 1,000 schools of self defence throughout Australasia and has developed over 20,000 Black Belt students. He has made numerous television appearances providing self defense tips for women. He ran a regular self defence segment called 'Fighting Fit' on Bert Newton's Good Morning Australia program (Channel 10) in 1992-1993. He writes regular magazine columns and provides expert commentary for kickboxing bouts. He holds the rank of eighth dan, is one of the highest ranked martial artists in Australia and in 1997 was awarded the prestigious Blitz Martial Arts Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award.
[edit] The belts
The belts, in order from lowest to highest are: white, yellow, orange, blue, green, brown, black (probationary) 1st dan, 2nd dan, 3rd dan, 4th dan, 5th dan, 6th dan, 7th dan, 8th dan, 9th dan, 10th dan.
[edit] Crosses
The Zen Do Kai Crosses are as steeped in the history of Zen Do Kai tradition itself. They are as highly revered. These days they are awarded to Black Belt students, whose teachers feel have earned them, through demonstration of loyalty, strength and dedication, whilst following the path of the warrior. Once having been awarded the Cross, a Zen Do Kai practitioner will wear it (usually on a neck chain) everywhere with pride and honour.
It truly affords the individual a sense that wherever one may go, help will not be too far away should it be needed. The Cross is an important symbol of acceptance into the more senior levels of the Zen Do Kai family and exemplifies commitment to the protection and instruction of the brothers and sisters in the ranks of Zen Do Kai. The Cross itself bares its origins in the country of Finland and it has been embellished with geometric shapes symbolic of Senjo battlefield strategy and the words Bushido, Ishoa, and Kyunnin. These terms and the Crosses are explained here. The original Zen Do Kai cross was the square cross. It was modeled on the Finnish cross of bravery and was originally awarded by Kyoshi Sama Bob Jones to two of his protection services men, Dave Milne and Bill Sabotka. During the sixties, as his security firm grew, Kyoshi Sama awarded more of the crosses to his personnel. The early seventies saw Kyoshi Sama engrave the word 'Bushido' onto the cross. This translates literally as 'the way of the warrior'. Suddenly the cross took on a slightly new meaning. The Bushido Cross (as it is still known) was presented by Kyoshi Sama to his higher grade Zen Do Kai students as a symbol of protection of the junior Zen Do Kai brothers (students in the ranks). This instilled an unrivaled incentive for every new student to maximise his efforts to gain acceptance in "the new family of security". Still today, male Zen Do Kai practitioners train fiercely to earn the honour and privilege of being awarded the Bushido Cross.
In the end, which ever cross is awarded, the most important thing is the relationship between the instructor and the students. It is the meaning and intention of the awarding of the cross.
The round cross was introduced initially to acknowledge the understanding and commitment of the wives and partners of the security personnel in Kyoshi Sama's protection interest. Most of Kyoshi Sama's security staff worked long hours, often six nights a week. The women folk received the small circular cross which identified them as 'those who understood'. This cross was developed further during the seventies in Zen Do Kai and the word 'Ishoa' was engraved onto it. This means, literally, 'enlightenment', the perfect blending of mind and body. The Ishoa Cross was awarded to the "Karate wives" or to exemplify their understanding of the men folk training with Kyoshi Sama up to six nights a week. The wives and partners were proud to be acknowledged as members of the Zen Do Kai family. Soon the first wave of female Zen Do Kai students were also afforded acknowledgment as dedicated martial artists with the presentation of the Ishoa Cross. And, suddenly, this cross took on a new meaning. Its new reverence mirrored that of the Bushido Cross. It too, became a symbol of protection of the junior brothers and, now also, sisters, in the Zen Do Kai ranks. Today, female Zen Do Kai practitioners are awarded this cross for their fierce determination in training, dedication and commitment to Zen Do Kai. Just as the awarding of the Bushido Cross is a privilege and honour to Zen Do Kai's male students, so too is the awarding of the Ishoa Cross to Zen Do Kai's female students. Both Crosses are held in identical regard and esteem and are often awarded together in official ZDK family functions.
The Kyunnin (Administrators) Cross, triangular in shape and seen held by the Red Dragon is a recent addition to the cross family. It remains a rare award today and stands for exemplary business acumen demonstrated in pursuit of advancing the standing of Zen Do Kai and its ideals. No one to this date has earned the right to wear one. In many ways, this cross represents the ultimate ambition and success as person, as an individual and as a member of society.
[edit] References
- ^ BLITZ magazine, Special Collector's Edition 2004, Instructor's Fighting Techniques, Australia Post Registered Publication No. VGQ8202, pp 180-182.
