Zen Do Kai

Zen Do Kai is a freestyle martial art system which originated in Australia by Bob Jones and Richard Norton when they left the Japanese Gōjū Kai karate dojo of Tino Ceberano in 1970.

Bob Jones describes Zen Do Kai as an "open system", and as such is "open to influences and ideas from all around the world", embracing elements from Boxing, grappling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Eskrima, Judo, Karate and Muay Thai. Zen Do Kai means, according to Jones, "the best of everything in progression", and its elements include self-defense moves, kata, and strike work. It is set apart from many forms of traditional karate because it allows many 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 elements of a variety of other martial arts.

Zen Do Kai uses kata as a form of discipline during training and these kata have been selected for the aid in rudimentary development of stances and techniques. Most of the katas derive from traditional Okinawan styles of karate, reflecting Jones' background in the 1960s.

Zen Do Kai also places a large emphasis on grabs and holds and other general close combat and ground fighting techniques, having adapted itself after the emergence in particular of Gracie Jujitsu and other forms of groundfighting largely unknown to the West until the late 1980s.

The first Zen Do Kai dojo was opened at Elizabeth Street, Melbourne. Jones states that it was originally intended to cater for those who worked in the security industry. Zen Do Kai follows the classical martial arts model with a distinct hierarchy, a philosophy and the promotion of the ethical code of Bushido. Most Zen Do Kai schools emphasize self-defence applications but do not promote fighting or violence.

The web site of Bob Jones Corporation Pty Ltd claims that Zen Do Kai has clubs located in Australia, New Zealand and Israel.

Born of Welsh ancestry and in the Chinese year of the dragon, Bob Jones incorporates this personal iconography intimately into the style of Zen Do Kai, with the use of the dragon in the emblematic black karate gi.