Zanshin means awareness. It is a reminder to remain centered and at the center of yourself, existing in the world around you, alert to the actions of others.

About Zanshin Martial Arts

Zanshin Martial Arts is a club in the Canberra and Queanbeyan region of Australia. We run martial arts training classes, catering to all ages and skill levels.

About Zanshin Training

For kids and lower grades, we emphasise physical coordination, discipline, and confidence. Students learn basic martial arts techniques, and from there, develop katas, partnered sparring, and light free sparring. Our aim is to produce students who are confident, controlled, and resilient, all the while ensuring they enjoy the journey.

Junior training is emphatically non-contact, and is non-competitive.

Senior students train more advanced techniques, learning partnered training, free sparring, and test their skills and techniques against other students, in a safe and challenging environment.

Katas are a core element at every level, building memory, precision, and endurance.

Zanshin training aims to blend the light footwork and speed of tae kwon do with the devastating strength and power of karate. Higher grade students learn aikido-based techniques, blending seamlessly and smoothly into attacks to disarm opponents, and practice traditional aikido weapons training.

Soshi Paul

Early Years

I have been training in martial arts for most of my life. I started with judo and taekwondo, then went on to earn black belts in karate and aikido. I earned my 4th Dan black belt in taekwondo and have spent decades studying and teaching across different disciplines. Those experiences have shaped how I approach training and the kind of environment I have built through Zanshin.

I began my martial arts journey at the Goulburn Police Boys’ Club (now PCYC Goulburn) on Avoca Street in the early 1970s, where I first stepped onto the mat to learn judo. The majority of my training was in Goulburn, New South Wales, and that is where my passion for martial arts truly took shape. Over the years, I also trained across Sydney, Wollongong, the Southern Highlands, and in the early days, throughout Canberra. The people I met during those years deeply influenced how I see martial arts, not just as a sport but as a lifelong path of growth, discipline, and awareness.

Transitioning into Taekidokai

In the mid 1990s, several instructors and I decided to branch out from our old club and form a new organisation called Taekidokai. I became the second highest instructor within the organisation and helped establish a strong foundation for what became a well respected martial arts group.

During this time, I had the privilege of working under my long-time mentor Ian Dixon, who had been by my side for over 30 years. Ian was a great mentor and teacher, and I learned a great deal from him about both martial arts and leadership. When Ian retired, I realised that I had outgrown the structure of Taekidokai and wanted to take martial arts in a direction that reflected my own beliefs, one that focused more on people, community, and growth.

The Birth of Zanshin

That was when I decided to create Zanshin Martial Arts. It was never about starting something completely new, it was about bringing together everything I had learned from judo, taekwondo, karate, and aikido and creating a training environment centred on awareness, respect, and inclusiveness.

Zanshin means "awareness", and for me, it is not just about self defence, it is about being aware of others, supporting each other, and growing together.

In 2024, I had the incredible privilege of visiting the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo, the world headquarters of Aikido, where the legacy of O Sensei continues through his grandson Moriteru Ueshiba, who now leads as Doshu. That experience deepened my respect for martial arts traditions and strengthened my belief in the importance of community in training.

Zanshin Today

Zanshin has grown into something I am very proud of. Families train together, parents train alongside their kids, and everyone, no matter their age, fitness, or background, is welcome. Our instructors love what they do, and our students inspire us every day.

Today, Zanshin Martial Arts has over 20 locations across Canberra and Queanbeyan, with 25 instructors and around 12 Sempai preparing to become instructors themselves. We now have more than 1,500 students training across our clubs, a true reflection of the community spirit that Zanshin was built on.

The Zanshin Philosophy

For me, that is what Zanshin is all about, people helping people grow. It is a place where everyone belongs, where we challenge ourselves, and where we look after each other.