february-2011

Kicking up
a Storm
They may not be as popular as karate or tae kwon do
yet, but zen do ka and krav maga are gradually making
their presence felt WORDS ABHISHEK MEHROTRA
Most
of us (admit it!) have fantasised
about how it would be to rain n
blows upon a particularly unsavoury character ter
à la Bruce Lee. In fact, when they think no one’s e’s
looking — people tend to practise lethal air-kicks kicks
quite often — usually in the direction of their
bosses’ offi ces.
But Peter Robertson is one of the few
individuals who has actually translated his love ove
for Bruce Lee into a vocation, as the founder
of Zen Do Ka (ZDK) Elite Freestyle Karate &
Kickboxing Singapore.
“The Zen Do Ka Kickboxing class is based
on, but not restricted to, muay Thai kickboxing ng
techniques,” explains Robertson. “It’s a great t
cardio workout, relying heavily on repetitious s
drills with pads or a punching bag.”
ZDK also does away with what is a common on
gripe amongst students of the more popular r
arts. “While traditional styles tend to keep
the best ’til last, only teaching the good stuff
to their black belts, I teach my students black k
belt techniques straightaway so they learn
realistic self-defence and fi ghting skills,”
reveals Robertson.
Most importantly perhaps, ZDK is dynamic c
— with constantly evolving techniques. “ZDK K
is designed to be totally eff ective, constantly
adapting to changes, where anything that works orks
is embraced.”
Sascha Soliano, the director and chief
instructor of Krav Maga Singapore, shares
similar sentiments about his chosen style.
“Krav Maga is not a sport, and there are no
competitions. All the techniques focus on
maximum effi ciency in real-life conditions,”
he emphasises.
Developed in Israel in the 1930s, it’s used by
numerous law enforcement groups including g
Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency. Krav
Take Me There
● Zen Do Ka Elite Freestyle Karate &
Kickboxing Singapore (ZDK Elite)
Budo Academy, 340 King Georges Ave,
tel: +65 9681 1927 (Peter Robertson),
zendokai-karate-kickboxing.com
● Krav Maga Singapore
38 Carpenter Rd, #03-00 Hui Seng Bldg,
tel: +65 6227 7259, kravmaga.com.sg
Maga exponents draw their repertoire from a
variety of sources ranging from muay Thai to
wrestling, but Sascha explains that the training
is quite diff erent.
“It’s a mixed aerobic and anaerobic workout,
and relies heavily on pads. This is important
because it allows the student to practice the
technique at full strength, and the student
holding the pad learns of the impact they’d feel
when they get hit.”
Both ZDK and Krav Maga do away with the
frills that have accompanied the mass popularity
of the traditional arts. And while you may not
fi nd yourself in a combat situation, the obvious
health benefi tts
as well as the self-confi dence
that results results from fr rom taking either of these styles up,
make particip participation pation worthwhile.
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2011 17
WELL + GOOD