In order to avoid or effectively manage interpersonal conflict (including potential violent assaults on your person), it is helpful to develop zanshin, the ability to live fully in each moment so you may be always aware of your environment. Zanshin is the ability to concentrate fully when necessary, ignor-ing all distractions.

Developing Zanshin Through Martial Arts Training:

Focused and consistent training will:

• Improve your self-defence potential when you train hard with total concentration
• Improve your awareness of your genuine skills and limitations: martial arts abilities, age, health, etc.
• Program automatic useful physical responses to danger into your system
• Reduce the panic tendency through the rehearsal of violent scenarios
• Generally toughens the mind, spirit and body

Sensei Otsuka on Zanshin:

No matter how skilled one is in the martial arts, he will find himself unprepared if encountered off-guard. Preparation of one’s mind is necessary at all times. Not to the extent of paranoia; but as a course of habit – Hironori Otsuka

This can also be found on our Words of Wisdom page.

Wikipedia defines Zanshin this way: “Zanshin (Japanese: 残心) is a term used in the Japanese martial arts. It refers to a state of awareness – of relaxed alertness. In karate, zanshin is the state of total awareness.^[6] It means being aware of one’s surroundings and enemies, while being prepared to react.

Zanshin is a critical component of martial arts training; especially when it comes to self-defense.

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing an article written by Sensei Morgan Duchesney called “Martial Arts and Personal Security”.

is what you do when no one is looking.