Zurkhaneh - an ancient Persian system of athletics combines martial arts, music, strength and spiritual devotion and is picking up serious momentum in Canterbury.

Zurkhaneh translates to "house of strength" in Persian and is a system of exercise based on combat using equipment that mimic weapons from centuries ago - from wooden clubs and maces, to shields and strips of metal that mimic the bow. But beyond strength and agility, at the center of Zurkhaneh is the practice of spiritual devotion and humility.

The art is said to date back over 2000 years ago to the Persian-Roman war that went on for nearly 600 years, making it a necessity to train men in combat to ensure generations ahead were prepared for war.

In New Zealand, thanks to a group of enthusiasts in Canterbury, Zurkhaneh is thriving and growing in popularity.

Amin Daneshwar, Esmail Fathi and Hossein Faraji spoke to Here Now is this episode.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details