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  1. The Six Distinguishing Characteristics of Shorinji Kempo
  2. History and Founding of Shorinji Kempo

  ELIENS, Anton
  Amsterdam Branch (56-61-001-7)
  kenshi nr: 573-27253-1
  date of birth: 12/3/1952, age: 58, gender: male
  

  ELIENS, Anton, Amsterdam, kenshi nr: 573-27253-1
  date of birth: 12/3/1952, age: 58, gender: male
  

1. The Six Distinguishing Characteristics of Shorinji Kempo

Against the background of Kongo Zen the first two characteristics or principles
  • (1) kenzen ichinyo -- unity of ken and zen
  • (2) riki ai funi -- strength and love (must be) in harmony
may be considered as the most important, since they emphasize respectively the importance of Shorinji Kempo as a training method for finding a proper way of life by striving for a unity of body and mind, and thus build a proper way of life, which allows for benevolence and non-agressive use of strength, with respect and love for life.

The other four characteristics primarily reflect the approach of Shorinji Kempo to prepare the kenshi for proper technical training, as well as a more general way of life:

  • (3) shushu koju -- defence is primary, offense is secondary
  • (4) fusatsu katsujin -- not to kill but to awaken
  • (5) goju ittai -- hard and soft make one whole
  • (6) kumite shutai -- paired practice is primary
More in particular, the shushu koju characteristic not only represents a basic value in life, but also stands for a strategic advantage in actual combat, where the attacker exposes his weak points from which the defender may take profit.

In a similar vein, the fusatsu katsujin expresses respect for life, and is technically a guideline for self-control, without which effective training with a partner would be impossible. Reversely, the control acquired during training, in comradeship with the training partner, transfers to real life as self-control and well-measured application of force, not to hurt the opponent, but to, if necessary, teach respect for life and human values.

Both in life and training, sometimes a soft approach and sometimes a hard approach is more effective. The goju ittai principle reminds us of the various methods we may choose from in the application of techniques, as well as the range of techniques available.

Finally, the kumite shutai principle teaches us that learning Shorinji Kempo, or for that matter martial arts in general, is best done with partners, not only for the kenshi to learn how to adapt to the impredictability of real opponents, but also to develop a true sense of comradeship. There is no need to emphasize that this comradeship and spirit of cooperation are essential values in life, without which human culture and individual development are impossible.

additional remarks


Often Shorinji Kempo is referred to as a philosopher's martial art, with the obvious meaning that each of the six characteristics has an interpretion both on a technical level, directly pertaining to the training and practice of Shorinji Kempo as a martial art, as well as an interpretion on a human level, emphasizing basic values in our life and our relationship with society. As such Shorinji Kempo embodies the teachings of Kongo Zen in that it develops both the mind and the body. As a method for learning martial art, it is part of a wider family of Budo, with a special emphasis on:
  • the unity of body and mind, and the insight that
  • each person finds joy and happiness in living half for themselves and half for others.
As a method, thus, Shorinji Kempo offers a unique way to develop one's indivual strenght and self-control in accordance with the riki ai funi principle, but ultimately based on perspectives offered by Kongo Zen, as summarized in the kenzen ichinyo, the unity of ken and zen, or in our western translation, that body and mind are inseparable.

resources

  1. tokuhon -- syllabus (English version), Chapter 3, section 4, p. 12
  2. history -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/history/index.html
  3. philosophy -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/kaiso/46.html
  4. principle(s) -- portlandshorinji.org/philosophy

  ELIENS, Anton, Amsterdam, kenshi nr: 573-27253-1
  date of birth: 12/3/1952, age: 58, gender: male
  

2. History and Founding of Shorinji Kempo

Shorinji Kempo was founded by Doshin So in postwar Japan in 1947. Doshin So based his teachings on a variety of techniques that he learned from different masters during his stay in China.

The name Shorinji Kempo is derived from shaolin quanfa, the method of chinese boxing practiced by the Shaolin monks. According to tradition, it was originally Boddhidharma who brought these fighting techniques from India to China, some 1500 years ago, and installed these in the Songshan Shaolin temple, which is in the area currently known as Henan. The Shaolin monks practiced these technques both for spiritual enlightment as well as to obtain effective methods for self-defence, sorely needed in times of turmoil and banditism.

The time-line sketching the history of Shorinji Kempo and the life of Kaiso, the Founder of Shorinji Kempo, is as depicted below:

  • 1928: Kaiso travelled to China and learned a great variety of techniques of the masters he met during his work.
  • 1945: After the defeat, Kaiso witnesses the cruelty of human actions, and
  • 1946: returning to Japan, he decided to revive his country by nurturing its people, and in
  • 1947: Kaiso started teaching the techniques he had learned in China in the place of Tadotsu, a small harbor town, in Kagawa Prefecture.
The 1975 movie Shorinji Kempo with Sonny Chiba as the lead actor gives a good impression of the state of post-war Japan, immediately after the defeat, with pity criminals, injustice, and dispirited people [3]. looking for orientation in a time of chaos. It is here where the teachings of Kaiso, and the nature of Shorinji Kempo as a gyu offered a way out, by building on the strength of the individual's character and bringing about a spirit of compassion and involvement with the fate of human mankind.

The efforts undertaken by Kaiso and his first pupils is well depicted in documentaries that were shown in Hombu, telling the story of spreading Shorinji Kempo over Japan, by giving demonstrations for interested spectators, moving from place to place in mini-vans. Apart from their historic interest, these scenes are impressive because of the enthousiasm and sincerity with which the first Shorinji Kempo pupils spread the message of Kaiso.

As a consequence of these efforts, and the obvious relevance of the teachings, Shorinji Kempo knew prosperous growth in the beginning years, as illustrated in the time-line below, that lists the foundation of the various organisations supporting Shorinji Kempo, as instigated by Kaiso:

  • 1951: Kongo Zen Sohonzan Shorinji
  • 1952: Nihon Shorinji Bugei Semmon Gakko
  • 1957: Zen Nihon Shorinji Kempo Zemmei
  • 1963: Shorinji Kempo Federation of Japan
With the founding of the Shorinji Kempo Federation of Japan a strong focus came to be the training of young people, as a most effective means of improving the morality and physical constitution of the country.

In 1980 Doshin So, after that honorifically called Kaiso, died. Shorinji Kempo is now, the year of writing is 2010, a world-wide organization with over 1.500.000 members, in more than 30 countries, being led by Yuuki So, who is honorifically referred to as Shike Doshin So II.

Shorinji Kempo is in close contact with Budo organizations all over the world, as testified by the (impressive!) demonstration given in the Netherlands, 8 november 2009, in commemoration of the 400-year relationship between the Netherlands and Japan [4].

After adopting a new international symbol in 2005, the se-on, the World Shorinji Kempo Organization has a strong focus on global cooperation and educating the youth all over the world in the spirit of Budo, mental and physical health and cooperation. Concluding we may observe that in our times, where respect between humans still need improvement and where large parts of the world are still behind common standards of well-being in comparison to other parts of the world, the spirit and discipline of Shorinji Kempo, as a gyo, is without any doubt of great relevance, since improving the world is, in the words of Kaiso, in the hands of the individual, in other words dependent on the courage and moral strength of individual human beings that cherish the value of life.

resources

  1. tokuhon -- syllabus (English version), Chapter 5, section 1, p. 70
  2. history -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/history/index.html
  3. general -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorinji_Kempo
  4. demonstration -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/b-report/334.html


(C) Æliens 04/09/2009

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