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- The Six Distinguishing Characteristics of Shorinji Kempo
- 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
- tokuhon -- syllabus (English version), Chapter 3, section 4, p. 12
- history -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/history/index.html
- philosophy -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/kaiso/46.html
- 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
- tokuhon -- syllabus (English version), Chapter 5, section 1, p. 70
- history -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/history/index.html
- general -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorinji_Kempo
- demonstration -- www.shorinjikempo.or.jp/wsko/b-report/334.html
(C) Æliens
04/09/2009
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