What is Shorinji Kempo
(日本)少林寺拳法?
Shorinji Kempo was founded by So Doshin (宗道臣) in 1947; a system incorporating the techniques and the philosophy that he learned in China.
The name is synonymous with the martial arts of Shaolin Temple in China, after all, the same characters are used (少林寺拳法). However, So Doshin chose this name on the basis of merit and as tribute to the physical and Zen disciplines taught by Bodhidharma in the 5th Century to the Buddhist monks at the Shaolin monastery.
Practice is focused not only on the martial art or self-defence aspect, but also the mental development so that we can act to help others and contribute to a better society. These three core principles are what define Shorinji Kempo as a Gyo (行) or discipline:
Kenko Soshin (健康増進) - Improved Health
Seishin Shuyo (精神修養) - Mental Development
Goshin Rentan (護身練胆) - Ability in Self-Defence
History of Shorinji Kempo
So Doshin was born Michiomi Nakano in 1911 in the Okayama Prefecture. His father, a Customs Officer, died when he was eight, and as a result he was sent to live with his grandfather in Manchuria. During this time through to his mid-teens, his grandfather taught him Kendo (剣道 Sword art), Sojutsu (槍術 Japanese Spear art) and Koryu Jujutsu (柔術).
In 1928, So Doshin enlisted with the Japanese Army and travelled extensively in China, studying in several schools of Chinese Kempo (拳法 Chu'an Fa). In Beijing, he met and studied under Wen Laoshi, the 20th Master of the Northern Shorinji Giwamonken School (北少林義和門拳).
Shorinji Kempo was founded in 1947 in the small town of Tadotsu, located in Shikoku, which is the smallest of Japan’s four major islands.
So Doshin (宗道臣), founder of Shorinji Kempo.
Also referred to as Kaiso meaning 'Founder'
In August 1945, So Doshin was in Eastern Manchuria when the Russian army broke their treaty with Japan and crossed the border. On the 15th of August, the war ended in Japan's defeat. During the next year, under the occupying Russian army he experienced the misery and suffering of defeat in a foreign land.
In this bitter reality, So Doshin developed the belief that it was neither ideology, religious differences nor national policies that determine the course of events, but rather the character and the way of thinking of those involved. He characterised this idea in the phrase, “The person, the person, the person, everything depends on the quality of the person” (“Hito, hito, hito, subete wa hito no shitsu ni aru” - 人、人、人、すべては人の質にある)
Japan's defeat in the war, led to So Doshin returning to his home country in June 1946. He found the Japanese people in confusion, lacking any hope or sense of purpose. He thought that they were lacking in morality and pride, and so he set about teaching the kempo he had learnt.
So Doshin's art is not simply a collection of Chinese kempo, but rather a fusion and re-arrangement of all the martial disciplines he had studied throughout his life. It is a re-examination of effective techniques in unison with the philosophy of Kongo Zen.
In 1948, So Doshin established the Japan Hokuha Shorinji Kempo Society (日本北派少林寺拳法会) in Japan.
About Hong Kong Shorinji Kempo
Hong Kong Shorinji Kempo was established in July 2017 by Felix Lee, 4th Dan and Will Ng, 3rd Dan, both with over 15 years training under Sensei Tameo Mizuno, 8th Dan and Chief Instructor of the British Shorinji Kempo Federation (BSKF)
from left: Felix Lee, Sensei Tameo Mizuno of the BSKF and Will Ng
Hong Kong Shorinji Kempo is proudly affiliated with the International Kempo Association (IKA), a non-profit group of Shorinji Kempo federations across the world including the Czech Republic, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom
