Shorinji Kempo

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[rachmass]

Hello all,

What can you all tell me about Shorinji Kempo and any similarities to aikido? I've got a fellow who would like to sign up for aikido and has been doing this martial art for quite awhile and says they are very similar. Not knowing anything about it, I would love opinions from those folks who know it first-hand if possible. What are the similarities/what are the major differences?

thanks in advance,

Rachel

[Aikiscott]

Hi

Haven't trained in the art but have seen it in action & have trained with people that have practiced it in the past. To me it is sort of like a Japanese form Hapkido, utilising Aikido/Aikijujutsu style throws & Karate style kicks & punches, philosophicaly it is fairly similar to Aikido.

This quote from the Shorinji Australia website somes it nicely I think. "Shorinji Kempo is a Japanese Martial Art founded by Doshin So after the Second World War. Shorinji Kempo trains both mentally and physically, promoting the learning and understanding of ourselves and others. Doshin So worked and studied in China, and when he returned to live in Japan, he established his own school based on the techniques he had learned there. Broadly speaking, it can be described as a mixture of Karate, Aikido and Judo, with the main emphasis based on defense and evasion. Shorinji Kempo also teaches that the body and the mind are inseparable, and that the two entities should be trained by the practice of Kempo and Zen meditation, in a sitting (Za-zen) position. In this way the individual may be able to preserve his or her own integrity and so be useful to the world."

I would realy love to give this art a go.

here is a link to the world Shorinji kempo organisation.

http://wsko.econ-net.or.jp/index.html

Hope this helps

[sanosuke]

some said that shorinji kempo (shaolin kungfu) is the source of all japan martial arts. from what i know, shorinji kempo has two styles of techniques named goho (hard techniques) and juho (soft techniques) and every kenshi are needed to master these two styles of techniques. it was believed that kempo practitioners later divide and develop each techniques into new styles of martial arts, like from goho developed to 'te' or 'tote'/chinese hand, which later on become karate. from the juho techniques the practitioners developed jujitsu, which later on developed into judo, aikijujitsu and aikido.

[rachmass]

Thanks guys for your thoughts, and for the link!

best,

Rachel

[BC]

Shorinji kempo (a Japanese martial art) is not the same martial art as the Chinese shaolin chuan fa, although some proponents of Shorinji Kempo claim it is derived from it. I have heard that some of the details of Doshin So's martial arts background are somewhat vague (similar to aikido's O Sensei).

From what little I have read and heard about it, it is a very effective and complex art which combines strikes, pins and throws, with some Bhuddist philosophy thrown into the mix.

Some shorinji kempo practitioners post pretty regularly in E-budo...

[rachmass]

Thanks Robert,

Sounds like this fellow will fit in beautifully. BTW, he's about 6'2" and @ 250 lbs is my guess. Why am I attracting guys to my dojo, and no women is beyond me! (but delighted to have the guys, don't get me wrong on that one).

Rachel

[MikeE]

I have had the fortune of training with Hirayama Kazuo (7th dan shorinji kempo). They do some real painful stuff...but mostly it was very aiki...and many times not much away from aikido/daito ryu.

Lots of fun though!

[Chris Li]

I have had the fortune of training with Hirayama Kazuo (7th dan shorinji kempo). They do some real painful stuff...but mostly it was very aiki...and many times not much away from aikido/daito ryu.

Lots of fun though!
Doshin So studied a little Daito-ryu with Hakko-ryu founder Ryuho Okuyama. An excerpt from the Aikido News interview:

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Many notable people have studied Hakko-ryu, I believe…

Yes. Many have. So Doshin [Doshin Nakano] was one of them. My father taught him only the first or second technique. He complained of a lot of pain and so he learned the rest of the techniques by correspondence. Then he later combined our techniques with Nihon Kenpo and created Shorinji Kenpo.

His students often came to study our art. A 7th dan in Shorinji Kenpo came to study and received the shihan rank. However, many martial artists, especially those who have been doing power techniques [such as Shorinji Kenpo] have a hard time understanding the meaning of relaxing themselves.

--------------

Best,

Chris

[Aikilove]

Chris, that's interesting, but seems like Okuyama S missed some essential facts about the history of So Doshin. According to the orgainization of shorinjikempo (new spelling, one word) own history the basis of shorinjikempo is mainly shaolin kung fu (chinese for shorinjikempo).

http://www.shorinji-kempo.org/ is a good site. Read the history and origin parts.

[Chris Li]

Chris, that's interesting, but seems like Okuyama S missed some essential facts about the history of So Doshin. According to the orgainization of shorinjikempo (new spelling, one word) own history the basis of shorinjikempo is mainly shaolin kung fu (chinese for shorinjikempo).

http://www.shorinji-kempo.org/ is a good site. Read the history and origin parts.
That's what they claim, at least. Donn Draeger made (I think) a pretty good argument against any significant connections to shaolin kung fu (in spite of the name), but I wouldn't say one way or the other, myself.

Best,

Chris