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Ruairi Quinn
16th March 2001, 15:00
Hello-

I have been talking to Anders via e-mail about the robes worn sometimes in Shorinji Kempo. He suggested I post the question here to get more input. I was wondering whether yudansha in Shorinji Kempo have always worn the robes, what their religious/philosophical significance is, what they're like to train in and lastly whether they're always worn in practice or only on special occasions.

Thanks-

Ruairi Quinn,
Dublin

John McCulloch
16th March 2001, 23:02
Dear Ruairi,

As far as I know...

1. Shorinji Kempo yudansha have always worn the black robes or "Ho-i" ("way-wear"). The earliest pictures of Kaiso and his students (late 1940s) show use of the Ho-i.

2. Shorinji Kempo Ho-i are the same as those worn in the Zen school in Japan (Rinzai-shu, Soto-shu) with the exception that the sleeves are tied back. Given that the philosophy of Shorinji Kempo is Kongo Zen, the robes are a reminder of the importance of this in our practice. However, I daresay that the majority of kenshi who wear Ho-i do not consider themselves to be Zen Buddhists, but rather feel that the Ho-i symbolizes the importance of training both body and mind.

3. Ho-i are fun to train in and, visually at least, appear to accentuate the flow of energy in movement. On hot days they are not so great though!

4. Ho-i are only worn on special occasions, e.g. end/start of year ceremonies, important demonstrations and events. Most senior kenshi will typically only wear them once or twice a year.

I hope this helps answer your questions.

Best wishes,

Ruairi Quinn
17th March 2001, 19:17
Thanks for the info, John.