What is Shorinji Kempo ?

[Andrej Mantei]

Gassho,

Maybe this is indeed worth a new thread, so here it is.

Reading threads like "How to make SK more popular" almost every 5 posts one reads "This wouldn't be Shorinji Kempo anymore". Everytime I read that I wonder "Then, what is Shorinji Kempo?" Some seem to know. But to be honest I don't. The argument "this isn't Shorinji Kempo" in my opinion became something that we in Germany call a "Totschlagargument", freely translated an "argument that kills the discussion".
I think clarifying what is and what isn't possible in Shorinji Kempo is the basis for any discussion concerning "How to make SK more popular" or even the more heratic "How to make Shorinji Kempo better" and similar topics.

Since the question "What is Shorinji Kempo?" most probably would provoke rather lengthy and complicated explanations/definitions the following question goes out to all fellow kenshi:

What would Shorinji Kempo have to lose to stop being Shorinji Kempo?

Greetz, Andrej

[luar]

Upon reading this question, this came to mind...

Why do we practice Samu? Why do we not leave this task to the building custodians or purchase an inexpensive mop and broom rather than pushing wet rags? Certainly these means are much more effective and make better use of our valuable training time. So why do we need this?

[David Dunn]

Samu is supposed to help you develop initiative. If the purpose of samu was to make the dojo clean then getting a professional cleaner to do it would be far more efficient. Do you do samu when the dojo is already clean? See Louie Dickens post at budoseek on this subject:
http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5715

To me it's just the same question as on the other thread. If the purpose of Shorinji Kempo was to help you rapidly be able to devastate an assailant, then maybe kickathons and more 'realistic' training would be a logical method. The purpose of shorinji kempo isn't some big secret. It's the self-establishment of its practitioners (jiko kakuritsu) and learning that doing things cooperatively with others is better (jita kyoraku). In the philosophy subject "How to learn Shorinji Kempo", or whatever it has become now (Key requirements of training?), number one is to understand the goal/purpose of Shorinji Kempo, which is jiko kakuritsu and jita kyoraku, which should lead to the establishment of a better society. If you read Doshin So's books, it is plain that every minutae of training is developed with that purpose in mind.

[jailess]

Why do we practice Samu? Why do we not leave this task to the building custodians or purchase an inexpensive mop and broom rather than pushing wet rags? Certainly these means are much more effective and make better use of our valuable training time. So why do we need this?

Well, in Glasgow we don't: We have a lovely big brush. Someone goes up and down the dojo with it, and when they get to you you brush off your feet and jump over onto the clean bit.

Our sessions are 2 hours long; in that time we have to get Line-up, Taiso, Kihon, pairform practice, Chinkon, Goho waza, Juho waza, Howa, +/- Seiho/Randori/Embu if there's time. I'm sure an intensive knowledge of how to push wet mops up and down the dojo has saved some noble Kenshi's life at some point; but he probably wasn't from Glasgow.

I suppose, to answer the bolded question, a deletion of any of the above list would make the martial art "Un-kempo". No one would drop Taiso, as it's just a warm-up that should happen before all exercise: However:

If you drop Kihon, you will have a hard time developing the right body movements that make a signature ShorinjiKempo move (i.e. turning the hips to generate power, Zenkutsu-Dachi/Kokutsu-Dachi, etc.).

If you drop pairform Kihon, you will not train against an attacking partner, and will not be able to develop your ability to judge effective Ma'ai, Atemi, etc.

If you drop Chinkon, you lose the Zen aspect of ShorinjiKempo. Oh, I know, we're not supposed to mention it, but let's face it, it's the ONLY bit of SK you couldn't find anywhere else. And it's the bit most of us love. Maybe we suck at Chinkon, but that's no reason not to do it. I can't do a right MawashiGeri or a left SokutoGeri, but I still try (NOTE: Tony may post to tell you my left Mawashi/right Sokuto are bad too. Don't listen to him, they're perfect and need no work).

If you drop GohoWaza, you are basically doing grab-based Aikido. without Atemi. Which even Aikidoka think is a bad idea.

If you drop JuhoWaza, you are screwed if you come up against anyone who grabs you (thus eliminating 25% of your striking ability).

If you drop Howa people don't learn when to and when not to use ShorinjiKempo, how it came to be, what it's past and present functions are, principles of training/application/philosophy, etc. I have to say this is the part which has had the biggest (but yes, Rob, unquantifiable) effect on me. I wouldn't be a knuckle-dragging thug if I hadn't done SK, but still it's made me better than I was. Unquantifiably.

If you drop Randori you are dancing with other people in white pyjamas getting sweaty and putting them on the ground. Actually, that sounds quite fun...

If you drop Embu... I don't really understand Embu so I'll let others explain it.

And...
If you drop Seiho, you can't impress birds. I'm telling you man, they love it. you can even do it in the pub! "Bit of a headache, darlin, turn around... ah, yeah, there's the problem: chi blocked in the triple-warmer. Your Yang's coming out your ears, let me have a crack at it... that feel good? Yeah, thought so. You'll feel right as rain in no time. go home and drink some Tea or something. Coffee's fine, yeah. Now? No, I'm free. Sure, I'd love to. I'll get a cab."
Sorted.

Not Hombu-approved, but there you go. I think you have to include all these elements in order to make ShorinjiKempo what it is. You can improve on things to a certain extent (e.g. a scientific warmup, which we try to do at Glasgow), but dropping an element (e.g. leaving out the philosophy) would sort of miss the point, I think.

Except Samu.

Edit: Posted at the same time as David.

[John McCulloch]

What would Shorinji Kempo have to lose to stop being Shorinji Kempo?

Kongo Zen.

Have a look at the characteristics of Shorinji Kempo when it was experiencing meteoric growth in Japan (1960s-1970s). In those days the members believed that their training was a spiritual discipline which created a seriousness of purpose.



John McCulloch
Toronto Branch

[luar]

Samu is supposed to help you develop initiative. If the purpose of samu was to make the dojo clean then getting a professional cleaner to do it would be far more efficient. Do you do samu when the dojo is already clean? See Louie Dickens post at budoseek on this subject:
http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=5715

To me it's just the same question as on the other thread. If the purpose of Shorinji Kempo was to help you rapidly be able to devastate an assailant, then maybe kickathons and more 'realistic' training would be a logical method. The purpose of shorinji kempo isn't some big secret. It's the self-establishment of its practitioners (jiko kakuritsu) and learning that doing things cooperatively with others is better (jita kyoraku). In the philosophy subject "How to learn Shorinji Kempo", or whatever it has become now (Key requirements of training?), number one is to understand the goal/purpose of Shorinji Kempo, which is jiko kakuritsu and jita kyoraku, which should lead to the establishment of a better society. If you read Doshin So's books, it is plain that every minutae of training is developed with that purpose in mind.

Bingo - This is exactly my point and also sums up my feelings from the other thread.

Using Samu as the example, it has a purpose; its part of our training. If you have an understanding of its purpose and if you permit yourself to experience its meaning, then this becomes part of how you experience and define ShorinjiKempo. If you do not have this understanding, that is it's just a nice little task that you HAVE to do, then we are having two different experiences and thus 2 distinct definitions.

On the flip-side to all of this is that change is a constant. That is I believe the underlying question of this thread is how attached are we to our own definitions of what ShorinjiKempo is and can one make that transition when changes are inevitable? A lot haven't.

[johan_frendin]

Gassho!

Kongo Zen is from April this year no longer a part of the curriculum of WSKO. This is maybe the biggest change in Shorinjikempo history and from april Kongo Zen can only be studied in certain clubs (Doin) in Japan.

Have the purpose of Shorinjikempo changed now when the religious part seems to fade away?

Johan Frendin

[Rob Gassin]

There is very little in SK physical techniques or philosophy that is unique. What makes SK what it is is the whole package.

I suspect that what is considered the critical aspects of SK varies from person to person.

To an outside observer, it is undoubtedly the 'look' of the style - Gassho rei, kesshu, ichiji gamae, doing shita uke on withdrawing, doing harai uke on hantenkan and zentenkan, the umpoho and the punching style all give SK it's unique style. Undoubtedly if these were changed, it would no longer look like the SK we know. Would it still be SK? To some yes, to some no.

To some insiders, the physical techniques may be what makes SK what it is, to others the philosophy is the critical issue. I suspect that to these people, SK would not be SK if not for the philosophy.

To others still, the culture is what makes SK what it is. The feeling of belonging and of a common purpose, the fact that we can travel to other cities or other countries and still feel at home in the SK fellowship, the training camps/ taikai, the certainty and security of knowing that what we are learning is quality controlled and the opportunity to learn under great masters. In what other traditional martial art is the names of so many prominent instructors (Arai, Yamazaki, kawashima, Aosaka, Mizuno etc etc). recognised by most practitioners of the style?

To me personally, the physical techniques and the culture are what make SK what it is. I think that it would be a great shame to lose the philosophical aspect completely but I am sure that the quality of the people involved in SK will ensure that this will not happen.

With regards to the physical techniques, I would not want to see anything disappear (although some techniques such as Tombo gaeri, are never practiced) but I wouldn't mind new techniques being added.

In my view, the loss of the cultural aspects of SK, I have highlighted above, would result in SK being no longer being SK. So, to me these cultural aspects are the critical factors

[tb055]

What Rob said.