is a

Japanese martial art Japanese martial arts refers to the variety of martial arts native to the country of Japan. At least three Japanese terms (''budō'', ''bujutsu'', and ''bugei'') are used interchangeably with the English phrase Japanese martial arts. The usag ...

claimed to be a modified version of

Shaolin Kung Fu Shaolin Kung Fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous styles of wushu, or kung fu of Chan Buddhism. It combines Ch'an philosophy and martial arts and originated and was developed i ...

. The name ''Shōrinji Kempo'' is the Japanese reading of ''Shàolínsì Quánfǎ''. It was established in 1947 by , a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

martial artist and former

military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...

agent who lived in China for many years before and during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Shorinji Kempo is a holistic system, whose training methods are divided into three parts: self-defence training, mental training and, health training. The basis are the concepts that "spirit and body are not separable" (心身一如: ''shinshin-ichinyo'') and that it is integral to train both "body and mind as one" (拳禅一如: ''kenzen ichinyo''). Through employing a well-organized technical course outline, Shorinji Kempo aims to help the practitioner "establish oneself" and to promote "mutual comfort". The philosophy and techniques of Shorinji Kempo are outlined in their master text, (少林寺拳法教範) ''Shōrinji-Kempō-kyōhan''.

Overview

There are two sides of Shorinji Kempo which are believed to be true ''

budō is a Japanese term describing modern Japanese martial arts. Literally translated it means the "Martial Way", and may be thought of as the "Way of War" or the "Way of Martial Arts". Etymology Budō is a compound of the root ''bu'' ( 武:ぶ), m ...

'' (武道) and educational system. As the latter, the organization is well known for their mental training institution as well as body training facilities ''dōjō'' (道場). The founder, Doshin So, wanted to establish not only an organization which incorporated mental and physical training but also wanted to educate Japanese people who had been completely demoralized by

. His aim was to defuse those who had lost their way and rebuild Japan for the future. It is said that he tried to teach

Buddhist philosophy Buddhist philosophy refers to the philosophical investigations and systems of inquiry that developed among various schools of Buddhism in India following the parinirvana of The Buddha and later spread throughout Asia. The Buddhist path combi ...

but no one followed him. Later on, So reportedly saw a vision of

Bodhidharma Bodhidharma was a semi-legendary Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China, and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch. According to a 17th century apo ...

, which inspired him to pursue teaching martial arts, as Bodhidharma was believed to have done. Both of these are later to become the main training methods of Shorinji Kempo. Shorinji Kempo includes a broad curriculum of

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...

techniques, known as ''hokei'' (法形). For demonstration or competition purposes, these are combined into a choreographed sequence known as an ''embu'' (演武). The ''embu'' consists of (typically) 6 sections and each section includes a series of ''gōhō'' (剛法) or hard techniques and ''jūhō'' (柔法) or soft techniques. During a pair-form or ''kumi'' ''embu'', one person attacks and another person defends for one section, and they then swap roles for the next section. The application of technique within an embu is known as ''hien'' (飛燕) or flying swallow which represents speed and smoothness of those techniques. The ''embu'' is occasionally performed wearing a black robe, called ''hōi'' (法衣), for example at an opening or closing ceremony of a ''taikai'' (大会, convention/tournament).

Hombu

Headquartered in

Tadotsu 270px, Shorinji Kempo head dōjō is a town located in Nakatado District, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 22,124 in 10365 households and a population density of 270 persons per km². The total area of the ...

town,

Kagawa prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the southwest and Tok ...

(on

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

island) in Japan. Buildings: * Hondo (main ''dojo''/hall) * Kodo (lecture hall) * Rensei-dojo (former 1st ''dojo'') * Shokudo (dining room) * Daigan-toh (memorial tower) * Zenrin Gakuen (college house) The bones and ashes of Doshin So are buried behind the lecture hall.

Organizations

The organization of the Shorinji Kempo group is divided into 5 entities: * Religious entity (金剛禅総本山少林寺: ''Kongō-zen Sōhon-zan Shōrinji''), * Foundation entity Shorinji Kempo Foundation Federation (一般財団法人少林寺拳法連盟: ''Ippan-zaidan-hōjin Shōrinji-kempō Renmei''), * Educational entity Zenrin Gakuen College (学校法人禅林学園: ''Gakkō-hōjin Zenrin Gakuen''), * Global entity World Shorinji Kempo Organization, WSKO (少林寺拳法世界連合: ''Shōrinji-kempō Sekai Rengō''), * Intellectual property entity (一般社団法人SHORINJI KEMPO UNITY: ''Ippan-shadan-hōjin Shōrinji-kempō Yunitī''). The relationship between these five entities is very close because of the unique fusion of religion, martial arts, and education. (Source: web site of Shorinji Kempo Foundation Federation and Shorinji Kempo Kyohan written by Doshin So)

National federations

*Shorinji Kempo Foundation Federation (Japan) *Indonesian Shorinji Kempo Federation *Malaysian Shorinji Kempo Federation *Swiss Shorinji Kempo Federation *Finnish Shorinji Kempo Federation *Swedish Shorinji Kempo Federation *Italian Shorinji Kempo Federation *French Shorinji Kempo Federation *German Shorinji Kempo Federation *Spanish Shorinji Kempo Federation *Portuguese Shorinji Kempo Federation *Ukrainian Shorinji Kempo Federation *United Kingdom Shorinji Kempo Federation *United States Shorinji Kempo Federation *Canadian Shorinji Kempo Federation *Brazilian Shorinji Kempo Federation

The Shaolin monastery

The name "Shōrinji" is a literal reading of the Chinese "Shaolin Temple" from the

Shaolin Monastery Shaolin Monastery (少林寺 ''Shàolínsì''), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a renowned monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the So ...

Henan Province Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

, China. Dōshin Sō claimed to have inherited the title of the 21st master of the ''Giwamon-ken'' (義和門拳) system (in Mandarin: Yihe Mén Quán) which is believed to have been used during the Boxer rebellion of 1899 to 1901. Dōshin Sō claimed to have been much impressed to see paintings on the wall of ''Byakue-den'' (白衣殿) chapel at Shaolin Temple, although there is no evidence that ever visited it. The style of the monks practicing the martial arts was supposedly very fresh and vital to him. He believed it was the origin of the existing quan fa in China. (source: a book "Hi-den Shorinji Kempo" 秘伝少林寺拳法「光文社」written by Doshin So, published by Kobun-sha Kappa Books)

Emblem

The

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

, called ''manji'' in Japanese, was originally the emblem for Shorinji Kempo, as it is used in Dharmic religions, as well as by many cultures around the world, for centuries. The swastika can either mean love (left-facing) and strength (right-facing) which symbolize Kongo-zen teaching. However, given the

social stigma Social stigma is the disapproval of, or discrimination against, an individual or group based on perceived characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of a society. Social stigmas are commonly related to culture, gender, rac ...

that the swastika carries, the WSKO replaced it with the character 拳 (''ken''), which means "fist", in the center of ''tate-manji'' (swastika guarded by shields) on the emblem or using ''nagare-manji'' which meant "rounded swastika". In 2005, the Shorinji Kempo Group introduced a new symbol for all the international Shorinji Kempo federations. The new mark is called ''so-en'' (double circle) and it is said that this is the extreme shape of two swastikas intertwined. The ''so-en'' emblem is put on the training uniform (''keikogi''), belt (''obi''), and the ''hōi'', a black robe worn by high-ranking practitioners during exhibitions.

History

Doshin Sō, birthname Michiomi Nakano, was born in

Okayama prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Okayama Prefecture has a population of 1,906,464 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 7,114 Square kilometre, km2 (2,746 sq mi). Okayama Prefectur ...

and spent his youth in

northern China Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions is not precisely defined and only serve to depict where there appears to be regional differences between the climate ...

, first with his grandfather and then as an intelligence agent of the occupying

Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...

to collect military information during the war. As part of his

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

, he was posted to a

Taoist Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the ''Tao'' ...

school as an apprentice. There, Nakano met Chen Lian (陳良), a Taoist priest and master of Báilián Mén Quán or ''Báilián Quán'' (meaning "

White Lotus The White Lotus () is a syncretic religious and political movement which forecasts the imminent advent of the "King of Light" (), i.e., the future Buddha Maitreya. As White Lotus sects developed, they appealed to many Han Chinese who found solac ...

Fist"). After some time, Chen introduced Nakano to Wen Taizong (文太宗), a master in Yihe Mén Quán or ''Yihe Quán'' (meaning "Righteous Harmony Fist"). Wen would take in Nakano as his student at the Shaolin Temple, at

Henan Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

, and passed onto him the title of grandmaster in that specific style of

quan fa Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

. In the final days of the Second World War, the Soviet Union broke its

neutrality pact A non-aggression pact or neutrality pact is a treaty between two or more states/countries that includes a promise by the signatories not to engage in military action against each other. Such treaties may be described by other names, such as a tr ...

with Japan, declaring war. The Soviets

invaded An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...

Manchuria on 9 August, and overran the Japanese in less than 11 days. The aftermath was appalling; Japanese casualties were tenfold than that of the Soviets'; both civilians and wounded Japanese soldiers were left to die while the army retreated; and many Japanese civilians committed

mass suicide Mass suicide is a form of suicide, occurring when a group of people simultaneously kill themselves. Overview Mass suicide sometimes occurs in religious settings. In war, defeated groups may resort to mass suicide rather than being captured. Su ...

. It was in this carnage that Dōshin Sō recognized and understood the "nature of the human being". According to his book, the nature and quality of the person is extremely important since politics, law, and day-to-day living are all conducted by human beings. After returning to Japan, Sō thought of establishing a cram school for young people. He was stationed in the small town of

, on

island, to teach Buddhist philosophy. He established Shorinji Kempo to take the concept of ''ken-zen ichinyo'' by following

and made use of techniques he had learned in China (source: the book "Hi-den Shōrinji Kempō" (秘伝少林寺拳法) written by Dōshin Sō, published by Kobun-sha Kappa Books). This promotion and campaign was known as ''Kongō-zen undō'' (Diamond-zen campaign) and expanded Shorinji Kempo throughout Japan by his pupils. This campaign and concept was inherited by his daughter after his death in 1980 till present. After his death, Dōshin Sō is called "Kaiso" or founder.

Milestones

1947 - Religious entity was established
1948 - ''Nippon Hokuha Shorinji Kempo Society'' (日本北派少林寺拳法会) was established
1951 - ''Kongō Zen Sōhonzan Shōrinji'' (金剛禅総本山少林寺) and ''Kōmanji kyōdan'' (黄卍教団) established
1956 - Educational entity, ''Nihon Shōrinji Bugei Senmon-gakkō'' (日本少林寺武芸専門学校) was established
1957 - "All Japan Shorinji Kempo Federation" (全日本少林寺拳法連盟, ''Zen-nihon Shōrinji Kempō Renmei'') was established
1963 - "Shorinji Kempo Federation of Japan" (社団法人日本少林寺拳法連盟, ''Shadan-hōjin Nihon Shōrinji Kempō Renmei'') was formed as corporate entity
1972 - "International Shorinji Kempo Federation" (ISKF) (国際少林寺拳法連盟) was established
1974 - "World Shorinji Kempo Organization" (WSKO) was established
1980 - Doshin So's death
1992 - "Shorinji Kempo Federation Foundation" formed as a foundation entity
1997 - 50th anniversary celebration
2000 - Shorinji Kempo Group was organized
2002 - Busen (Shorinji Kempo Budo Academy) High School was opened
2003 - Busen renamed as Zenrin Gakuen College
2003 - New logo of Shorinji Kempo (so-en) was designed
2005 - Official adoption of the 'so-en' emblem
2007 - 60th anniversary celebration
2008 - All Japan Junior High School Shorinji Kempo Federation was formed
2009 - ''Sekai-taikai'' (global convention) cancelled in Indonesia because of security concerns, but ''taikai'' held
2012 - Doshin So's 100th Birthday Memorial Taikai, held in Yokohama Japan
2013 - Shorinji Kempo World Taikai 2013, held in Osaka Japan
2017 - Shorinji Kempo World Taikai (in California) and 70th anniversary celebration
(source: w:ja:少林寺拳法, in Japanese)

Philosophy

Shorinji Kempo is neither a traditional form of martial art nor a kind of competitive sport. It is said to be as a religious ''gyō'' among pupils. According to the Buddhist doctrine, the spirit and fleshly body are inseparable. By practicing Shorinji Kempo techniques and learning its philosophy, it is believed to develop a firm body like a pair of standing

Vajradhara Vajradhara (Sanskrit: वज्रधर. (Also, the name of Indra, because 'Vajra' means diamond, as well as the thunderbolt, anything hard more generally) Tibetan: རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང། rdo rje 'chang (Dorje Chang); zh, t=金剛 ...

(金剛神: ''Kongō-shin'' or 金剛力士 ''Kongō-rikishi'') and the never-give-up spirit of

(菩提達磨: ''Bodai-daruma'').

Zen

Shorinji Kempo incorporates

zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

for mental training. Techniques are mainly divided into 3 categories: ''gōhō'' (剛法 ''hard techniques'' - hand strikes, chops, hammers, elbows, knees, kicks, reaps, stomps, and blocks); ''jūhō'' (柔法 ''soft techniques'' - throws, pins, chokes, joint manipulations, dodges and releases) and; ''seihō'' (整法 ''healing techniques'' -

acupressure Acupressure is an alternative medicine technique often used in conjunction with acupuncture or reflexology. It is based on the concept of life energy, which flows through "meridians" in the body. In treatment, physical pressure is applied to ac ...

, bone setting, and resuscitation techniques). Doshin So in his book, "What is Shorinji Kempo?", said that he pursued his revelations and the development of the fighting technique of

known as the '' Arakan no ken'' (阿羅漢之拳) or the ''

Arhat In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...

fist''. He believed this to have originated in India around 5,000 years ago. He was inspired by seeing representations of the wall paintings at the Shaolin Temple in China. Those who practice Shorinji Kempo are called ''kenshi'' (拳士). Kenshi always salute with ''gassho'' (合掌) the greeting commonly used among Buddhist pupils. The ''gassho-rei''(合掌礼) is also ''gassho-gamae'' (合掌構) stance, with both palms put together and raised in front of one's face.

Qualifications

There are qualifications for 1st degree black belt (1st "dan") in order to achieve the steps of body and spiritual training: These are ''bukai'', ''hōkai'', and ''sōkai''. Examples of ''bukai'' (武階 martial rank) and corresponding ''hōkai'' (法階 philosophical rank): * 1st ''dan'' (初段 ''sho-dan'') - 准拳士 ''Jun-kenshi'' * 2nd ''dan'' (弐段 ''ni-dan'') - 少拳士 ''Sho-kenshi'' * 3rd ''dan'' (参段 ''san-dan'') - 中拳士 ''Chu-kenshi'' * 4th ''dan'' (四段 ''yon-dan'') - 正拳士 ''Sei-kenshi'' * 5th ''dan'' (五段 ''go-dan'') - 大拳士 ''Dai-kenshi'' After having 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree ''bukai'' qualifications, ''kenshi'' practicing at ''doin'' will automatically have ''Jun-kenshi'', ''Sho-kenshi'' and ''Chu-kenshi'' in ''hokai'' qualifications, those ''kenshi'' practicing at branches will have these corresponding ''hokai'' after joining the training at Shorinji Kempo headquarters in Tadotsu town in Kagawa prefecture in Japan. From 1st to 3rd degree, the examinations are held in each prefectural Shorinji Kempo organization headquarters. However, the special examination is only held at its main headquarters in Tadotsu for the qualifications of 4th degree and above. Outside Japan 3rd degree practitioners (san-dan) are considered teachers. In Japan, 4th degree practitioners (yon-dan) and above are considered teachers, but those ranking at the 5th degree (go-dan) and above are officially called ''sensei'' (先生: teacher). Kenshi who obtained 4th ''dan'' automatically obtain ''Sei-kenshi'' as well. WSKO's qualifications and conditions are a little different from its Japanese domestic counterparts. Arm emblem "category" colors: * Red: for ''doin kenshi'' * Blue: for ''shibu kenshi'' * Green: for Zenrin Gakuen College ''kenshi'' * Purple: for WSKO ''kenshi'' Arm emblem "title" colors: * Gold: for master of ''doin'' or ''shibu'' * Silver: for master of ''doin'' or ''shibu'' with 4th ''dan'' and below * Red: assistant master with 3rd ''dan'' or above Also, there is a ''sokai'' (priesthood rank) qualification in ''Kongo Zen Sohon-zan Shorinji''. 2nd ''dan'' or ''Sho-kenshi'' will study Kongo zen's philosophy and submit an application form and thesis.

Training system

Spiritual training ''kiryoku'' (気力)
''kisei'' (気勢)
''kiai'' (気合) Mental training ''inyō'' (陰陽)
''kyojitsu'' (虚実)
''tempō'' (天方)
''chii'' (地位)
''chijutsu'' (知術)
''chiryaku'' (知略) Physical training • ''Gō-hō'' (剛法) (”hard methods”: 8 techniques, 3 traditions)

8 ''Gō-hō'' techniques:
''tsuki-waza'' (突技)
''uchi-waza'' (打技)
''kiri-waza'' (切技)
''keri-waza'' (蹴技)
''kari-waza'' (刈技)
''fumi-waza'' (踏技)
''taigi'' (体技)
''bōgi'' (防技)

3 ''Gō-hō'' traditional weapons:
''dokko-den'' (独鈷伝)
''nyoi-den'' (如意伝)
''kongō-den'' (金剛伝)

• ''Jū-hō'' (柔法 ”soft methods”: 10 techniques)

''gyaku-waza'' (逆技)
''nage-waza'' (投技)
''katame-waza'' (固技)
''shime-waza'' (締技)
''hogi'' (捕技)
''ōatsugi'' (押圧技)
''nukite-hō'' (抜手法)
''nukimi-hō'' (抜身法)
''shu-hō'' (守法)
''baku-hō'' (縛法)

• ''Sei-hō'' (整法 "healing methods")

''seikei'' (整経)
''seimyaku'' (整脉)
''seikotsu'' (整骨)
''kappō'' (活法)

• Taigamae (体構え "stance")

''Byakuren hachi-jin'' (白蓮八陣 "8 stances of Byakuren")

''gasshō-gamae'' (合掌構え)
''manji-gamae'' (まんじ構え)
''midare-gamae'' (乱れ構え)
''hassō-gamae'' (八相構え)
''taiki-gamae'' (待気構え)
''gyaku taiki-gamae'' (逆待気構え)
''aiki-gamae'' (合気構え)
''byakuren chudan-gamae'' (白蓮中段構え) (or commonly called ''kaisoku chudan-gamae'' 開足中段構え)

''Giwa kyū-jin'' (義和九陣 "9 stances of Giwa")

''kesshu-gamae'' (結手構え)
''ichiji-gamae'' (一字構え)
''niō-gamae'' (仁王構え)
''chūdan-gamae'' (中段構え)
''gedan-gamae'' (下段構え)
''gyaku gedan-gamae'' (逆下段構え)
''fukko-gamae'' (伏虎構え)
''tate musō-gamae'' (立無相構え)
''yoko musō-gamae'' (横無相構え)

• ''Fujin-hō'' (布陣法 "body positions")

''seitai-gamae'' (正対構え) (both kenshi facing in ''byakuren chudan-gamae'')
''tai-gamae'' (対構え) (when one kenshi has a left-front stance, the other also takes a left-front stance)
''hiraki-gamae'' (開構え) (when one kenshi has a left-front stance, the other takes a right-front stance)

• ''Umpo-hō'' (運歩法 "footwork")

''fumikomi-ashi'' (踏込足)
''maeyose-ashi'' (前寄足)
''kumo-ashi'' (蜘蛛足)
''kani-ashi'' (蟹足)
''chidori-ashi'' (千鳥足)
''sashikomi-ashi'' (差込足)
''sashikae-ashi'' (差替足)
''tobikomi-ashi'' (跳込足)

• ''Tai-sabaki'' (体捌き "body movement")

''furi-mi'' (振身)
''sori-mi'' (反り身)
''hiki-mi'' (引身)
''ryūsui'' (流水)
''han-tenshin'' (半転身)
''gyaku-tenshin'' (逆転身)
''han-tenkan'' (半転換)
''zen-tenkan'' (全転換)

• ''Ukemi'' (受身 "breakfalls")

''mae-ukemi'' (前受身)
''ushiro-ukemi'' (後受身)
''ōten yori okiagari'' (横転より起き上がり) (also in the Kyohan as ''tombo-gaeri'' とんぼ返り)
''dai-sharin'' (大車輪)

Embu

''Embu'' is a combination of ''hokei'' (organized patterns of ''goho'' and ''juho'' techniques) which has 6 sections. It is similar to "kata", except that two or more people participate. ''Embu'' is performed in the court, in the gym, at a Taikai or other ceremonial occasions. In these patterns one kenshi takes the part of attacker (kōsha 攻者) and one acts as defender (shusha 守者); they then change roles and repeat the technique. After the set form technique the kenshi perform ren-han-ko (連反攻: a series of offence after defence) which is a free form counter-attack which continues until the original attacker successfully blocks/parries and counters. The juho techniques are followed by ''katame'' (pinning techniques) or kime (finishing techniques with various hand strikes or kicks to nerve points). Embu start with ''gassho-rei'' and are performed usually in kumi embu (pair), tandoku embu (single) and dantai embu (6 or 8 in a group). Initially, there was no regulation in performing embu. Nowadays, it is rated out of 5 (sometimes 3 at preliminary selection) judges having 60 points each for the 6 sections and 40 points each for other factors for comprehensiveness. The maximum possible total of 300 points can be achieved after eliminating the highest and the lowest scores when 5 judges are judging. Kumi-embu and dantai-embu are performed within a time limit of between one and a half to two minutes. The most famous embu pair was Masuomi Nakano and Toshio Misaki whose embu was said to have impressed Doshin So.

Unyo-ho

Earlier in Shorinji Kempo's history, was the Unyo-ho, a fighting competition. After many accidents during sparring bouts with no headgear, the organization required the wearing of headgear, body protectors, and groin guards. A system of limiting each kenshi to one role of defender or attacker was also introduced for safety. Rating is done by judging attacking points, defensive techniques and counter-attacks.

Current status

Currently, Yūki So is the president of the World Shorinji Kempo Organization and the chairperson of the Shorinji Kempo Group. Tsunehiro Arai is the WSKO's board chairperson, as well as the president of the Japanese Shorinji Kempo Federation. In 2010, the British Shorinji Kempo Federation (BSKF) split from the WSKO, in response to the latter's announcement on March 3 that it was dissolving the former. However, the United Kingdom Shorinji Kempo Federation (UKSKF) still remains affiliated with WSKO. The BSKF applied to the British Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to register the

trademark A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others ...

that it has used for 25 years. Shorinji Kempo Unity opposed the application, but the IPO found that SKU had not demonstrated genuine use of its registered trademark. SKU appealed the decision. In the High Court, the appeal judge found that SKU had shown genuine use of its mark, but that the BSKF mark can be registered. Judge Warren found that Shorinji Kempo is a

generic Generic or generics may refer to: In business * Generic term, a common name used for a range or class of similar things not protected by trademark * Generic brand, a brand for a product that does not have an associated brand or trademark, other ...

term, which simply describes a martial art, and even if this were not the case, there is no possibility of confusion of the BSKF's mark with that of the SKU. In 2015, the International Kempo Association (IKA) was formed (and incorporated in the UK), as an umbrella organisation and loose collective for several ex-WSKO groups. It currently includes member organisations from Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and UK (BSKF).

References

Bibliography

* ''Shorinji Kempo philosophy and techniques'' by Doshin So, Published by Japan Publications, Inc. Tokyo Japan. * ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, Tokyo 1991,

External links

Shorinji Kempo Official website

WSKO: World Shorinji Kempo Organization
{{Authority control Gendai budo Japanese martial arts Kenpō Zen Buddhist organizations