Shorinji Kempo Philosophy & Techniques

Shorinji Kempo Karate is an anomaly in martial arts, because its philosophy and techniques stress both its "soft" and "hard" aspects. Drawing from the Chinese Saholin kung-fu, as well as Aikido and traditional Karate, Kempo is a style that places preservation of life over its destruction.

  1. Features

    • Shorinji Kempo's philosophy is based on Kongo Zen, a Buddhist-based philosophy that stresses living for yourself and living for others. By adhering to these principles, followers believe they can transform themselves into people who can be relied upon by others.

    Identification

    • The martial arts style has six philosophical tenets: body and mind are the same; strength and love stand together; defense before attack; protect people without injury; hard and soft work together, and pair work is fundamental.

    Function

    • On the physical side, Shorinji Kempo makes great use of the body's pressure points to incapacitate an opponent, and also stresses the combination of hard and soft techniques.

    Effects

    • A soft technique could be a block, while a hard technique could be a kick or hand strike.

    Fun fact

    • Shorinji Kempo is Japanese for "The Way of The Shaolin Temple Fist."