Shorinji Kempo: The Style That Tried to Rebuild Japan

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Shorinji Kempo is one of the most unique martial arts in the Kempo family.

Unlike Nippon Kempo, which became known for armor and full-contact fighting, or Hawaiian Kenpo and Kajukenbo, which grew out of practical self-defense in a rough multicultural environment, Shorinji Kempo was born from a very different historical moment.

It was created in post-war Japan by Doshin So, after the collapse, defeat, and moral crisis that followed World War II.

But Shorinji Kempo was never only about fighting.

It combined strikes, locks, throws, escapes, partner training, philosophy, and the principles of Kongo Zen into a system designed not only to develop fighting ability, but to rebuild the individual.

In this video, we look at how Shorinji Kempo was created, why it was inspired by Shaolin, how it differs from karate and other Kempo styles, and why it may be one of the most misunderstood martial arts in Japanese budō.

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Chapters:

00:00 The Kempo Style Built to Rebuild Japan
01:18 Japan After the War
02:32 Doshin So
04:05 Why the Name Shorinji Kempo
05:20 The Technical System
07:20 Defense Before Attack
09:11 A Different Kind of Kempo
10:57 Ken Zen Ichinyo
12:30 Partner Training
13:53 Martial Art, Philosophy or Religion?
15:04 Outro

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Thank you for watching.

Train hard.
Stay curious.
And I’ll see you in the next one.