shorinji kempo?

[centrig]

Can anyone tell me if this is an effective martial art? Have you used it?

[Yamabushi]

Shorinji Kempo is an effective stand up system with a mix of 'hard' (goho) striking techniques and 'soft' (juho) locks, throws and escapes. It lacks ground work so you will need to supplement that with something else, I suspect that BJJ would go well with Shorinji Kempo.

Be warned that Shorinji Kempo has a highly structured syllabus and you have to work through it in the order that it's laid out. There is also a specific philosophical aspect that requires some study, although that is being down played now, partly because of changes to the law in Japan and partly to try and make the art more attractive to non-Japanese (I think it's a mistake but I am an old fart).

I've never used Shorinji Kempo myself but I train with quite a lot of people who have. The kenshi has always come out on top, although at least one I know has been stabbed in a fight.

One guy who was attacked is pretty small (perhaps only 5' 2" and not heavy) and took out a knifeman who tried to mug him at a bus stop. He used a kinteki (kick to the groin) followed by a right cross and a mawashi geri (round house kick). He put the attacker in hospital with bruised balls, a broken jaw and cracked ribs. Most of the dojo thought that he had to use the kick to the balls to get the attacker's head low enough to punch him in the jaw.

Hope that helps. Any other questions I'm happy to answer them.

[Freddy]

Shorinji kempo in many ways is similar to hapkido. (similar but not the same). Both hapkido and shorinji kempo are derived from Daito-ryu aiki-jujitsu.

[Omega Supreme]

What Freddy said without the bullshit Yamabushi said....

God dude, do you know what forum you're on?

[dramaboy]

I did a bit of Shorinji Kempo a long time ago (in Switzerland). They have a lot of two man forms where they hit each other in stomachs like crazy. It is a kind of kung-fu-ized karate, they want to revive the _true_ kung-fu tradition they claim is lost in karate. More circular moves etc. Shorinji Kempo is romanized japanese pronounciation of Shaolin gung-fu. They are big into zen etc, and they don't allow the instructors to earn their living off the schools, they are all supposed to have dayjobs.
I remember that the workout was pretty good, and they had some sparring with I believe no head contact, but I haven't been there for long enough to really be able to judge.
This is what I remember from what 12 years ago.

Tomas

[Yamabushi]

Shorinji kempo in many ways is similar to hapkido. (similar but not the same). Both hapkido and shorinji kempo are derived from Daito-ryu aiki-jujitsu.

Sort of. I believe Hapkido claims a direct link to Daito Ryu; Shorinji Kempo's link is through Hakko Ryu with its emphasis on minimal damage to an attacker and a concentration on attacking weak points.

[Yamabushi]

I did a bit of Shorinji Kempo a long time ago (in Switzerland). They have a lot of two man forms where they hit each other in stomachs like crazy.

That's embu where a pair of kenshi get together and work out a series of attacks and defences to demonstrate that they can work in cooperation with one another.

It is a kind of kung-fu-ized karate, they want to revive the _true_ kung-fu tradition they claim is lost in karate. More circular moves etc. Shorinji Kempo is romanized japanese pronounciation of Shaolin gung-fu.

Yep, Shorinji Kempo is the Japanese reading of Shaolin kung fu. It's not quite right to claim that it's a kung fu-ized karate as there's virtually no kung fu in Shorinji Kempo. The tradition that Shorinji Kempo wants to revive is the one that martial artists usually claim of developing the individual and spirit. Unlike most MA's it's explicit and part of the training.

They are big into zen etc, and they don't allow the instructors to earn their living off the schools, they are all supposed to have dayjobs.

That's true, but as I said in my first post that's being down played now. Mainly because I think the Japanese think the religious association scares off Westerners.

I remember that the workout was pretty good, and they had some sparring with I believe no head contact, but I haven't been there for long enough to really be able to judge.
This is what I remember from what 12 years ago.

Tomas

It's usually a pretty good workout. Classes are divided in two with a basic session (about an hour) followed by a meditation session and philoshical lecture (about 15 minutes) then a section where individual grades work on their part of the syllabus (about an hour). Shorinji Kempo classes are pretty much the same whereever you go in the world.

There is some sparring but after a student was killed during a sparring session a few years ago the head organisation have reined it in a bit.

[Don Gwinn]

So. . . . it really IS too deadly for sparring?

Who knew?

[Deadpan Scientist]

Train BJJ instead

www.bjj.org

[Freddy]

:XXbeaver: