where lies your main focus?

[Tuna]

training in Shorinji Kempo produces three main benefits: self-defence,
improved health and spiritual development.
which of theese three aspects is the most important for yourself?
has it changed since you started Shorinji Kempo untill now?

[simone]

hello dominik

most important for myself is the spiritual development. but the others are necessary also. and without a healthy body spiritual development is not possible i think.
what would you answer to your question?

... and thanks for your congratulations ...

simone

[Tuna]

hi simone.
when i started Shorinji Kempo, my main emphasis lay on self-defence, i didn`t
know so much or nearly nothing about the aspect of mental development. the aspect of getting fitter was also less important for me. now it is like 40% self-defence, 55% mental development and 5% better health.

[Colin Linz]

I'm not too sure which aspect I would rate highest. I am fairly certain that I have received the most practical gain from the philosophy though.

[Luar]

Recently, my main focus has been on my body movement and overcoming its limitations. I figure that everything else will come into play.

[Dirk Bruere]

training in Shorinji Kempo produces three main benefits: self-defence,
improved health and spiritual development.
which of theese three aspects is the most important for yourself?
has it changed since you started Shorinji Kempo untill now?

"Improved health" is a rather dubious claim in my opinion. I was at a Black Belt seminar a few years ago and the speaker asked if anybody had any injuries. Every hand in the room went up - about 30 people. So, while it may be true in the same way that running is good for health, it is probably not good in any given short term period.

"Self defence" is also rather dubious, although it is undoubtedly true that SK is a very good system from that point of view. However, it should be realised that the amount of injuries received during the 'career' of a serious practitioner is likely to far exceed anything they would have received in terms of a casual beating/fight/robbery in 'normal' life.

Finally, "Spiritual Development". This is a hard one because of it's NewAge connotations. Such development has been of the most practical use for me in terms of discipline, 'mental toughness', generation of controlled aggression, and what might be termed 'command/leadership' with my 10yr stint as a Branch Master. So, yes - I'd rate this the most highly, but only in the long term.

Dirk

[sheb]

for me most important is the spiritual development. to improve health there are a lot of better (working) things/sports i think. ... and only to learn to defend myself there are a lot of other possiblities ... but also for spiritual development - the mixture of all aspects is decisive

body movement and overcoming its limitations... a very good point ...