BBC - Documentary

[CEB]

FYI - Everyone has probably already seen this but just in case.

When I was a teenager what information I could get on Shorinji Kempo facinated me. I would not train in it today because I'm not a Buhddhist. But I still appreciate the serious that is displayed in this old documentary.

[Tripitaka of AA]

The series was pretty good, other episodes featured different Arts. It seemed to enjoy finding Arts that were relatively unknown at the time, like Kilaripayit. Shorinji Kempo was episode 1. I saw it on TV when it was first broadcast, a couple of days after I watched my first class. A few years later I was lucky enough to go to the Hombu featured in the program and see many of the instructors featured. Just a week of training that left an indelible mark.

[Abbax8]

Ed,

Thanks for posting that video. I learend alot about Shorinji Kempo.

Dennis

[Anders Pettersson]

I would not train in it today because I'm not a Buhddhist.

Well being buddhist is not a requirement, Shorinji Kempo is very big in Indonesia, where most members are muslims and many with strong belief in their own religion. So I wouldn't see it as a problem.

The buddhist part (Kongo Zen) is still available for those who wants to study that.

Regarding the BBC program it was one of the things that made the biggest impact on me when I started (at this time we didn't have Internet, but luckily got a grany VHS copy of the Way of the Warrior series). However some of the commentary I think is not really accurate.

What is nice when watching this video today is that I recognise many of the people and that many of them (teachers and students in the video) are still working at hombu. Suzuki-sensei has retired (they now have an age limit for official positions so people have to retire when they turn 70, but can of course still be around as advisors), but is still around. Bando-sensei unfortunately passed away some years ago. Arai-sensei and Yamasaki-sensei is still around.
As students at the time one can see quite a few of the current hombu staff, such as Kawashima-sensei, Sakashita-sensei, Mukada-sensei (looks very young when he is choked out by Bando-sensei at 33:06), Miura-sensei (formerly So-sensei), one can also se Sawamura-sensei (who left hombu for other work some years ago).

/Anders

[takadadojokeith]

Loved the this movie back in the day. Still have the accompanying book, too.

[Mekugi]

I want to say "this about that" here....it's not aiming at anyone in particular nor am I trying to start a hair pulling match. I might be quoting what you said (poorly) outside of what you were meaning. I am intentionally doing that and I beg your forgiveness in advance. I lack better words to do otherwise so I am stealing from you.

Okay....while you don't have to be a Buddhist to study Shorinji Kempo....it surely doesn't hurt.

This of course depends entirely on who you are training under and who you are training with.

Most of the time (note: I really can't speak for foreign countries, only what I have seen here in Japan) you will be getting a lot of "Shorinji style Kongo Buddhism" or perhaps better defined as "Shorinji Kempo Kongo Bukkyo Gyo(u)" which is deeply rooted in Kongo Zen, but not answering to other Buddhist organizations and thus making it a separate branch. It's important to keep in mind that Shorinji Kempo is also registered as a religious organization here in Japan (is that the same elsewhere? No idea.) So, while you have many open minded people studying it from different walks of life and religions (even atheists), there is a central theme of Buddhism and the religious catechisms that go with it under the discretion of the teacher. You'll find some scratching at the door if you are of a belief system that rejects others as "wrong", is what I am trying to say.

Then again, if you part of one of those strict groups that does not allow any contact with other religions, the Asian martial arts in general are probably not something you are going to join to begin with.