Shorinji Kempo NYC Branch Blog

The following is a summary of a recent gakka led by Nidan kenshi Jessica Kashiwabara.

Fusatsu Katsujin (not to kill, but to awaken) is the fourth of the six characteristics of Shorinji Kempo. It speaks to the proper way Shorinji Kempo techniques should be used. Shorinji Kempo is for self-defense and the techniques are designed so that if they are used properly, they can stop an opponent without causing physical damage. As our textbook writes, “Shorinji Kempo strives to be a discipline which contributes to the welfare of all, and should only be used to restrain those seeking to harm others.” As kenshi, we must remember to be responsible for our knowledge of Shorinji Kempo techniques and never misuse them.

How are Shorinji Kempo techniques effective?

Shorinji Kempo techniques use vital points (keimyaku hiko) and the principles behind the techniques are based on human anatomy. We do not aim to break bones or knock out opponents. Using vital points, a simple stunning technique like mei uchi can be enough defense. In addition, a smaller or weaker person can still defend themselves against someone larger or stronger with Shorinji Kempo techniques by throwing their opponent off balance and using momentum against them. The next time you practice a goho such as tsuki ten ichi or a juho such as gyaku gote, you will see how this works very clearly.

Improve the lives of others and my own life is improved

Shorinji Kempo is a discipline (gyo) for individuals to develop their minds and bodies. We aim to train so we are able to protect ourselves and others. We strive to be leaders who can encourage and inspire each other positively.

Shorinji Kempo does not have dramatic sayings like, “instant death with a single blow”. Instead, we have the saying, ikken taisho: “one fist helps many people out of trouble”. Shorinji Kempo is to be used only to help people.

Discussion:

In class, we discussed that these qualities are what make Shorinji Kempo challenging and a life-long passion. There are easier ways to hurt others or even kill others, but that is clearly not what we are striving to learn. We agreed that what we are learning through Shorinji Kempo is deep and fulfilling.

The following is a summary of a recent gakka led by Nidan kenshi Steven Krieg.

1. Establish goals

2. Follow the sequence

3. Learn the Kihon

4. Know the principles

5. Practice movements repeatedly

6. Balance your training

7. Training in accord with your physical condition

8. Never give up

Kihon

After Chinkon gyo, we started by explaining the reasons why Kaiso founded Shorinji Kempo. After, we explained and demonstrated kihon, goho and juho hokei, self defense applications, randori, and embu. Our kenshi worked hard and did a nice job demonstrating these techniques. Both dan level and kyu kenshi worked together to show true kumite shutai to our interested audience.

Kyu kenshi randori

Dan kenshi randori

In the end the audience was able to try some of the simple parts of our techniques with our branch members. They asked many questions about both the history of Shorinji Kempo and the benefits of Shorinji Kempo. When the demonstration was over the branch provided a delicious lunch of Indian food.

Group embu

Pair embu

Our branch enjoyed giving this demonstration. Every time we have one we experience growth as individuals and as a branch. It brings us great happiness.

NYC dojo

Lunch party

Here is a brief summary of Black Belt Group sessions V-X. We currently have 11 members and have sessions once every month. A different leader is appointed by the group for each session who organizes the techniques and discussion for the session independently using their own creativity and ideas. The BBG sessions are run independently by Shodan and Nidan kenshi to develop leadership and technical skills. (Read more about the NYC Shorinjikempo Black Belt Group.)

Session V (April 2009): led by Steven Krieg (attendance: 3)
1. Discussion/Gakka
Title: Teach As If We Were Children

2. Technical training
Goho:
Review and study of Harai uke geri

Juho:
Review and study of Kiri kaeshi nuki, Kiri gote

Session VI (May 2009): led by Kohei Nakaji (attendance: 4)
1. Discussion/Gakka
Title: The Importance of Quality Skills and Techniques

2. Technical training
Goho:
Connection and study of Chidori Gaeshi, Suigetsu Gaeshi (Open stance, Taiki Gamae), Mikazuki Gaeshi (Open stance, Taiki Gamae)
- Later practiced randori style with the choice of using three techniques learned.

Juho:
Connection and study of Oshikiri Nuki, Kotemaki Gaeshi, Sodemaki Gaeshi.

Session VII (June 2009): led by Kent Haggblom (attendance: 5)
1. Discussion/Gakka
Title: Heijo Shin

2. Technical training
Goho:
Mawashi geri sambo uke nami gaeshi
Gyaku geri hiza uke nami gaeshi, Kinteki geri hiza uke nami gaeshi

Juho:
Katate oshi nuki, Nidan nuki

Session VIII (July 2009): led by Raul Rodriguez (attendance: 8 )
1. Discussion/Gakka
An open discussion was held about what constitutes good form and how we best can consistently guide the junior belts to improve their form.

2. Technical training
Goho:
Uchiage Geri, Uchiage Zuki

Juho:
Kiri Gote
- Using the Gakka as a foundation, we then began to practice Kiri Gote using one hand to help educate the ideas of using good form.

Session IX (August 2009): led by Alex Nadolishny (attendance: 6)
1. Discussion/Gakka
Title: On Mind, Ki, and Strength

2. Technical training
Goho:
Application of the Kiai in Go-ho techniques
- Extended practicing of the power element in punches and kicks using basic single, double and triple punch/kick combinations with a do and mitt

Juho:
Application of Kiai in Ju-ho techniques:
- Practice of proper falling and Ki
- Katate Nage: practicing the attack and fall elements of the technique.

Session X (September 2009): led by all BBG members (attendance: 12)
This was a special BBG meeting during the East Coast Training Camp where we invited all Shodan and Nidan kenshi from visiting branches to join us.

1. Discussion/Gakka
The Goals and Purpose of the NYC Shorinjikempo Branch Black Belt Group

2. This session also included Taisho, Kihon, Chinkon Gyo, Goho, and Juho (Okuri hiji zeme, Hiji nuki mae tembin) all lead by different BBG members.

We were pleased to have a few visiting kenshi join us and share in our training.

The following is a summary of a recent gakka from Shodan kenshi Peter Kito.

“Significance of Shorinji Kempo as a Gyo”

If we want to think about the significance of Shorinji Kempo as a “gyo”, we must first think about what is a “gyo”.

In the Tokuhon, “gyo” is defined as a practice/discipline.

Also from our studies, we can read in the Tokuhon on page 8, “To cultivate such a person of true strength, Shorinji Kempo was created as a discipline, a gyo.”

Our practice not only helps us to work towards achieving true strength, but at the same time, we are working towards achieving the objectives of “jiko kakuristu” (to build a self that is sound in body and spirit that can be relied upon) and “jita kyoraku” (to act with the same consideration for others as we give ourselves).

True Strength

Jiko Kakuristsu
• built on a sound and reliable self

Jita Kyoraku
• confidence that we can make others happy
• confidence that we can help others out
• confidence that we can confront injustice in society
  (Have the courage to say what we dislike and what we see as wrong. Have the courage to try to stop these things from happening.)

This is the significance of Shorinji Kempo as a “Gyo”.
By training in Shorinji Kempo, we can cultivate true strength in the spirit of jiko kakuritsu and jita kyoraku.

Let’s continue to develop ourselves and encourage the development of others through “gyo” – that is Shorinji Kempo training!

Ohashi Sensei presents Jessica with Hombu Certification

Congratulations to the latest kenshi to complete and receive certification for their ranking grade. Last month, Jessica Kashiwabara received her certification for the rank of Ni-Dan (2nd degree black belt). Originally from Southern California, Jessica first started practicing Shorinji Kempo with the San Diego branch while attending university. She later relocated to New York City where she became a member of our branch. In 2007, Jessica joined the JET program where she spent a year in Japan teaching English to school children and was a member of the Shimabara dojo in Nagasaki Prefecture. She is an active and enthusiastic participant in various Shorinji Kempo conferences and demonstrations as well as co-author of this blog.

On behalf of the New York City Branch, we congratulate her for her hard work and spirit.

This is a summary for a recent gakka from a Black Belt Group session led by Shodan kenshi Alex Nadolishny.

In our regular Shorinji Kempo practice, we don’t often have a chance to spend enough time on developing Kiai and learning to apply our energy. This manifests itself in weak, or disconnected from the movement kiai during Kihon and working in pairs, which leads to low energy and sets a bad example for lower-rank kenshi. Key reasons for this is a certain level of self-indulgence endemic in our culture and perceived lack of situations demanding strong ki in our everyday lives. From the self-defense perspective, this means that we may not be able to apply techniques we learn in class to real-life situations. Practicing martial arts without attention to the state of mind and energy (Ki) aspects turns it into mere gymnastics.

There are two aspects to consider here: learning to control your mind (meaning your intellect, analytical thinking) and developing and applying your Ki (energy). Western civilization overemphasizes the intellect and almost totally ignores the energy aspects of our actions. In our practice, working on one’s state of mind and Ki should start prior to coming into the dojo. One should come to class as if going into battle - which is calm, detached from your own petty emotional issues and in full awareness of “the big picture” of your life and the world. One of the biggest obstacles to achievement in any undertaking is concentrating on your own persona, including your image, the way others perceive you, your accomplishments or lack thereof, pains, aches, and worries.

Masters of martial arts stress the importance of achieving the state where YOU is not separate from OTHERS or the WORLD. A brilliant practical method developed by Shorinji Kempo is working in pairs and the attitude of “half for yourself, half for others”. By caring about the development of others’ skills, we remove ourselves from “the center of the universe”. Another great method is embu, where the flow and perfection of the composition goes beyond you and your partner and ideally you become one not only with your partner but also with gravity, air, and the floor you are moving on.

During Chinkon, we need to try to empty our minds, slowly dropping thoughts one by one as they appear in the mind. Practicing this two or three times a week in the dojo is not sufficient to achieve progress in reaching the thoughtless state. This needs to be done daily. This “mindless” state is the goal during the fight. In the absence of thoughts and plans they can not be read by opponents and things happen at the speed of your INTENTION.

Ki is energy coming from inside that can be used by one’s will. It is not the power of thought, or intellect or physical strength, all of which are simply tools of your will, tools powered by the Ki. The understanding (or the feel) of Ki comes from practicing its application. When practicing punches and kicks (with imaginary or real targets) we should learn to deliver energy by projecting our ki into the target. It is very hard to describe in words, but some metaphors may help:

• it is believing that your fist has already went through the target

• it is a momentary feeling of detachment form your body and observing someone (looking very familiar) delivering a perfect punch

• it is punching BEFORE you have a chance to think about the punch; your INTENTION has to become your action without going through the delay and energy - a draining process of mental analysis

• it is planning the attack, then forgetting about the plan completely and spontaneously attacking

• it is a feeling that your punch is FOLLOWING your Kiai into he target

The moment you THINK about the attack, it becomes possible for an opponent to see it, and the attack is doomed to fail. In a way, you have to surprise yourself in order to surprise your opponent.

A few exercises for practicing mind control and the application of Ki:

One more important point: Kiai has to be applied not only in the attack, but also in defense (though often it is the silent Kiai). In Juho, while being thrown by a fast application of maki-gote, gyaku-gote and many upper-level techniques, proper application of Ki is essential for avoiding injuries and avoiding disorientation after the fall. This can be exercised by simulating the falls from the application of such techniques on your own, without an opponent, in order to first teach your body in a controlled setting. When moving on to working with a partner at full speed, practice the detachment discussed earlier and view both of you as one entity, with you hitting the floor as an integral part of the composition (not unlike your fist hitting the do). Your pain is a minor, inconsequential part of the overall movement.

This is a recent gakka from a Black Belt Group session led by Shodan kenshi Kent Haggblom.

Inspiration:
“Courtesy is contagious”
“With proper greetings fighting may be unnecessary”

When we are practicing hokei, embu or randori we have the opportunity to learn about people and about ourselves: how we are reacting and how we fare in different situations with different people. These skills are invaluable for our quest to improve our society.

• How we interact with people is at the core of Shorinji Kempo philosophy.
• How we treat people, how we greet people, and how we deal with conflicts is a sure way to mutual happiness and a route to self-growth.

To stay calm in a difficult situation, fight, or other interactions

We are learning self-defense, but we may never have to use any physical techniques or force. However, we face many small battles every day. To act with confidence and proper application in a defense situation, it is important to stay calm. This is true for any conflict situation, not just physical ones. Conflicts are all around us, and the biggest and hardest battles are within. How well are we doing in conflict situations? Are we able to stay calm? Are we able to be fair and objective?

To not let emotions take over

As in our physical practice of deflecting attacks, we start with basic movements and through repetition turn them into habits with muscle memory. Our mind, thoughts, and emotions are also based on habits. What is our usual reaction (habit) in this kind of stress situation? By learning to stay calm we have everything to gain in any situation.

The question is…
Are we letting our emotions get the better of us?
Do we get easily impatient, irritated, or right out angry?
Or are we patient, calm, respectful, and courteous?

Kyakka shoko: Examine ourselves inside and out every day, everywhere.
Think about how we can improve step by step outside the dojo.
Why do we lose our temper? Because we love perfection. Create a little room for imperfection in your life.

This Fall, a unified North American Gasshuku was sponsored by the US Provisional Federation and hosted by the Portland Branch of the West Coast (August 29 & 30) and New York City Branch of the East Coast (September 5 & 6). This was the first attempt at a unified Gasshuku in US Shorinji Kempo history and part of the continued efforts that began with the First North American Taikai in 2008. It was recognized as an official WSKO study session for kenshi in the U.S. and Canada (please read the WSKO report). The two-day camp in New York City was held in the Chelsea district at Hudson Guild, a local and historical community center.

Mr. Kiyoshi Makino Sensei was invited as the WSKO Instructor. Makino Daihanshi is an 8th Dan from the Nishijin Doin in Kyoto, Japan. A direct student of Kaiso (the founder of Shorinji Kempo), he studied with Kaiso starting as a white belt up until Seikenshi 4th Dan. He is currently 75 years old and still leads classes 6 times a week in his own dojo. We were honored to learn from his teachings and experience. It was truly a rare opportunity to study from one of the few still practicing who learned directly from Kaiso.

The night before camp began, the New York City Branch held a special meeting for black belt kenshi who are Shodan or Nidan. Our dojo started the NYC Shorinjikempo Black Belt Group (BBG) this year which meets every month to practice techniques and study philosophy. The purpose of the formation of this group was to develop leadership skills and qualities with a bottom-up approach. We were happy to have a few visiting kenshi to practice with as the BBG is a new project of ours. One member of our BBG took charge of each part of the meeting (i.e. Warm-up, Kihon, Gakka, Chinkon-gyo, Goho, Juho), giving Shodan and Nidan a great opportunity to lead a session. During the gakka we discussed our goals for the BBG and the importance of black belt leadership to support branch masters and the growth of Shorinji Kempo. It was a productive and fun meeting and we ended the night with some food and drinks.

Saturday morning our training camp started with all kenshi participating in Samu. We all got a good warm up and cooperated together to ready the room for practice. About 60 kenshi from 9 different branches across the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada attended the training camp. Practice was divided into 3 groups (beginner-kyu kenshi, intermediate-Shodan and Nidan, advanced-Sandan and up) with instruction from Makino Sensei as well as Branch Masters Ohashi Sensei (New York City Branch), Tanaka Sensei (Portland Branch), and Dolce Sensei (Ann Arbor Branch).

On Saturday evening, we had a dinner party at a nice Chinese restaurant in the area. The dinner started with a sweet and simple toast from Makino Sensei, “kampai!”. It was an enjoyable evening and a nice time to relax and socialize together.

Training continued on Sunday and we were treated to a special gakka by Makino Sensei. With his charming sense of humor, he told us of how he began Shorinji Kempo and that he was considered by Kaiso to be somewhat of a back talker. Because of this, he was often picked by Kaiso to demonstrate painful techniques and was held back for quite some time as a white belt. Despite all this, he appreciated the experience. Makino Sensei also emphasized the importance of creating strong relationships through Shorinji Kempo and that this is one of the most vital ways to learn and grow as a kenshi and a person. He also mentioned all kenshi should have their names written on their gi for this reason.

Other events to mention are that 3 kenshi (2 from the Ann Arbor Branch and 1 from the Toronto Branch), took and passed their Sandan test. Congratulations to them! Also, in the spirit of Shorinji Kempo and coming together for our training camp, we organized a charity fund for a local New York City charity group called City Harvest. City Harvest, a non-profit organization founded in 1982, is the world’s first and New York City’s only food rescue program. Along with the charity fund, we conducted a friendly raffle contest for Shorinji Kempo logo towels donated by Kumiko Kawasaki Daikenshi 5th Dan, a former New York City Branch kenshi who recently moved back to Japan. We were able to raise close to $400 for the charity. Thank you to everyone for their generosity!

On his last night in New York City, Makino Sensei visited the New York City dojo. We were very pleased to have a chance to train with both Makino Sensei and Tanaka Sensei. Much to his surprise, Makino Sensei also gave an impromptu gakka. He relayed to us that he had so much he wanted to say and share with us. He asked a few of us our reasons for starting Shorinji Kempo and said that it is always interesting to hear individual’s stories and inspirations for training. Then he shared a very personal and moving story about a kenshi who wrote an essay about his reason for starting Shorinji Kempo. The kenshi said he had a speech impediment and stuttered as a child. While training in Shorinji Kempo, we all count together loudly during kihon. While counting in unison, this kenshi realized his stuttering problem slowly disappeared. Makino Sensei said this is the real spirit of Shorinji Kempo. We all have our individual weaknesses to overcome and through our relationships and training, we have the capacity to do this.

There were so many things we all took and learned from Makino Sensei and it seemed our spirits lifted him as well. The training camp was a great experience and we look forward to seeing everyone again and working towards bigger and better things.

More photos here.

The following is a summary of a recent gakka led by Nidan kenshi Steven Krieg.

Sen

• Do not initiate the attack (Tactical advantage but more spiritual)
• Put yourself in positions of advantage by using sen (practice in pairs)
• There are 4 kinds of initiative (3 physical and 1 non-physical):
  SEN
  GO NO SEN
  SEN NO SEN
  KI NO SEN

KIHATSU NO SEN (physical)

SEN (tai no sen)
The instant the attacker begins the defender reads his intentions and nullifies the attack by countering. Move simultaneously with opponent’s motion.

GO NO SEN (machi no sen)
One lets the opponent’s attack come, then evades it. Machi (waiting) no sen should not be confused with inaction as you are fully alert and ready to act. Use disintegration of opponent’s movements.

SEN NO SEN (sensen no sen)
This is when one senses that an opponent is going to attack and before the attack is begun, one applies a technique to take advantage. Unleash own technique before opponent begins technique.

MIHATSU NO SEN (real but not physical)

KI NO SEN
The most important of all.
The other 3 sen are classified as physical.
Ki no sen is based on reading one’s opponent on a psychological level.
Sense the opponents mental activity and forestall any attach before it is initiated.