How much do classes cost?

All pricing information can be found in the Class Info section of our web site. Please email us for more information.

Is this suitable for women?

Absolutely. The techniques of Shorinji Kempo are designed for self-defense. Strength and size are not determinants in skill, as every student learns to adjust techniques to suit their own body. Shorinji Kempo has many female students and instructors. Our branch has numerous talented and committed women who range in skill from white to black belt.

How different is Shorinji Kempo from other styles such as Karate and Akido?

Shorinji Kempo is a unique system that draws on several different martial arts traditions but is itself original. The only way to really understand this is to experience it for yourself. We do recommend that you visit and observe a class and see for yourself. All visitors are welcome. You may want to go to our Videos section to see samples of our style. Shorinji Kempo is a licensed international trademark. All branches and instructors are strictly regulated by WSKO.

Why is this style so obscure compared to Karate and Aikido?

Probably because no one can make any money from it. It is however much better known in Europe and Asia. WSKO does not pay for any fancy commercials or sell action figures. Despite that lack of commercial initiative, it is very impressive to consider that there are currently over a million Shorinji Kempo students worldwide.

Do you have competitions?

Shorinji Kempo is not about free-fighting competitions or winning contests. Instead there are occasional international Embu (paired-form, shown below) competitions in which two kenshi (or more) script together an entire fighting sequence. These competitions have nothing to do with money and are ways to test your skills. Contestants are judge by how well they work together, the precision of their movement and the overall balance of the sequence. In all Embu there can never be a clear winner or loser and despite how simplistic that may sound, it is incredibly challenging. For further examples of Embu, please go to our Videos section.

Embu Demonstration

Why are there only 3 color belts?

Shorinji Kempo uses white, brown and black color belts to designate rank. Within the brown belt category, there are 3 degrees (kyu) whereas in black, there are 10 degrees (dan). Having only 3 colors tends to increase the level of equality among all practitioners.

Are these techniques painful?

Shorinji Kempo is a martial art and as such the techniques have the potential to be very painful. However, one of the key characteristics of Shorinji Kempo is that it should develop people without injury - that is to say the techniques are not designed to cause permanent injury and are practiced in a very controlled way.

Do I need to be in good physical condition to do this?

One of the key characteristics of Shorinji Kempo is that we all train to our own level of ability. Obviously the more one regularly trains, the more fitter, slimer and flexible one becomes.

What is the hand greeting gesture you are using?

It is called Gassho Rei (shown below) and is taken directly from the Indian (Buddhist) style of greeting. In most Japanese martial arts, students bow to each other. Shorinji Kempo uses Gassho Rei as a form of greeting and it is a symbolic way to show mutual respect.

Gassho Rei

Why do you meditate?

What are the words that students recite each class?

This is the Dokun, our basic statement of principles regarding first ourselves, then our training partners and finally the wider society and the world in general. The three sections distill the core points of our philosophy into short statements that we try to live up to in our training and our everyday lives.