#781 ·
" Shorinji Kempo is a somewhat niche Japanese adaptation of the Shaolin Yu Ch'i Chu'an style of kung fu. It has gained significant traction across Europe and the States, and maintains a solid reputation back in Japan. At the Iceberg ‘Dan-Gun’ Taekwondo club, this discipline is taught by Master Miran Škerl, an 8th Dan in Shorinji Kempo. He instructs using traditional methods, essentially following the same lineage used at the art's original source.
Shaolin Yu Ch'ia Ch'uan—often referred to as the hard-soft Shaolin school, or Shorinji Kempo in Japanese—is a comprehensive martial arts system. It encompasses a full spectrum of techniques, including striking, blocking, evasion, throwing, grappling, joint locks, choking, traditional weaponry, and meditation.
The entire system is built upon duality, specifically the principle of Yin-Yang, or hard-soft and internal-external (Goho and Yuho). In practice, this means training "softly" to react "hard," and vice versa. It also implies responding to "hard" movements with "softness," where a "soft" action produces a "hard" result, and movement and stillness are essentially two sides of the same coin.
The philosophical foundation may be rooted in Shingan (Zen) Buddhism. If one interprets the school through a Shingan lens, there is a notable esoteric approach to interpreting the world and motion within the meditative aspects, which brings certain inherent rituals along with it. However, a Zen approach might be more intuitive, focusing on finding truth through instinct and applying the natural way of movement and reaction (*wu wei*). In its original external (hard, *wei ch'ia*) form, the school didn't focus on rigid forms, but rather on the practical application of technique (*embu*).
The necessity for structured forms was traditionally met through the practice of internal school patterns (such as Wei Chia-Hsin I, Pa Kua, or Tai Chi Chuan in the Chinese tradition, and Taikyoku Ken in the Japanese). These were believed to benefit overall health and the development of a practitioner's energy. Our organization adheres to these traditional principles and follows this specific training methodology. Sessions include basic and advanced drills, partner work, and focuses on both meditative and *genki* (energetic) psycho-physical development. I suppose this type of training isn't really recommended for anyone under the age of 16.
I caught a glimpse of a few training sessions over someone's shoulder in downtown Chicago.
If I caught it correctly, they were alternating between Kempo and Kenjutsu sessions.
The techniques seem decent enough.
There doesn't appear to be any pointless or illogical flailing.
Shaolin Yu Ch'ia Ch'uan—often referred to as the hard-soft Shaolin school, or Shorinji Kempo in Japanese—is a comprehensive martial arts system. It encompasses a full spectrum of techniques, including striking, blocking, evasion, throwing, grappling, joint locks, choking, traditional weaponry, and meditation.
The entire system is built upon duality, specifically the principle of Yin-Yang, or hard-soft and internal-external (Goho and Yuho). In practice, this means training "softly" to react "hard," and vice versa. It also implies responding to "hard" movements with "softness," where a "soft" action produces a "hard" result, and movement and stillness are essentially two sides of the same coin.
The philosophical foundation may be rooted in Shingan (Zen) Buddhism. If one interprets the school through a Shingan lens, there is a notable esoteric approach to interpreting the world and motion within the meditative aspects, which brings certain inherent rituals along with it. However, a Zen approach might be more intuitive, focusing on finding truth through instinct and applying the natural way of movement and reaction (*wu wei*). In its original external (hard, *wei ch'ia*) form, the school didn't focus on rigid forms, but rather on the practical application of technique (*embu*).
The necessity for structured forms was traditionally met through the practice of internal school patterns (such as Wei Chia-Hsin I, Pa Kua, or Tai Chi Chuan in the Chinese tradition, and Taikyoku Ken in the Japanese). These were believed to benefit overall health and the development of a practitioner's energy. Our organization adheres to these traditional principles and follows this specific training methodology. Sessions include basic and advanced drills, partner work, and focuses on both meditative and *genki* (energetic) psycho-physical development. I suppose this type of training isn't really recommended for anyone under the age of 16.
I caught a glimpse of a few training sessions over someone's shoulder in downtown Chicago.
If I caught it correctly, they were alternating between Kempo and Kenjutsu sessions.
The techniques seem decent enough.
There doesn't appear to be any pointless or illogical flailing.
