Жапон жартылысы кемпосы: Шаолинь стилінің өзгеруі

Japanese martial art

Shorinji Kempo (少林寺拳法) is a Japanese martial art claimed to be a modified version of Shaolin kung fu. The name Shōrinji Kempo is the Japanese reading of Shàolínsì Quánfǎ. It was established in 1947 by Doshin So (宗 道臣) [born Michiomi Nakano (中野道臣)], a Japanese martial artist and former military intelligence agent who lived in China for many years before and during World War II. Shorinji Kempo is a holistic system, whose training methods are divided into three parts: self defence training, mental training and, health training. The basis are the concepts that "spirit and body are not separable" (心身一如: shinshin ichinyo) and that it is integral to train both "body and mind as one" (拳禅一如: kenzen ichinyo). Through employing a well organised technical course outline, Shorinji Kempo aims to help the practitioner "establish oneself" and to promote "mutual comfort". The philosophy and techniques of Shorinji Kempo are outlined in their master text, (少林寺拳法教範) Shōrinji Kempō kyōhan.

There are two sides of Shorinji Kempo – true budō (武道) and educational system. As the latter, the organisation is well known for their mental training institution as well as body training facilities dōjō (道場). The founder, Doshin So, wanted to establish not only an organisation which incorporated mental and physical training but also wanted to educate Japanese people who had been completely demoralised by World War II. His aim was to help those who had lost their way and rebuild Japan for the future. It is said that he tried to teach Buddhist philosophy but no one followed him. Later on, So reportedly saw a vision of Bodhidharma, which inspired him to pursue teaching martial arts, as Bodhidharma was believed to have done. Both of these are later to become the main training methods of Shorinji Kempo. Shorinji Kempo includes a broad curriculum of self defense techniques, known as hokei (法形). For demonstration or competition purposes, these are combined into a choreographed sequence known as an embu (演武). The embu consists of (typically) 6 sections and each section includes a series of gōhō (剛法) or hard techniques and jūhō (柔法) or soft techniques. During a pair form or kumi embu, one person attacks and another person defends for one section, and they then swap roles for the next section. The application of technique within an embu is known as hien (飛燕) or flying swallow which represents speed and smoothness of those techniques. The embu is occasionally performed wearing a black robe, called hōi (法衣), for example at an opening or closing ceremony of a taikai (大会, convention/tournament).

The name "Shōrinji" is a literal reading of the Chinese "Shaolin Temple" from the Shaolin Monastery in Henan Province, China. Dōshin Sō claimed to have inherited the title of the 21st master of the Giwamon ken (義和門拳) system (in Mandarin: Yihe Mén Quán) which is believed to have been used during the Boxer rebellion of 1899 to 1901. Dōshin Sō claimed to have been much impressed to see paintings on the wall of Byakue den (白衣殿) chapel at Shaolin Temple, although there is no evidence that ever visited it. The style of the monks practicing the martial arts was supposedly very fresh and vital to him. He believed it was the origin of the existing quan fa in China. (source: a book "Hi den Shorinji Kempo" 秘伝少林寺拳法「光文社」written by Doshin So, published by Kobun sha Kappa Books)

The swastika, called manji in Japanese, was originally the emblem for Shorinji Kempo, as it is used in Dharmic religions, as well as by many cultures around the world, for centuries. The swastika can either mean love (left facing) and strength (right facing) which symbolise Kongo zen teaching. However, given the social stigma that the swastika carries, the WSKO replaced it with the character 拳 (ken), which means "fist", in the center of tate manji (swastika guarded by shields) on the emblem or using nagare manji which meant "rounded swastika". In 2005, the Shorinji Kempo Group introduced a new symbol for all the international Shorinji Kempo federations. The new mark is called so en (double circle) and it is said that this is the extreme shape of two swastikas intertwined. The so en emblem is put on the training uniform (keikogi), belt (obi), and the hōi, a black robe worn by high ranking practitioners during exhibitions.

Doshin Sō, birthname Michiomi Nakano, was born in Okayama Prefecture and spent his youth in northern China, first with his grandfather and then as an intelligence agent of the occupying Imperial Japanese Army to collect military information during the war. As part of his cover, he was posted to a Taoist school as an apprentice. There, Nakano met Chen Liang (陳 良), a Taoist priest and master of Báilián Mén Quán or Báilián Quán (meaning "White Lotus Fist"). After some time, Chen introduced Nakano to Wen Taizong (文 太宗), a master in Yihe Mén Quán or Yihe Quán (meaning "Righteous Harmony Fist"). Wen would take in Nakano as his student at the Shaolin Temple, at Henan, and passed onto him the title of grandmaster in that specific style of quan fa. In the final days of the Second World War, the Soviet Union broke its neutrality pact with Japan, declaring war. The Soviets invaded Manchuria on 9 August, and overran the Japanese in less than 11 days. The aftermath was appalling; Japanese casualties were tenfold than that of the Soviets'; both civilians and wounded Japanese soldiers were left to die while the army retreated; and many Japanese civilians committed mass suicide. It was in this carnage that Dōshin Sō recognised and understood the "nature of the human being". According to his book, the nature and quality of the person is extremely important since politics, law, and day to day living are all conducted by human beings. After returning to Japan, Sō thought of establishing a cram school for young people. He was stationed in the small town of Tadotsu, on Shikoku island, to teach Buddhist philosophy. He established Shorinji Kempo to take the concept of ken zen ichinyo by following Bodhidharma and made use of techniques he had learned in China (source: the book "Hi den Shōrinji Kempō" (秘伝少林寺拳法) written by Dōshin Sō, published by Kobun sha Kappa Books). This promotion and campaign was known as Kongō zen undō (Diamond zen campaign) and expanded Shorinji Kempo throughout Japan by his pupils. This campaign and concept was inherited by his daughter Yūki Sō (宗 由貴) after his death in 1980 till present. After his death, Dōshin Sō is called "Kaiso" or founder.

Shorinji Kempo is neither a traditional form of martial art nor a kind of competitive sport. However, the United Kingdom Shorinji Kempo Federation (UKSKF) still remains affiliated with WSKO. The BSKF applied to the British Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to register the trademark that it has used for 25 years. Shorinji Kempo Unity opposed the application, but the IPO found that SKU had not demonstrated genuine use of its registered trademark. SKU appealed the decision. In the High Court, the appeal judge found that SKU had shown genuine use of its mark, but that the BSKF mark can be registered. Judge Warren found that Shorinji Kempo is a generic term, which simply describes a martial art, and even if this were not the case, there is no possibility of confusion of the BSKF's mark with that of the SKU. In 2015, the International Kempo Association (IKA) was formed (and incorporated in the UK), as an umbrella organisation and loose collective for several ex WSKO groups. It currently includes member organisations from Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and UK (BSKF).