Master Tsunehiro Arai: Shorinji Kempo at the Hombu, Japan

Tsunehiro Arai Sensei, Legendary instructor at the Shorinji Kempo Hombu. In this Masters series of short movies, we travel to the small Japanese fishing town of Tadotsu, where the founder, Doshin So, established the Shorinji Kempo headquarters in 1947. This class took place during the 70th anniversary of Shorinji Kempo at the Hombu.

Shorinji Kempo  means ‘Shaolin Temple Way of the Fist’ and is both a fighting art and a religion established by Doshin So, referred to as Kaiso today. It is a unique combination of Karate style punches and kicks with the fluid throws of Aikido and joint-locks of Jujutsu. Shorinji Kempo is also a religion whose philosophy called Kongo Zen is based on early Buddhist scriptures. It's headquarters where our filming takes place is an institution for the development of the mind and body. Shorinji Kempo embodies the principles of Kenzen-Ichinyo, where the physical technique (body) and the spiritual (mind) are one and the same. In this episode we explore the Warriors of Shorinji Kempo.

In practice each partner is working to improve the others respective technique. The result is Embu. A demonstration of sequences of techniques that are dynamic, fluid and full of energy. Embu is likened to prayers. “It is Zen in Motion” says Tsunehiro Arai, the chief Hombu instructor and president of the Shorinji Kempo Federation. You may be interested in this film clip of an interview with Arai Sensei.