The founder: Doshin SO
Doshin So (1911 - 1980)
The founder of SHORINJI KEMPO, Doshin So personally witnessed
the harsh realities of WWII and, out of a deep and abiding concern for the future
of man and his mother country, resolved to develop confidence in young people,
giving them the courage and compassion to care about others and serve society
as a whole.
He believed that carefully organized an educational system providing appropriate teaching were necessary to develop human potential. So he developed a set of techniques that anyone could learn regardless of gender or individual physical strengths based on Chinese martial arts and other knowledge he had mastered. He also took special care to insure that these techniques would be appealing to others and effective in fostering confidence. He then developed a unique educational system that combined these techniques and his founding philosophy of “Half for one’s own happiness, and half for the happiness of others.” He named this system SHORINJI KEMPO.
He believed that carefully organized an educational system providing appropriate teaching were necessary to develop human potential. So he developed a set of techniques that anyone could learn regardless of gender or individual physical strengths based on Chinese martial arts and other knowledge he had mastered. He also took special care to insure that these techniques would be appealing to others and effective in fostering confidence. He then developed a unique educational system that combined these techniques and his founding philosophy of “Half for one’s own happiness, and half for the happiness of others.” He named this system SHORINJI KEMPO.
