Shorinji Kempo is not about
selling techniques piece by piece
Indonesia, America, France, and Singapore; for the past several years Shorinji Kempo has been making a high tempo expansion overseas. What this means is that in countries with different languages, religions, and customs of living people - people with different histories from ours and who live in different cultural spheres - have begun to take interest in Shorinji Kempo. The result of this, if I may paint the picture large, is that we are gradually changing from a single Japanese organization into the world's Shorinji Kempo, and our role is progressing as we shed our old skin.
So, at this vital time, how are we Japanese doing? How well have we understood Shorinji Kempo's campaign, the way we ought to be according to the Creed? At best we could probably teach the techniques, isn't that the level, the condition in which we find ourselves...?
The greatest reason that Shorinji Kempo has grown so large certainly lies in the magnetism exerted by our unique system of techniques. Yet if ever a gun was turned on you, would you stand up to it with bare fists? One burst and that would be the end of it. When I say this I think some people get offended, abut aside from certain limited situations unarmed combat skills are really useless. In actual society, they are basically worthless.
Some gather a little from this school and a little from that, then set up a new school and make themselves founders of a school. Selling certificates, they are concerned about making money. Again, using the term "perfect execution," they wallow in their own satisfaction in their narrow little worlds. It's impolite to say so, but that kind of person is common among people who call themselves martial artists. From the outset, however, I have always stood against seeking a reputation through selling techniques piece by piece. Moreover, when I reached the conclusion through my own experiences that things were going terribly, I didn't just consider it but I put my thoughts into action and started Shorinji Kempo.
Some fools are conceited enough to think that Japanese are better than other peoples, more exalted. This thinking says that even if it means death it is good to exhaust one's loyalty in the upward direction alone, toward country and emperor. This system and education would not permit people to think of themselves living as individual human beings. Groups could only coalesce vertically, human relations could never grow horizontally and form groups. I want to change these old patterns of Japan, of being a Japanese, even if it only makes a small change. This is not only for Japanese; I also want to make a society in which the citizens of many countries can live together in friendship. To that end, I have made our very selves the object of human reconstruction. This is essential.
(October 1973, lecture at all Japan leadership special seminar)
