Shorinji Kempo Curriculum (2026)

Understanding the curriculum also means understanding how it is delivered in practice. A standard adult lesson lasts approximately two hours and follows a typical structure:

Note: Shorinji Kempo has no competition. There are no tournaments. The "exam" is a demonstration of skill against a cooperative but resistant partner.

Goho focuses on strikes, kicks, blocks, and evasions. Students learn to use their body weight and angles rather than brute force.

Gohō focuses on linear, high-velocity movements used to counter striking attacks. It teaches students how to evade, block, and counter-strike efficiently by utilizing body shifting ( Tai Sabaki ).

The curriculum’s flexible architecture allows this pluralism while retaining core principles. That adaptability explains Shorinji Kempo’s persistence: it can serve as self-defense system, physical education method, or moral formation program depending on context. shorinji kempo curriculum

The curriculum is delivered through specific training methodologies that ensure safety while building real-world reflex.

When most people think of Japanese martial arts, they picture the explosive power of Karate, the flowing locks of Judo, or the sword-drawing precision of Iaido. However, nestled within the Buddhist tradition of the Shaolin Temple (via Japan) lies a unique and holistic discipline: .

Akira was now eighteen. He could perform all 68 hokei . He could break a falling brick with shutō (knife hand). He could lock, throw, and pin. But for his shōdan (first-degree black belt) test, Kenji gave him a final task.

Requires deep philosophical knowledge, advanced technical variations, and teaching capability. Key Training Methodologies Understanding the curriculum also means understanding how it

Front kicks, roundhouse kicks, side kicks, and sweeps targeting low and mid-section areas.

Shorinji Kempo is a holistic Japanese martial art established in 1947 by Doshin So. It combines effective self-defense with Zen philosophy, character development, and therapeutic acupressure.

Seikei distinguishes Shorinji Kempo from many purely combative systems. The founder framed practice as "a way to cultivate the human spirit." Moral instruction takes concrete forms:

Manipulating the fingers, wrists, and elbows to immobilize an attacker. The "exam" is a demonstration of skill against

Focuses on foundational stances, basic Goho strikes, and simple Juho releases.

He pointed to a wooden post. “Stand in front of it. Do not move. For one hour.”

The technical curriculum splits into three primary categories: Goho (hard techniques), Juho (soft techniques), and Seihon (corrective therapeutic techniques). Below is a detailed breakdown of the complete Shorinji Kempo curriculum, ranking system, and core philosophies. The Philosophical Foundation