8. New Japanese Martial Arts

  There are some martial arts different from what has been inherited from old times. That is called present age martial art contrasted with old martial art. This time we will introduce two present age martial arts.



合気道(Aikidou)



植芝盛平　１８８３年１２月１４日～１９６９年４月２６日
Morihei Ueshiba  December 14, 1883 － April 26, 1969

   First, take up about 合気道(Aikido). Aikido is the martial art which 植芝盛平(Morihei Uesiba) created from the Taisho last stage to the first half of Showa. Aikido is the comprehensive martial art which he studied the martial arts of Japanese ancient times, and summarized by original moral philosophy and which is mainly concerned with hand-to-hand combat. In aikido, neither the physique nor physical strength is related by employment of the rational body. Moreover, it makes possible to control with throwing techniques and hold down techniques, without wounding an enemy. There is no game and there will be no strict custom which was standardized by the whole Aikido except for minimum manners. Aikido is thinking spiritualism as important compared with other martial arts because the strong intentionality to the mental world is reflecting his character. The work of Aikido is the comprehensive martial art which including the hand-to-hand combat way and the arms way also in opposite a lot of people. However, there is little percentage of the instructors who can teach arms way, in fact, and the case where only a hand-to-hand combat way is taught is the most.

少林寺拳法(Shorinji Kempo)

宗道臣１９１１年２月１０日～１９８０年５月１２日Doshin So    (1911-02-10 February 10 1911 ― May 12 1980(1980-05-1

 

 

Second, take up about 少林寺拳法(Shorinji Kempo). Shorinji kempo is the martial art which 宗道臣(Doshin So) created in early stages of Showa in Japan. It is the systematized techniques which studied and compiled various kinds of hand-to-hand combat into one work. Shorinji kempo has the feature in having the side as martial art which self-trains with a fist, and the side of the social education activity which performs moral culture and character building. Shorinji kempo is a line of a religious sect and stands on the viewpoint that it is not mere martial art or sport. It has taken the self-training method which aimed at strong body and tough soul based on the original instruction. Moreover, it is the feature that Shorinji kempo has taken the form of the harmony which is not looked like others. The work consists of techniques: the offense and defense of a kick and a trust, throwing and arm barring techniques, and the techniques called 圧法(Appo). A game looks at neither an attack nor a counterattack, but thinks that the degree of training of tactics, and manners and etiquette are important thing.

A list of reference: 合気道教範(textbook of Aikido) 植芝吉祥丸(writeen by Kishoumaru Uesiba)

                                 少林寺拳法　その技法と思想 (Shourinji Kempo The technique and thought)  宗道臣(written by Doshin So)