Visitors from Japan

In 2018 we were fortunate again to have several visitors from Japan come to join our practice.

We are glad to belong to the worldwide Shorinji Kempo family!

Gassho

Chika-san (2nd dan) from Wakayama-ken

Takashi-san (3rd dan) from Mie-ken

Fujikawa-san (2nd dan) from Tochigi-ken

Karate master visits Shorinji Kempo HQ

Grading sucess!

Congratulations to Julie and Max on passing their examinations for 6th Kyu (Julie) and 1st Kyu (Max) on July 9, 2018!

Gassho

Grading success!

Toronto Branch member Daryl Ola passed his examination for Junkenshi 1st Dan on July 23, 2018.

Well done Daryl!

Gassho

Toronto Branch Charity Kickathon Raises a Record Amount!

2018 total = $15,500

On the hot and humid evening of Wednesday May 30, nine members of Shorinji Kempo Toronto Branch gathered at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Russell Street site for our 23rd Annual Shorinji Kempo Charity Kickathon for CAMH.

Meditation first

Every year in the month of May, Shorinji Kempo members worldwide perform some form of community service as a tribute to the memory of our founder, Doshin So (1911-1980). At Toronto Branch our chosen activity is to hold a charity event in support of CAMH's work in the field of drug addiction.

A bit of stretching...

After a period of warm-up and stretching, we began the Kickathon proper. Those of us who just came back from the Cornell Shorinji Kempo Camp were participating with sore backs and stiff muscles (sponsors - please note that you were getting your money's worth!).

The Kickathon begins...

After 500 continuous kicks with kiai (yell) our Kickathon came to a close.

Huffing and puffing

Thanks to incredibly generous sponsorship from individual and corporate donors, we were able to raise a record amount this year.  Our final tally for the 2018 event was a truly spectacular $15,000.  The running total of funds raised since our first Kickathon in 1996 now stands at $164,780.

Feel the burn!

Almost there...

We wish to express our deep gratitude to our loyal crew of wonderful sponsors for making this year's Kickathon such a great success.

Also, we wish to commend CAMH for their important work to stem the suffering resulting from drug addiction and Lidia at the CAMH Foundation for her expert help with the event logistics.

We're all done - next stop the chiropractor!

 See you again next year!

Gassho

40th Annual Shorinji Kempo Cornell Camp

During the US Memorial Day long weekend, three members of Toronto Branch set off for Camp Barton in Trumansburg, NY for the 40th Anniversary Shorinji Kempo Cornell Camp.

The world's most beautiful dojo

It is almost unheard of for any annual Shorinji Kempo training event outside Japan to be held consistently for such a long time. Indeed, the Cornell Camp may be the longest standing annual Shorinji Kempo event in all of WSKO.

Getting ready to train

Once again we were delighted to receive instruction from Sakuyama-sensei of Takahagi Doin (Ibaraki, Japan). Sakuyama-sensei has an illustrious pedigree having been a direct student of Kaiso So Doshin, Nakano-sensei and even a co-star of Jet Li!

Ohashi-sensei (Cornell Camp founder) with Sakuyama-sensei

Sakuyama-sensei speaks English very well and can explain his teachings in a very detailed and accurate way. Also, Sakuyama-sensei's technical skill and understanding of body movement, mechanics, attention and energy is second to none.

Kevin, Sakuyama-sensei, John and Tal

The focus of much of the Camp was on the essence of Shorinji Kempo as a zen art. Although we were practicing self-defense techniques, Sakuyama-sensei always brought our attention to intent, feeling and awareness. Basic elements such as these are common to other zen arts as well as the practice of zazen itself.

The Camp attracted many of our friends from all across Canada, the USA and beyond and we had a great time with them.

Gary Dolce-sensei

We wish to thank Gary Dolce-sensei (Ann Arbor) and Neal Ziring-sensei (World Bank) for their incredible efforts in making 40 years of Cornell Camp a reality.

Neal Ziring-sensei

We also wish to thank Sakuyama-sensei for traveling all the way from Japan to give us such rare and valuable teachings.

What is the one thing that has made Cornell Camp a 40 year success?

Gassho

Happy New Year!

We wish you health, happiness and peace in 2018.

Gassho

Toronto Branch feature on GTActivity

Video and editing by James Balutan.

2017 World Taikai & International Study Session

The Canadian Federation team

Seven members of Toronto Branch participated in the 2017 World Taikai & International Study Session held from July 30-August 2, 2017 in San Mateo, CA.

Swag!

Christian competed in the tan'en embu (single form) category. He gave a spirited performance, but as the Chief Judge later commented "technique high, time low" so alas no medal.

Daryl and Christian

John (Toronto Branch Master) was a Judge for several categories including Women's 3 Dan and Men's Masters Embu.  Tal and Tony also assisted the Chief Judge during the Embu competition.

Getting ready to judge with Hiate sensei

The Study Session was comprised of group practice and several rank-based sessions led by the leading instructors from Japan and the rest of the world.

Kawashima sensei (senior and junior)

In addition, there were Kongo Zen lectures and sessions for Judge/Examiner certification.

With Anders sensei and Gary sensei

The event was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with our friends from all over the planet. In addition, it was a great opportunity to spend more time with Hiate sensei (Atsugi Doin, Japan) - our main teacher.

Kanga Ryu - deadly Australian martial arts with Nick sensei (Melbourne)

We wish to thank the kenshi of California and the USSKF for making this event such a great success!

Kanagawa Federation reunion - with Nakamura sensei and Hiate sensei

Gassho

39th Annual Cornell Shorinji Kempo Camp (May 2017)

On Friday May 26th, I travelled down to Camp Barton near Trumansburg NY to participate in the 39th Annual Shorinji Kempo Cornell Camp.

As the log cabin doors creaked open, we stepped out into an early morning fog rolling in off beautiful Lake Cayuga located in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes.  Friends old and new gathered for a short warm-up followed by a quick jog to breath in the fresh air and get our bodies moving.  After a delicious breakfast, we began our study of the philosophy and techniques of Shorinji Kempo taught by Sakuyama-sensei (Ibaragi Takahagi Doin, Japan), former staff member at Hombu and direct student of our Founder – Kaiso So Doshin-sensei.

This year the emphasis was on raising our awareness of how our body moves, specifically through the hip joint (Greater Trochanter or GT for short).  Since many of the techniques involve rotational motion through the hip joint, it’s important to understand how it is used to generate power as well as improve speed and balance.  We stepped out of our comfort zone by exploring the edge cases where it feels like we would fall over because we were leaning far forward or to the side.  We wouldn’t actually fall because our brain tricks us into thinking that we are going to lose our balance well before the point where it happens.

As many of us will be attending the 70th Anniversary of the Foundation of Shorinji Kempo World Taikai event in California this summer, Sakuyama-sensei shared some of his thoughts on Embu preparation and competition.  Embu is an important aspect of studying Shorinji Kempo because students perform several techniques in longer combinations with a partner.  By alternating the roles of attacker and defender, students improve their techniques by better understanding distance and timing.  We learned that there is no difference between practicing Embu and competing in it, other than the fact that in competition you only get to perform it once.  This is why it’s important to practice diligently and concentrate completely in order to perform at the highest level possible.  In Embu, as in life, it’s okay to make mistakes.  One should recognize that a mistake has happened by acknowledging it but not getting too caught up in it.  Embu is more than just demonstrating techniques, it helps cultivate life energy (ki) and demonstrates the flow of energy between partners.  During our training we continuously combined techniques together to build Embus and demonstrate them to each other.  At key times during these demonstrations Sakuyama-sensei would ask us to pause so that we may become aware of the energy flow between us.

We also learned how fortunate we all are that we have a powerful tool for introspection, self-awareness and connection to our environment and beyond - our breath!  Humans can survive weeks without food, days without water but only minutes without air.  We learned how to monitor and regulate our breathing while sitting, stretching and performing techniques.  During stretching, we were asked to focus on allowing our breath to flow into the area of our body that we were trying to stretch and not to think about it as purely a muscle exercise.  This allowed us to be more proficient at stretching as well as helping us become more aware of our bodies.

We wish the thank Sakuyama-sensei for coming all the way from Japan to teach us and the Camp organizers for their selfless efforts in facilitating another fantastic training opportunity.

We hope to see everyone again next year!

Cornell Camp 2017 photo album

Gassho,

Kevin Legault (2nd dan)

Toronto Branch

 

22nd Annual Charity Kickathon for CAMH meets $10K goal!

On the sweltering evening of May 17th (why does the first really hot day of the year always coincide with our event?) the members of Shorinji Kempo's Toronto Branch gathered at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Russell Street site to hold the 22nd annual installment of our main charity activity - the Kickathon.

First some meditation

Every year we are getting older, and our kicks are not quite as high as they used to be, but we are still filled with a strong sense of pride and purpose every time we hold this event.

Then some stretching

The goal of the Annual Charity Shorinji Kempo Kickathon is to raise funds for the CAMH Foundation that will be used to alleviate the suffering caused by drug addiction in Ontario.

Lining up

Our evening began with a period of meditation then a warm-up and stretching.  Following that we lined up and launched into 500 consecutive full force kicks with kiai (yell).  Given the humid conditions the gym was rather airless, but once we launched into the kicking time just seemed to fly by.

Off we go!

Before long we reached our 500th kick and the joy of accomplishing our goal eclipsed any fatigue or soreness that we felt.  Also, we knew that it'll be 12 months before we do this again!

Halfway through

We would like to thank our truly amazing sponsors, many of whom who have generously supported our event for many years.  We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Lidia and her team at the CAMH Foundation for ensuring that the logistics of our event went so smoothly.

We can now announce that our event raised a total of $10,025 - we met our $10K fundraising goal thanks to our sponsors' generous support!

Since the Shorinji Kempo Toronto Branch Kickathon initiative began in 1996 it has raised a total of $149,280 for the CAMH Foundation.

"All done for another year" selfie!

Gassho

Grading success!

Toronto kenshi Max Teplyakov successfully passed his 2nd Kyu examination on April 10, 2017.

Congratulations!

Gassho

Grading success!

Toronto Branch member Daryl Ola passed his 1st Kyu examination on February 20, 2017.

Well done!

Gassho

Seasons Greetings from Toronto Branch!

MERRY CHRISTMAS 

& 

A HAPPY NEW YEAR

On December 21, 2016 nine members of our branch gathered for the 2016 Closing Ceremony.  The event included kihon, chinkon and a demonstration.

The end of year message covered:

2016 events: 21st Annual Kickathon, 38th Annual Cornell Camp, the WSKO Seminar and North American Taikai in Banff as well as grading successes during the year

2017 upcoming events: World Taikai and WSKO Seminar in California, the 22nd Annual Kickathon and the 39th Annual Cornell Camp

We are now taking a good rest and will be back in action early in January!

Gassho

Grading success!

On August 22, 2016 Daryl successfully took his 2nd Kyu examination.

Congratulations Daryl!

Gassho

Grading success!

Toronto Branch kenshi Max successfully took his 3rd Kyu examination on August 17th.

Congratulations!

Gassho

WSKO North America Session & Taikai in Banff, AB

Photo courtesy of Rick Hand

From July 1-3, 2016 kenshi from branches all across North America traveled to Banff, Alberta to attend the WSKO North American Study Session and Taikai.  These events were provided by the Canadian Shorinji Kempo Federation and expertly hosted by the members of Alberta Branch who set a new high standard for other hosts to follow.

Kawashima-sensei (photo: Rick Hand)

The Study Session was held at the beautiful Fenlands Recreation Centre, nestled among the majestic Rocky Mountains.  The WSKO Instructors who taught the event were Kazuhiro Kawashima-sensei (WSKO Secretary General) and Shoji Arai-sensei (WSKO Deputy Secretary General).

Arai-sensei (photo: Rick Hand)

The session began with Arai-sensei providing a concise and clear outline of Shorinji Kempo basics and etiquette.  His teaching style was easy to follow and his demonstrations were of textbook quality (perhaps because he was a student of "the living textbook" Tsunehiro Arai-sensei). However, once the basic principles were established, Arai-sensei quickly moved on to more challenging applications including jumping sokuto geri combinations!

Demonstration by Kawashima-sensei

Kawashima-sensei picked up the teaching role later on and emphasized the correct form for tan'en hokei as well as the sotai applications. During his sessions, Kawashima-sensei showed dramatic effectiveness of his application of goho and juho techniques.

Christian

Tal & Brian

In addition to the Hombu staff, the US-based WSKO Instructors (Hirayama-sensei, Harada-sensei and Hagata-sensei) gave exciting lessons to the kyu kenshi in attendance.

Toronto Branch members with the Hombu teachers (photo: Rick Hand)

During each day of the Study Session, Kawashima-sensei provided lectures on topics drawn from his experience and our philosophy. In addition, time was spent reviewing plans for the World Taikai in California next year.

Lecture time

On the Saturday, Alberta Branch provided a wonderful social event at the Toque Bar in Banff.  A fun aspect of the event was the presentation of the famous Alberta white hats to the WSKO Instructors! All delegates greatly enjoyed the chance to mingle and relax with fellows from all across our continent.

The white hats!

The final day of the activities was the 5th North American Shorinji Kempo Taikai held at the Banff High School.  The event began in an impressive way with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ("Mounties") escorting in the national flag of Canada prior to singing the national anthem.

As for the Taikai itself, the sections were

• tandoku embu (single form)
• kumi embu (pair form)
• dantai embu (group)
• unyo'ho (sparring)

Christian Castillo from Toronto Branch participated in the Dan Grade Men's Tandoku Embu section and Men's Lightweight Dan Grade Unyo'ho achieving a high place in both events. Chrtistian greatly enjoyed his participation and will be using the experience gained to prepare the World Taikai next year.

All of us from Toronto Branch had a wonderful time in Banff and wish to express our sincere gratitude to Noda-sensei, the kenshi of Alberta Branch and all their supporters for their painstaking efforts in organizing these events and for all the kindness and support they extended to all delegates.

Gassho

McKaiso (photo: Rick Hand)