Kenshi is what we call our students. It means (loosely) “ladies and gentlemen of the fist”. We’re not some mysterious thing though, we’re all real people. Here’s a peek into the mind of:
Tom, a yellow belt
(We have two of these… and they often work together. Don’t get confused.)
Give us a vague idea of who you are outside the dojo. So outside the dojo I have a wife and daughter. My daughter likes Karate which is great. I like to read as well as skateboard and play video games to relax.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I used to do a lot of running having run for my local club and my greatest achievement was running a sub 16 minute 5000m
If you could travel anywhere in time and space, where would you go, and why? I would travel back to 1980 and let the police know there is a chap with a gun waiting for John Lennon outside his apartment.
How long have you been doing Shorinji Kempo? I have been practicing Shorinji Kempo for close to a year now.
What were you nervous about before you started? I wasn’t really nervous but more intrigued.
What were you most looking forward to? The softer side of the self defence as I had been training in kickboxing and that is very attacking and I found it quite aggressive
How long did it take you to learn how to tie your belt? I’m still learning haha.
What advice would you give to someone who is just starting out in Shorinji Kempo? Don’t give up. Follow the sensei and the class. But the main thing is don’t give up.
Favourite Kempo technique? Uchi uki zuki
Current Kempo goal To improve all the current techniques I have learnt, and perform well at my next grading to make my sensei’s and dojo proud.
What would you say is the main benefit you get out of doing Shorinji Kempo? It gives me focus. Being able to focus on something you can perform anywhere is great.
If you could have a giant billboard anywhere, with anything on it, where would you put it and what would it say? It would be in every city, town or village and would simply say “Smile”.
