ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ - HISTORY

       

 Ancient History

  

   Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo is the Japanese name of the Chinese art Sau Lin-Szu Pao Ming Chuan (Young Forest Temple Cannon Fist "Ming Dynasty") founded in the Henan (Honan) province of north central China during the Ming dynasty. This system of martial application was based upon the long staff and fist/foot techniques, in association with the monks of the Sau Lin-Szu (Young Forest Temple) better known as the Sau Lin Szu Songyue Si.

    Sau Lin Szu Songyue Si Temple was located about 40 miles from the city of Luoyang (Lo-yang) on the mountain of Songshan. The temple was isolated from the main stream life at the time when Manchu tribes of Mongolia invaded and overran most of China. It is believed that a number of warlords went to this temple to hide from the Manchu armies and to form a resistance effort.    As the monks of the temple were peaceful, they offered no resistance to the warlords. In turn, the warriors caused no harm to the monks. The warlords organized a school of fighting arts based on the knowledge they had gathered throughout their lives and taught their methods of fighting to young men who also wished to resist the Manchu rulers. The warriors also began to take up the teachings of the peaceful monks and their manner of dress. These monks traveled from one temple to another, across the wide reaches of China. Soon the warrior monks began to travel with the peaceful monks, in part to serve as protection for them and as a cover to go to other temples and cities to spread their knowledge, so that the hated Manchu might be forced to leave China. The fighting of Sau Lin became known as the "Respectful Fist Method" (Xin Gen Chuan Fa) due to its relationship with the teachings of these monks.    Often, as the groups of monks traveled, bandits or Manchu warriors would attack them. When some of these monks began to fight with great ability, rumors began to spread that all of these monks were fierce warriors. At first, the source to these warrior monks was unknown, but as they grew in number and spread their doctrine of resistance across the land the Manchu rulers sent their forces to seek out and destroy the temples. Consequently many temples were attacked and destroyed. Other temples were built in southern China and named for the original. So it was, that by the year 1724, temples which taught fighting arts had been built and given names such as Sau Lin Szu or Su Lum Szu.    This style which is known by several names, was first called Sau Lin Szu Pao "Ming" Chuan. A primary element of this style's development is based on the five arts of the original warlords, which later became classified by the names of the five animals of Chinese temple boxing from which all other forms of boxing are thought to be derived.Chen Lineage     With certainty, the lineage of this art can be traced to one of it's headmasters as far back as 1679 in the Chen village to a man named Yon Ho Chen. When he passed away in 1751 the leadership of the art of Pao Chuan (Cannon Fist), now known as Sau Lin Szu Xin Gen Chuan Fa (Young Forest Temple, Respectful Fist Method), passed on to his son, Lee Ho Chen. Lee Ho Chen died in 1814 passing the art to one of his students, a master named Lee Chi Wang.Wang Lineage Lee Chi Wang is accredited with moving the art from China to Korea when he settled in Ingea City, central Korea. Here he blended the external "Cannon Fist" (translated as "Iron Fist" in Korea) art with the native Korean art of Taekkyeon, (jump/kick and fist methods). In Korea the art was known as So Rim Sa Churl Kwon Bup (Young Forest Temple, Iron Fist Method).     Lee Chi Wang died in 1881. It is known that the son, Kim Chi Wang, was trained in the Korean national Taekkyeon arts as well as So Rim Sa Tang Soo Do/Kong Soo Do and Jujutsu/Judo forms brought to Korea during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945). When he was considered of age, senior students of his father passed on the remaining succession of the "Iron Fist" art to him.    Master Wang setteled in the area known as Yong Dong Po near the present capital city of South Korea, Seoul and later in life trained in the newly formed Chang Moo Kwon arts as well.    The inherited Chinese fist forms were blended with the other martial arts practiced by Master Whang into a somewhat strong system of self-defense.    This syle moved to Japan, Mishima-shi, Shizuoka-ken, in 1956, when Wang sensei (Kim Chi Wang used his Japanized name, Kin Ki-Oh in Japan) sought medical treatment, which was not available in the battle torn Korean nation. In the Japanese language the system was called Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo, and related arts. (The kanji for Iron Fist is Tetsu-ken, but in the Japanese language Tetsu-ken is read as Tekken.)

                                         

 Modern History   

   Albert C. Church, Jr., sensei began training in Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo (at this time called So Rim Sa Churl Kwon Bup (Do)**) in Korea while stationed there for the Korean conflict in 1950. At this time the system was a small self-defense discipline similar to Hapkido of today. Church sensei earned the equivalent to a Sandan in So Rim Sa Churl Kwon Bup before returning to the U.S. in 1952.

** Note: The art of So Rim Sa Churl Kwon Bup has also been known as So Rim Sa Churl Kwon Do. Some of the reason for this change was attributed to the Japanese occupation of Korea in 1910, effectively stopping the teaching of all Kwon Bup styles in Korea. 

    Church sensei re-opened his Jujutsu dojo and included So Rim Sa Churl Kwon Bup there-in. Between the years of 1952-1956, Church sensei steadfastly taught the arts of Jujutsu and Churl Kwon Bup in America.    In 1956 Ki-Oh sensei advised Church sensei of his relocation from Korea to Japan due to medical treatment available to him. From 1956 to 1967 Church sensei continued to instruct Ki-Oh sensei's art (now called Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo in Japan), making several trips to Japan for training with him.  In 1967, Church sensei named his senior-most student, Harold Martin as Hombu Dojo-Cho (home school chief instructor) and left the daily running of his school to him. Church sensei then traveled back to Japan at the request of his instructor to once again train. Then in a surprise move, Ki-Oh sensei, due to personal illness and inability to continue teaching his discipline, officially appointed Church sensei as his lineage succesor "Soke Dai" (Inheritor Elect).  

  During this time period (1967-1969), Church sensei also trained with Ryuho Okuyama, Soke, Hakko Ryu Jujutsu, Teruo Hayashi, Kaicho, Seishinkai and Shogo Kuniba, Soke in his inherited art of Motobu Ha Shito Ryu Karate-do and earned the rank of Godan and the Shihan title.

    Kuniba sensei was allowed by Church sensei to review his densho (scroll of succession) and decided to personally sponsor Church sensei and his formally awarded discipline of Shorinji Tetsu Kempo-jutsu before the Zen Nippon Karate-Do Renmei in order to insure world-wide recognition. In 1968, as per the Seishinkai Shihan Committee, Kuniba sensei prepared a scrollrecognizing... "Nippon Kobudo Kamishin Ryu, Soke, Albert C. Church..." and a license as the founder-President (Kaicho) of the martial ways organization named Nippon Kobudo Rengokai. The term Kamishin Ryu was derived from the scroll of succession and added to receive acceptance as a "Japanized" martial system, and presumably to not be confused with the more popular Shorinji Kempo arts. Ko-budo in this text means "ancient martial ways". All techniques utilized in it's three ryugi (sub-styles) were continued on from the Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo with the only exceptions being certain Kata forms introduced into the ryugi of Kempo, influenced by Ryukyu Karate-do; specific techniques of Daito/Hakko Ryu Aiki-jujutsu introduced into the ryugi of Jujutsu and certain sword techniques of Kuniba Ha Mugai Ryu Iaido into the ryugi of Buki-jutsu (weapons) as Mugai Ho Kamishin Ryu Iaijutsu.    In May 1969, Church sensei returned to the United States where he promptly set forth to develop the organizational structure of the Nippon Kobudo Rengokai.    In 1969, Church sensei named Harold Martin sensei as his Ichi Bon Deshi (#1 Student) and "Soke Dai" (Next Generation Head-Family) of Shorinji Tetsu-Ken Kamishin Ryu. This was done since Church sensei had no son to leave his inherited art to.    In 1971, due to his relationship and later marriage to Church sensei's daughter, Robert Kelly was given a document of lineage inheritance of Shorinji Tetsu-Ken Ryu / Nippon Kamishin Ryu. In 1976, due to personal / famlial reasons, Albert Church dismissed Robert Kelly from the Kai. 

   In 1975, Ron Cherry was named by Church sensei as his system Chief Examiner. Shihan Cherry continued in this capacity until Church sensei's death in 1980.

   In 1977, Church sensei named Harold Martin as next generation head-master over the  Nippon Kobudo Rengokai and the art of Shorinji Tetsu-Ken / Nippon Kamishin Ryu (This fact is not only documented but witnessed by the senior instructors who were still active at that time). At this time Church sensei created his Kamishinkai International and taught his personal art of Shorinji Tetsu-Ken Do Kanda Ha Kamishin Ryu (Some people still debate over Kai structure documents provided but they all ignore the testimonies of the senior instructors present during the reconstruction of the Kai).   In 1980, Church sensei died and the art of Kamishin Ryu went into a further time of disarray. At this time, Catherine Church, Church sensei's 2nd wife, assumed responsibilities over Church sensei's Kamishinkai International organization. Harold Martin removed his Nippon Kobudo Rengokai organization as to no longer associate his NKR with the KSKI. In 2002, Catherine Church passed the Kamishinkai International and the art of Kanda Ha Kamishin Ryu to Don Phillip.    In 1995, Robert Kelly sponsored Ted Petit to carry on his teachings of Kamishin Ryu now known as the Shindenkan. Today there are many arts taught that claim lineage to Kamishin Ryu.   In 2006, Harold Martin named Darrell Collins as inheritor by lineage succession of his Nippon Kobudo Rengokai organization which includes the Shorinji Tetsu-Kempo / Nippon Kamishin Ryu.    As you can see, the art of Kamishin Ryu has a past filled with changes and divisions as do most arts when it's head-master dies prematurely. Unfortunately, these divisions and factions continue to this day.Nippon Kobudo Rengokai    The Nippon Kobudo Rengokai or "NKR" was officially founded by Church Sensei in Japan, in 1968 to act as a "covering" organization of his inherited art. The NKR has several active instructor level seniors, who were trained by Church sensei, helping Collins sensei as a Kai Instructor board. This board helps Collins sensei by giving input to ensure the system is being carried on in the manner in which Church sensei was instructing. The Senior Technical Advisors are Harold Martin, Dai-Soke, Shorinji Tetsu-Ken Kamishin Ryu-NKR, Ron Cherry, Kaiso, Shorinji Toraken Ryu-AKKA and Toni Annesi, Kaiso, Takeshin Ryu-Bushido Kai. The senior student/instructors include black belts such as Charles Stanley, Kyoshi-Shichidan, George Newkirk, Kyoshi-Shichidan, Tom Laquiere, Renshi-Rokudan and Jim Murphy, Shihan-Godan.