Kosho Ryu Kempo History

Temple History

Kosho Ryu's beginings start at a temple that was built in 799 A.D. in Kyushu Japan. In the province of Yatsushiru in the town of Izumi. Legend hs it that the temple was constructed by a priest named Chosan Daiji. Chosen Daiji received a vision and was so inspired that he traveled to see the Emperor Kimu, to report his vision. When he arrived, he found the Emperor to be very ill. It is said that Daiji healed the Emperor, and with gratitude the Emperor directed Chosan to construct a temple where he had seen his vision. the temple was named Kin Kai Zan Dion kyoji, more commonly referred to as Shaka-In.

Around the year 1235 a priest whom James Mitose called his first ancestor became enlightened to what we call Kempo. According to Mitose, this man was a martial arts master and a Buddhist priest studying at Shaka-In who found it difficult to be both. His religion taught him pacifism; his martial art taught him destruction. he needed something in between. He decided to meditate on this apparent contradiction under a big old pine tree on the temple grounds. Afew years earlier, a fire in the Buddha house had forced the spirit of the Buddha out of the building and into the nearby pine tree. Many monks would go there to meditate so they could be close to their god. After meditating there for a long time he finally, "with the help of god", came up with something amazing.

The monk came to an understanding of natural law which gave him a perfect method of defense and escape. He belived that true self-defense involved no body contact. His methods postured him towards opponents in such a way as to make subsequent attacks continue to put the attacker further and further at a disadvantage. Using his illuminated strategies, the monk could make the attacker undo his own attack, and this could be done in a way that allowed both to remain uninjured. The octagon would be used as a symbol for a method of movement in which jumping to particular angles based on timing and combative distancing allowed stratigies to be employed which confused and off balanced the opponent. reforming his opponents to become contributing members of society was his main goal. He and succedding generations of his family members developed the art of Kosho Ryu as we know it today with all of this in mind. The monk chose this name for his art to reflect its spirit and its origins. Kosho Shorei Ryu means The Study of the Old Pine Tree of Encouragement.