Mind, Body & Self Defence - Healthy Mind

Exercising the mind is a little more difficult than the body. By 'healthy mind', what we really mean is a good balance mentally. You can tell right from wrong; you aren't panicked every time you walk past someone on yourway back from the bus stop, nor do you feel like running up Tottenham High Road only in your lucky Arsenal pants; you aren't scared to ask your boss for a raise, but you don't get him in a half-nelson when you do so; you may intervene in a 'situation', but only if you can do something positive about it.

A healthy mind without the strength to back it up is pretty useless. You can have all the good ideas in the world, but without the strength to do something with them they are useless. Likewise if you are the toughest person on the street but you never think to help others then you're on the way to becoming a bully. Developing your physical and mental strength and improving as an individual is what Shorinji Kempo is about - riki ai funi (love and strength are as one) as we learn in the dojo. The essence of Shorinji Kempo is described as 'learning how and why to live half for yourself and half for others' and this is highly important to us: taking care of ourselves, and also those around us.