Three Life Lessons from a Black Belt

One of the advantages of holding a Shorinji Kempo black belt is that you get to dress like a god damn Jedi master. Photo by my wife.

I’ve been practicing a martial art known as Shorinji Kempo since 2012. Shorinji Kempo puts an unusually heavy emphasis on philosophy, even for a Japanese martial art. At every grading, you have to turn in an essay on a given topic, as part of the exam. This goes even for children, from the age of ten.

I have learned a great many things while practicing Shorinji Kempo, only some of which have to do with the actual fighting. I’m lucky enough to have Anders Pettersson-sensei as my instructor. He’s a 30+ year veteran of Shorinji Kempo, and at Daikenshi 6 Dan (sixth degree black belt!), he holds the highest Shorinji Kempo rank in the country.

The philosophy we are taught in Shorinji Kempo is applicable in every day life. I have used it myself, and so have my children (some of them also practice with me). In this article, I will give some examples.

We start each practice with samu, which literally means “work” or “chores”. In most cases, this means we clean the floors of the dojo — the practice hall. This is not only for practical reasons — it also serves as a “mental trigger,” which reminds us of the value of caring for our surroundings and prepares us for practice.

Lesson one: Rely on yourself