4. Shorinji Kempo's launch as an Organization
In December 1948, two months after The Nihon Hoppa Shorinji Kempo Society's launch, it received legal certification as the religious organization, Ko-Manji Kyodan (Religious Society).
In looking for the teaching that was most rational, most deeply searching of the depths of humanity, and most capable of attaining both physical and spiritual serenity, Kaiso had encountered many religious approaches, and found that this best teaching was none other than the proper teachings of the historical Buddha. Dharuma, then, was the person who had transmitted the proper teachings of Buddha, and moreover, Kaiso understood him to be the person who had transmitted the "ekkingyo" (physical discipline) as a method of learning that teaching. The establishment of the Ko-Manji Kyodan (Religious Society) was essentially a means to realize Dharuma's teaching once again in the modern world.
Hombu Doin was established as the headquarters of the Ko-Manji in December 25, 1948. At that time, the first class of students, four people, were registered. These youths had become students of Kaiso in order "to get better at fighting," but Kaiso said that he had "made the society to cultivate youth." He also was saying to them, "People who do kempo or boxing, even when they're not carrying weapons it's as if they were carrying weapons, so don't fight."
Practice with Kaiso at the time consisted of him calling people into the dojo one at a time, saying something like, "try grabbing me here," and then having people grab him and then throwing them. Then, he would have his students do the same technique. Students basically spent all their time trying to see the moves and then trying to imitate them.
At the time, Shorinji Kempo was proclaimed as a secret matter, not to be let out to outsiders, and so it took the form of individual instruction. The people who would wait their turn to learn say they would stand in the wood floored reception room hearing only the thumps and cries of "itai!" (ouch) from the room, and having no way of knowing what kind of practice might be happening within, would feel their hearts dance in anticipation.
Before long, Kaiso's remarkably loud voice would call out, "Yoshi, tsugi!" (Alright, next!), and the next person would open the door to the dojo and go in. Then, again, you would hear Kaiso's voice, "Try grabbing me here." Instruction was done at a level to match each student's technical skill level.
Until 1949, about four or five more students joined. These were the second class. It seems that one big reason it was so hard to raise the number of students was that Kaiso was an outsider from Osaka. At that time, Tadotsu was a town that still retained a lot old style characteristics. Feudal in outlook, it had a spirit of not accepting outsiders. The first class of students brought their friends, but only a few of them joined as students.
However, Kaiso foresaw that eventually the number of students would increase.
One day, Kaiso brought in a large volume of Shorinji Kempo Society badges that he had designed and made himself. One kenshi who saw this said, "Sensei, what are you going to do with all these?" and Kaiso calmly replied, "The society will grow, and in time students will multiply." Then, after a while, he gave them engraved rings and a buckle belt.
After this, the society's organization gradually grew became more and more capable, and in the 9th class, there were 32 students, 35 in the 10th, 36 in the 11th, and 34 in the 12th. So the membership continued to grow dramatically.