Shorinji Kempo was founded by So Doshin in 1947. He developed a system based on the techniques and the philosophy that he learned in China. So Doshin wanted to recreate the idea Boddhidharma had when he taught martial arts and zen philosophy at the Shaolin Temple.

Shorinji Kempo is not only a martial art or self defence. The basis of Shorinji Kempo is not to raise tough fighters, but to develop people who can act, help others and create a better society. Shorinji Kempo has three basic goals for its practitioners:

These are goshin rentan [護身練胆] (ability in self-defence), seishin shūyō [精神修養] (mental development) and kenkō sōshin [健康増進] (improved health). On often refer to Shorinji Kempo as a gyō [行] (discipline) that develops individuals.

The practice also have two basic concepts of how the practice is done, these are jiko kakuritsu [自己確立], which means “to build up one’s own self” and jita kyōraku [自他共楽] “mutual happiness for oneself and others.” One should never use Shorinji Kempo to create conflicts or to show off strength for one’s own gain. Even if one is forced to use one’s knowledge that should be the last resort. Shorinji Kempo should help instead of being upset. This philosophy, known as Kongo Zen and is based on Buddhism, is a very central part of Shorinji Kempo.