2025.04.07

Innovative Leader ~ Superman, Harumitsu Hida's Philosophy of Physical Education Hida Style Kenjutsu

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More than just the founder of health methods, his life and achievements are deeply resonated with in modern society, and he continues to have a great influence. 1

It was born on December 25, 883 (Meiji 16) in Onuma, Katsura Village, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi Prefecture (present-day Nishikatsura Town, Yamanashi Prefecture), during the transitional period of the great change from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era.

He was born as the fifth son of his father, Ryūgen Kawai, who was a physician, but he was sickly from an early age and faced various health difficulties throughout his growing years.

In order to overcome his own frail constitution, he awakens to physical and mental discipline and sets out on the path of establishing his own health regimen. In the process, he advocated an integrative view of health that went beyond mere physical fitness and encompassed spiritual and philosophical depth.

Article Contents

Harumichi Hida
- Frailty in childhood and the challenge of physical and mental modification

Harumichi Hida

Frailty in childhood and the challenge of physical and mental modification

Harumitsu Hida's childhood was a struggle with a frail constitution. He had many serious health conditions that threatened him with death due to repeated illnesses. However, it was this hardship that drove him to physical and mental discipline.

He has a strong sense of crisis that he will not be able to live his life to the fullest, and he is determined to regain his health by taking matters into his own hands. 1

Around the age of 8 in 1900 (Meiji 33), he began to take on the challenge of physical and mental modification in order to fundamentally change his life.

During this time, Hida meticulously studied various health and exercise methods from around the world. He absorbed knowledge from a wide range of disciplines, including Western physical education, Eastern traditional health methods, and martial arts, and instead of simply imitating them, he combined them to suit him, sometimes making bold improvements.

The culmination of this research and practice was the system that was later known as the "Kawai Style Kenjutsu."

Subsequently, as his achievements became more widely recognized, the system was renamed the "Hida Shiki Kenjutsu" and gained greater visibility and influence.

The basis of the Hida style of Kenjutsu is "Tanda training". "Tanden" is a key point of energy that is thought to be located in the center of the belly, and is a very important concept in oriental medicine and martial arts.

Hida believed that by training this Tanden, it would be possible to support health from deep inside the body, not just superficial muscle strength. This point of view set him apart from the Western methods of physical education that were common at the time, and emphasized his originality.

The double challenge of health law and academic pursuit

Harumitsu Hida was not just a person who pursued health alone. He also had a very strong interest in scholarship and was full of intellectual curiosity.

At the same time, he was enrolled in one of Japan's leading universities, such as Chuo University's Faculty of Law, Meiji University's Department of Political Science and Commerce, and Waseda University's Department of Literature, which were top-class educational institutions at the time, and showed an extraordinary desire to study multiple fields at the same time.

He greedily absorbed a wide range of knowledge in law, politics, economics, literature, etc., and deepened his own thoughts.

In addition, Hida was passionate not only about academics, but also about martial arts. He also established a judo club at the university and worked to popularize martial arts that train the body and mind as one.

For him, physical fitness was an important way to not only improve his health, but also to refine his mind and achieve total growth as a person.

From this point of view, it can be seen that his ideas were not limited to mere physical education, but had a comprehensive perspective that led to human education.

Popularization of Kyokenjutsu and the dissemination of his ideas

In 1911 (Meiji 44), Harumitsu Hida published his first work, "Experiment Simple Strength Technique". The book attracted a general readership interested in health and quickly became a bestseller. At that time, in a society where interest in health was increasing, Hida's book became an opportunity to raise awareness of self-health management among many people.

The success of this book triggered a "Kenjutsu boom" throughout Japan, and made the name of Harumitsu Hida widely known.

Later, Hida also tried his hand at military life. He joined the 4th Regiment of the Imperial Guards Infantry and tried to apply the art of strength to the field of military training.

He became convinced that Kenjutsu was effective in building a body that could withstand the rigors of military training, and he further strengthened its practical aspects.

His experience in the military led him to add a more practical and effective element to his health regimen.

In 1917 (Taisho 6), he moved to Yawatano, Tsushima Village, Tagata District, Shizuoka Prefecture (present-day Ito City), where he used it as a new research base and immersed himself in the practice of Kenjutsu.

His health regimen went beyond just physical fitness techniques to a more integrated approach that included spiritual and philosophical depth.

He came to believe that the body and mind are inseparable, and that harmonizing the two leads to true health.

Integration with Psychology and Philosophy and Establishment of Spirituality

In his deeper pursuit of his own health regimen, Harumitsu Hida also ventured into the realm of psychology and philosophy. He studied Eastern philosophy, religion, and psychology and tried to integrate them with his own health regimen.

As a result, in 1923 (Taisho 12), he further deepened his technique and philosophy, and arrived at the philosophy of "waist-belly equal-volume, right-centered."

"Waist and belly equal" is the idea of maintaining harmony throughout the body by balancing the waist and belly. On the other hand, the "positive center" is to be aware of the spiritual center, that is, the center of the existence of "oneself."

Hida explained that by combining the two, we can fully integrate the balance between the mind and the body, and place our consciousness at the center of ourselves. This concept was very original in the physical education and health methods of the time, which speaks of his philosophical depth.

Hida also fused his own disciplines and theories with naturopathy. He emphasized maximizing the natural healing power of human beings, and aimed to maintain health on his own rather than relying on drugs and medical treatments.

This way of thinking is the antithesis of the Western medical system of the time, and shows his advanced way of thinking.

Through this fusion with natural remedies, his health method developed in its own way and later became the perfection of "Tenshin Therapy".

Harumitsu Hida's main work, "Seishindo: Hida Style Strength Therapy"

His book won the hearts of many people as a book that dramatically raised health awareness. The book generously contains practical techniques for applying central forces and philosophical guidelines based on cosmic ethics. His ideas went beyond mere health methods and comprehensively presented how to live as a human being and how to relate to the universe, and deeply moved and influenced many readers.

Postwar Peace Activities and Philosophical Pursuits in His Later Years

During World War II, Harumitsu Hida was concerned about the future of his country, and out of a sense of melancholy, he threw himself into a risky action by recommending an end to the war to Hideki Tojo, who was the prime minister at the time. In the midst of this event, he even decided to take his own life at one point, but he was dissuaded, and from then on he deepened his contemplation of peace. After the war, he further deepened his ideas and devoted himself to activities aimed at harmony and peace for all of humanity.

In his later years, he immersed himself in the philosophy of religion and pursued ideas aimed at the harmony of all mankind. In 1955 (Showa 30), he established the "Seishinsha" and energetically developed activities related to the peace movement. He believed that not only physical health, but also mental health and social peace were indispensable for human beings, and he devoted his life to realizing this. The following year, however, on August 24, 1956, he ended his eventful life of 72 years due to deteriorating health after 49 days of fasting.

The legacy of Harumitsu Hida and his influence on modern times

Harumitsu Hida was not only the founder of the health method, but his ideas continue to have a great influence even today. His integrated approach to unifying the mind and body has become the basis of modern alternative medicine and personal development training, and is supported by many people.

In 1985, the "Hida Style Kenjutsu Study Group" was established, and the movement to inherit his ideas and techniques continues to spread both in Japan and abroad. This is proof that the health method he advocated has a timeless and universal value.

Especially in modern society, the posture improvement, Tanda training method, and breathing technique advocated by Harumitsu Hida are deeply sympathetic to people living in a stressful society. In modern society, there are many factors that harm health, such as stress, lack of exercise, and irregular lifestyle.

In such a situation, the health method advocated by Hida continues to be used as a valuable tool not only to improve physical disorders but also to promote inner stability and self-growth. His unique philosophy is not just about exercising your body, but also about providing concrete guidelines for mental stability, spiritual improvement, and building a better life.

Hida Kenjutsu is not just a methodology for physical training, but a comprehensive health model with philosophical insights and spiritual improvement. Many people have turned to this method to achieve a truly prosperous and healthy life. The achievements left by Harumitsu Hida have become a major guideline that goes beyond exercise therapy and health views and is close to the way of life of modern people.

The fact that his legacy has been so long is a testament to the "timeless value" of his quest. The life of Harumitsu Hida teaches us that health is not just a physical condition, but a matter of mind, philosophy, and the whole way of life.

His ideas are becoming more and more important in modern society and will continue to influence many people in the future.

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