The 2013 National Shorinji Kempo Championships kicked off yesterday at the Dambol Touk indoor hall of the National Sports Complex.

The four teams entering practitioners at the four-day tournament include National Shorinji Kempo Club, Shorinji Kempo Youth Club, Shorinji Kempo Mondial Club and The Place Shorinji Kempo Club.

A total of 56 males and 15 females will contest various standard and weight categories in the Japanese martial art, with individual combat events for both genders as well as kata forms (moves performance) events in men’s and women’s singles, pairs and mixed pairs.