Talk:Tensho (kata)

the kanji 'ten' means 'to shift, change, transfer' or 'rotate' and has the idea with sho of; 'control, by changing, shifting, rotating hand forms'.. sho in context meaning 'palm'..

thus while the wrists and forearms do turn, more accurate to translate as 'rotating palms', which includes the idea of rotation or rotating [as in a 'rotating shift'], ie, from one thing to another, which is what the forearms, wrists and palms do in the kata..

while there is always focus at the end of a technique, in tensho kata the movements are more continuous, flowing, without tension, as they change emphasis from one technique to the next.. eg an attacking arm is intercepted with turning forearm/wrist, directed downward and to the side by the back of the wrist/hand then released [taken into a position of safety for you and overextention for the attacker] as the rotating forearm/wrist 'rebounds' to fingers up position and continues outward, pushing or striking him with the heel of the palm [which then similarly continues its rotation from that attack to the next in a flowing motion]..

tensho is a high level breathing kata, the breath flowing continuously without tension in coordination with the hand/wrist/arm/ shoulder etc.. whereas sanchin kata tenses the entire torso thus forcing the diaphragm to do the breathing, conditioning and strengthening the diaphragm ['internal weightlifting'], tensho kata allows movement of torso sectors and muscle groups which contribute to the breathing task [intercostals and so on], actually stimulating the different areas by movement of the arm[s] as different techniques are performed..

people might mistake tensho [performed outdoors without wearing karate gi] for tai chi, due to its slower flowing movements and lack or obvious karate-like powerful movements..

tenso was as your article says, created from the chinese southern white crane rokkishu [6 hands] it uses some of the 'movement with softness' characteristic of white crane 'kung ju' ['kung fu' is inaccurate]..

tensho being a breathing kata has no unusual stepping, no turning, no kicking, just forward and back, with flowing arm/wrist movements and coordinated breathing..

serious martial arts researchers can advise as to various masters and so on, this will do for a basic idea of the name 'tensho'..

carl vagg123.2.130.62 (talk) 06:41, 11 March 2008 (UTC)