TENSHO KATA

“Flowing Hands” Kata

Command - “Kitski” (Attention)

Hands at sides along seam of pants, fingers together

Heels together, feet at 45 degree angle, knees slightly bend, shoulders relaxed (“Musubi dachi”)

Command - “Mukso” (Meditate)

Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth

Visualize the Kata

Command - “Mukso Yame” (Stop Meditation)

Open your eyes

Command - “Yoi” (Ready)

Hands slide up your side to high chamber, palms facing upward, inhale deeply through nose

Feet remain heels together, toes facing out at 45 degrees

X block in front of body, fingers straight, palms facing outward

simultaneously, heels out, toes in

Hands strong back to high chamber fisted, palms facing up

feet remain heels out, toes in

Fists punch downward (dynamic tension), 1st two knuckles towards floor, palms facing each other shoulder width apart, exhale strongly throughout motion

Toes straighten so that you now should be standing with feet shoulder width apart

Command - “Hajime” (Begin)

Step into a right side forward hourglass (“sanchin”) stance

Simultaneously, fisted X block in front of body finishing as double middle block

Draw left fist back to chamber slowly as you inhale

Open right fisted hand, execute fan hook, press palm heel out (fingers up) in strike to solar plexus with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Turn hand sideways (fingers pointed left, palm heel right), execute circle block (“mawashi uki”), press palm heel out (fingers down) in downward, groin strike with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Put first three fingers together in chicken wrist position, raise hand to chin height, press shuto strike out to mid sternum with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Put first three fingers together in chicken wrist position, moving hand to the outside (towards the right) open hand and execute palm heel strike across body (towards the left) with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Step into a left side forward sanchin stance

Simultaneously, fisted X block in front of body finishing as double middle block

Draw right fist back to chamber slowly as you inhale

Open left fisted hand, execute fan hook, press palm heel out (fingers up) in strike to solar plexus with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Turn hand sideways (fingers pointed right, palm heel left), execute circle block (“mawashi uki”), press palm heel out (fingers down) in downward, groin strike with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Put first three fingers together in chicken wrist position, raise hand to chin height, press shuto strike out to mid sternum with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Put first three fingers together in chicken wrist position, moving hand to the outside (towards the left) open hand and execute palm heel strike across body (towards the right) with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Step into a right side forward sanchin stance

Simultaneously, fisted X block in front of body finishing as double middle block

Open both hands, execute double fan hook, press palm heels out (fingers up) in double strikes to solar plexus with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Turn hands sideways (fingers pointed inward towards each other, palm heels out), execute double circle block (“mawashi uki”), press palm heels out (fingers down) in downward, groin strikes with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Put first three fingers together in chicken wrist position, raise hands to chin height, press shuto strikes out to mid sternum with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Put first three fingers together in chicken wrist position, moving hands to the outside, open hands and execute palm heel strikes across body (towards the center) with dynamic tension as you strongly exhale

Remaining in a right side forward sanchin stance (do not step again)

Bring hands open in front of your face as you inhale

Slowly bring hands down in front of your body as you exhale

As you hands pass mid chest they fan out to the sides and finish, pointing outwards, in a low bock at groin height

Palm heels cross at mid body, hands open, then separate out to the width of your body, hands open, fingers straight

Hands slide down along sides of body until they reach hips, then drive forward and down quickly (groin strike) as you exhale hard

Again, palm heels cross at mid body, hands open, then separate out to the width of your body, hands open, fingers straight

Hands slide down along sides of body until they reach hips, then drive forward and down quickly (groin strike) as you exhale hard

Step back into left side forward sanchin stance

A third time, palm heels cross at mid body, hands open, then separate out to the width of your body, hands open, fingers straight

Hands slide down along sides of body until they reach hips, then drive forward and down quickly (groin strike) as you exhale hard

Right hand comes up, left hand comes across in anticipation of circle block, inhale

Step back into right side forward sanchin stance as you exhale and execute circle block

Left hand comes up, right hand comes across in anticipation of circle block, inhale

Step forward into left side forward sanchin stance as you exhale and execute circle block

Command - “Kata Yame”

Left leg steps back to meet right in musubi dachi position

Left hand opens in front of you, palm upward

Right hand fisted goes to your right ear

Eyes remain fixed towards center

Back of right hand strikes to center of palm of opened left hand; right hand opens

Turn both hands towards body and down toward floor

Hands separate and slap sides of body

Arms cross at wrists, hands open in front of body, palms outward, fingers together

As hands spread apart, fists close (same fisted, knuckles-down position as at beginning (“Yoi”))

Simultaneously, left leg steps out , shoulder distance apart

Feet come back to musubi dachi position, hands come back to the sides, bow