Tensho - "Turning Palms"Follow all link as as they are directed you several video offerings... many free from YouTube, some more involved here on Kyusho.com
One of the more well known kata in Goju-Ryu, Tensho is derived from the Chinese form of "Rokkishu". Unlike Sanchin, which is almost identical to its Chinese counterpart, Tensho is unique to Okinawan Karate.
Rokkishu translates as 6 hands and are the exacting hands found in the ancient "Bubishi". Many versions now taught have modified these hands slightly, which is good for training drills and traditional muted Bunkai. However with slight modification to the hand postures themselves we can easily see that the more Martial and potent hands can easily be restored.
Now if the practitioner develops their "Kakie" which is similar to Chinese Push Hands or Wing Chun Chi Sao, their in close fighting, sensitivity to oppositional force and control increase many fold. It also serves as a form of arm conditioning, balance and core body strength.
Tensho was designed to begin where Sanchin ended... or as the Yin for the Yang (although some forms of Sanchin contain all concepts and hands). This form was designed with more soft approach as opposed to traditional hard Sanchin practice. In Goju the breathing patterns are also different and more natural as opposed to designed or controlled. Tensho therefore was trained as the internal method as Sanchin was the external component.
Both of these Kata (but especially Tensho), are termed "Heishu" (closed) term "heishu" translates as "closed" and is for more internal control and muscular contractions, one hard one softer. These practices develop restriction and direction of energies within body, both superficial and on deeper conscious and unconscious brain pattern and physiological function. The Goju Kata known as "Kaishu" (open), as they are involved less with constant controlled muscle contraction and breathing (which is more natural or normal).
There are two types of Kata, one set are mechanical and designed for technical applications, whereas some are designed more for internal body change (yet both are interchangeable, depending on the understanding and abilities of the individual practitioner.
Introducing "Chaining"
Chaining is a new video process we developed (sure to go viral), where one individual films a sequence, passes it on to another to film their similar idea r continuation, then passing it to as many thereafter as they wish. All linking (like the inter woven links of a Chain), with the others so you can follow the concept forwarded from the beginning and through the chain.
We initiate the Concept with a unique Martial Arts Kata called "Tensho"
Link 1 - Form, History and Performance by Steve Lynch (Canada Goju Karate Federation (CGKF) and Kyusho International)
Link 2 - Form and Training Drills by Joao Ramalho - Ericeira, Portugal (Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Do Kenkyukai and Kyusho International)
Link 3 - Kyusho Integration by Evan Pantazi - (Kyusho International)
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Well what a big controversy this film image (and one before) have brought up:
Anywhere from “you used my instructors picture” to “this is not even the application” or even “you are using my instructors picture to make money”… this indeed is an image from Sanchin Kata, however it is the same as in Tensho.
Well in Tensho near the end the palms turn up and then down (paraphrased), so let’s take a look at this hand posture in conjunction with Kyusho and see what we could use it for to force an opponent into submission.
Now many would see (well those that do not perform the Kata just for the physical strength movements or Zen type meditative qualities), as a finger tip strike to the abdominal region…. but boy is there ever more.
Starting with the fingertip strike, did you notice the hands are at different levels? Whether on purpose or not this could show simultaneous or even staggered strikes to the Liver and Spleen. Now for all intents and purposes if the strikes were at the same time, staggering them would be difficult from the reflexive withdrawal caused by a single strike (correctly done). So the Liver is lower hanging than the spleen and is on the left side of our abdominal region, these hand heights depict this. Also notice the curl of the right hand finger tips (this would be needed to reach deeper under the ribs to access the spleen. The left hand lower and straighter as the liver is protruding down lower than the ribs… both Dim Mak targets as they are both pools of blood flow in the body. Rupturing one or both would cause internal bleeding and in ancient times of less efficient medical care delayed death. Or just a major amount of pain and physical dysfunction or rapid drop in blood pressure.
Well now lets apply what is known as the “Iron Sword” hand of the Bubishi, but this time attacking the lower side just under the ribs, the goal to jam the floating rib into the kidneys with a simultaneous heel palm forward, inward and upward. Again this has the potential of bruising or possibly even puncturing the rib into the kidney, in either scenario there will be intense pain and dysfunction in organ, nerve and vascular (possible bone) structures.
Or how about if an opponent came in with a waist tackle or leg lifting action. You could catch them with the left pictured hand under the jaw to lift by pulling up under the facial nerve under the jaw as the other hand fingertip strikes the carotid sinus, palm heels the nerve and vascular tissue at he temple inward and back, or even to the eye (which would cause a rapid drop in blood pressure as well as did the carotid attack.
Then get past just this being a hand attack and use the forearms to thwart the waist tackle via the strike/s to the underlying nerves of the trapezius muscles…. an on and on (these are but a few forward attack ideas), but it can keep yielding more answers that are only limited by your mind, training and spirit.
Now all these “Turning Palm” actions could be just that or they could be teaching the torqued application to make Kyusho work.
As I also stand accused of doing this for money… this is a free article, with a free video (from me and other free videos from Steve Lynch and Joao Ramalho), hmmm missing something here I think, if accused I should at least be actually makinging some.
For the readers information and the record:
I am almost at 13 consecutive years of writing a monthly article about Kyusho in all arts, of which I never received a penny. I have made over 24 videos with them, still never received a penny from them for it. I have written 7 books that were published by them and did not receive a penny from them. I have written freely on internet forums daily since 1995, not just my own… nope not a penny. I have been writing a blog on my own website free to the world… nope not a penny but rather an expense… why all this? Well I am a passionate Martial Artist with a subject that has no limits and “Was” the base of most ancient styles. So I ask those that accuse first what have you contributed to the arts, how can you accuse without foundation and think your ethics superlative? Using a picture of a superb Martial Artist (not copyrighted and posted freely on many sites internationally all can not have made formal request for that usage of the historical image), if this is my crime that will blind people from what possibilities are there for them… ah well… there are others that appreciate and will gain.