Tenchiken Dai Nikei

Quick Facts

About the kata

Tenchiken Dai Nikei, shortened to Tenchiken Dai Ni, is the second of six independent forms in Shorinji Kempo's Tenchi Ken series. The World Shorinji Kempo Organization (WSKO) curriculum places it at 4th kyu, and in that grade's exam it is performed together with the first form on both sides. Unlike Dai-ikkei, it starts not from hidari chudan gamae but from hidari ichiji gamae. The first movement is jodan yoko furi zuki instead of jodan choku zuki. The third movement, in heima dachi, uses the block uchi age uke instead of soto uke, followed in one movement by yoko kagi zuki. The fourth movement is new: a foot change sashikae ashi and jodan choku zuki led directly from uchi age uke. Before the kick keri age comes the double block nio uke — left hand soto uke, right hand uchi uke and uchi otoshi uke — with the kick delivered from nio gamae. The number of movements differs by how they are counted. The WSKO numbers the commands from ichi to ku, but the ninth is only the return to kesshu dachi. East London Shorinji Kempo and the dojo from Osaka both count eight movements.

The kata in different styles

Rhythm and dynamics

The WSKO curriculum numbers three pairs of movements together in this form – 1 and 2, 4 and 5, 6 and 7 – and states that the second technique of each pair follows as a continuing movement. In the first form, Dai-ikkei, each of the eight movements has its own number. The Nippon Budokan handbook notes on this in general that in the independent forms which practitioners learn first, one command corresponds to one movement, while higher forms add linked movements.

Bunkai – applications

According to East London Shorinji Kempo, Tenchiken Dai Nikei is one of four independent forms that have an official paired version (sotai); from the Tenchi Ken series, Dai-ikkei has one too. The WSKO curriculum places the paired version at 2nd kyu. In the exam for that grade it is the fifth item of the compulsory paired embu; in the exams for 2nd kyu, 1st kyu and 1st dan, the WSKO also lists it in the scored part of paired forms.