Tenkan
転換
A turn of the body on the spot by which the defender blends with the direction of the attack and leads it onward. Together with irimi it forms the basis of movement in aikido.
Quick Facts
Term typePhysical and biomechanical principle
LanguageJapanese
Formnoun
Pronunciation[ten-kahn]
Alternative Namesturning
Readings and romanizations
Reading (kana)てんかん
Hepburn romanizationtenkan
Word breakdown
転tenturn
換kanexchange, change
Definition
Tenkan (転換) means a turn, a change of direction. In aikido it is a body turn of about one hundred and eighty degrees around the front foot. The defender does not stand in the way of the attack but turns with it and leads it along a circle until the attacker loses balance. The basic exercise is tai no henko, also called tai no tenkan: the partner grasps the wrist and the practitioner turns to stand at his side facing the same way. Tenkan is combined with irimi and other tai sabaki movements.