Tendo Ryu - Chudan Set

[kendokata]

Howdy Folks,

Sorry to bother, but since my return home, I have been unable to sort through and find all my notes. I was collecting all of my Tendo stuff, when I noticed I was missing a few pages. Luckily, I pretty much remembered everything, but I am drawing a complete blank on one specific kata.

Does anyone have any notes, or could they post a general breakdown of Tanto Dome (Kata # 3 of the Chudan Set) ? Everything else I have or remebered and recreated my notes, but I can't for the life of me remember this one kata.

Also, I'm pretty sure it's just a misprint, but one of the sources I have has the Chudan set listed at 7 techniques. Just to double check, there is a right and left koguruma no midare (and a onaji to hidari), bringing the total to 8 techniques.

Lastly, I found 4 sources of Instruction Manuels for Tendo Ryu, while I was in Japan. All very short, all text, no pics, no descriptions of the techniques [in one the names are given and that's as much as there is], oh and they were all in Japanese. Anybody know of any manuels that actually have the techniques (I'll take english or Japanese, hell I'll take any language if it is descriptions of the techniques [or pics]).

Thanks again
Michael Castellani

[kendokata]

Hey All,

Such great replies, this internet is truely a source of information for scholors. All kidding aside, I think I remembered it and am looking for verification.

Tanto Dome
Yoi - Move through Chudan and assume Waki Kamae (blade
edge up)
Hajime
- 2 steps back, crossing over (front/left foot, then right)
- 2 steps forward - different from usual. Steps are front/left
steps out, then right/back, finishing with feet crossed
over.
Ichi
- step through with the left foot and move hands up into
Jodan, effectively blocking sword sides men strike.
Ni
- Cut down along the centerline, holding the opp. sword
while shifting the feet (same as Shodan set # 3-4)
San
- step through and tsuki to the opp. solar plexus. Kiai.
(ending position is on the left side - like left chudan only
hands shifted for the tsuki)
Shi
- step forward with the left and assume Udemaki no Kami
Motoi
- 4 steps back to the starting line (starting with the right)

All in all like Shodan # 3, just footwork change, or is the action after the block different (ie. up until Ni is correct) or have I confused Tanto Dome with Kazaguruma Koishigaeshi No Midare.

A little help Please
Michael Castellani

[Marcia Toyohara]

Tanto dome is with your tanto (knife), starting on the migi side/waki.....go sune, hasso sune, hasso men...throw the naginata....etc.....ring a bell?

m.

[hamish]

As far as I know there are no 'by the numbers' books on Tendo-ryu. There's stuff out there that will help to jog your memory, but there's no substitute for learning the old fashioned way!

BTW there's only one koguruma no midare, and the move you described above 'holding the opp. sword' is incorrect, you are cutting, that's all.

Hamish

[kendokata]

Thanks folks,

Ringing a bell now. It's always the one taught out of order (given the difficulty) so I always get it confused.

What I meant by holding the sword is that the cut is directly down along the centerline, thus it stops the opponent from shifting/moving the sword and essentially holds it along the centre for protection against your cut. But it is just a cut along the centerline, down.

Thanks again folks
Michael Castellani

[Marcia Toyohara]

Yes, I agree with you Hamish. Tendo-ryu seems so 'sacred' & traditional to me that I even cringe 'talking' about it on an internet forum such as this! Yes, no substitute for practice, practice & more practice. Also, isn't remembering part of our training?

So I suggest if you can't remember, you just practice the forms of those that you do, over & over again. Then you will be ready for the next set.

When I started Tendo-ryu practice with Tanaka Sensei here in the Bay Area of Nor. California (she is the only one here in the states, I believe, who has been given official permission from Mitamura Sensei to teach), I only learned Ichimonji-no-midare for over one month first! Then each one following for at least a month's practice before learning the next one, etc.

I like to think that this is how the teaching has been done for these hundreds of years.

Marcia

[Bruce Mitchell]

Hi Micheal,
The kata you are describing (I think) and that Marcia is talking about, are from the set Shodan no Ura. Chudan tanto dome is entirely different from what you have described. It is a very difficult technique and usually taught much further along. I'm not qualified to explain the technique. Best of luck in your practice.