Taimyo Kata

by Ito sensei

These notes are organised around the three parts of the kata. They are intended to help those with a basic knowledge of this impotant kata, who wish to deepen their practice in their own time. A basic knowledge of the kata is assumed.

Another resource available to those wishing to master Taimyo kata is the DVD production made by Minagawa sensei, which shows the entire kata in visual form. This is available from British Shintaido.

From Ito:
"We seem independent of the earth but we cannot live separately from it. We depend upon the plants, oxygen, water and other nutrients. Our body is really a hologram of the planet. Our body is itself a universe (as described in Greek philosophy) and this makes it impossible for us to objectify the universe. Through kata we can imagine feeling many galaxies and the great universe in which our planet exists. Taimyo kata is one way of maintaining healthy relationships in "Dai Uchu."

General Notes

Keep your eyes open most of the time. Keep toes spread and lifted for most of the kata.

When you widen or narrow your stance, always move your right foot. Once you know the kata well, you may find yourself adjusting the width of the stances depending on your body-mind condition that day. Specific breathing is noted for Part I tenshingoso, hoten kokyuho, and hokushin kokyuho. Elsewhere, pay attention to your breath and kokyu and develop your own rhythm in concert with the movement.

A warm-up is not required before taimyo kata when practising on your own or when leading others.

Notes on koshi positions and corresponding hand positions:

kaihotai (open koshi) - kaishoken (open hands)
jigotai (condensed koshi) - jikyoken (fist)
yokitai (closed koshi)-musoken (soft hands)
seiritsutai (straight koshi) - chuseiken (straight hand, fingers together)

Taimyo Part I Notes

Kanki

Swimming into universal ki energy

"Kan" means observing, getting together with, immersion in.
Imagine swimming into a sea of universal ki energy. You break into the waves, cutting and opening the ocean. Bon voyage!
Absorb the ki energy into your body.
The opening is like a smaller version of the Part III closing (Odachi zanshin).
At the top of Kanki "pop" open into kaishoken.

Reppaku

Strong, intense layers of energy.

"Rep (retsu)" means strong, intense. "Paku" (haku) means approaching.
The feeling of the hangetsu (half moon) step is like ice skating with your toes facing forward (not outward). Note: if you're not confident with the stepping, practice without it until you are. When you open into kibadachi and draw hands back into jikyoken, make sure your wrists point forward and are at each side of your hips (not in front).
Keep your elbows back and forearms parallel to the ground.
Stretch your chest and belly open. Keep your body upright with back straight. When reaching out your centre of gravity should be slightly forward.
Each time your reach out, draw the natural energy into your body .
The O position is lower than it would be for tenshingoso.
As you draw up both hands, back to back, in front of your face, try interlocking your fingers slightly. Imagine the little fingers on the inner side cutting up the front of your body, through your chest, chin, & face.
The energy you have drawn in begins to rise up the length of your spine, up the back of your head to the top, then forward over the middle of your head and down over your face.
When reaching up above your head (and before cutting down in E) be careful not to put your arms back over your head. Keep your hands and arms directly above your head.

Saizan

Breaking through mountains

"Sai" means breaking through. "Zan" means mountains.
Make sure you use kaihokei koshi. Avoid shrinking into yokikei koshi.
Keep your fudodachi stance with weight distributed 50/50 to front and back legs. Avoid using a kokutsu stance.
When reaching out in oizuki seiken (fists out with knuckles forward), gently squeeze your forearms against the sides of your belly, like squeezing out toothpaste.
In oizuki seiken, your index fingers should be stretched forward. Twist them out slightly and gently squeeze your fists together to get the right orientation.
Avoid stretching out the little finger side of your hand.
Make sure to send energy out strongly through your arms and hands (Ito tests this by hitting one's outstretched fists with the flat part of his hand several times).
The feeling when stretching out in the last oizuki seiken is tenshingoso I (Ito makes this point by asking everyone to do tenshingoso I at chest level and to continue imagining it while drawing fists back to the chest).
Imagine the energy sparking between your fists as they point toward one another. Once you have drawn the ki energy into your body, you can begin to embody that energy in reaching out to the world.

Yoshin

Nurturing the divine within.

"Yo" means nurturing. "Shin" means god or spirit (as in Emerson's transcendentalism).
Make sure you fully open and take in Ten before overlapping your hands.
You are being showered in universal energy. You could imagine it over the outside of your body, or the inside of your body from head to foot. Try imagining both.
After the "heavenly shower," make sure you nurture all of your chakras as you draw your hands/arms down around you.
Remember that when your hands are crossed in front of your chest you are using a mudra: there is power and meaning in each mudra.
Align your spirit. (See notes for Yoshin Part II which also apply here)

Tenshingoso Yokitai

Use yokitai koshi, not extremely open or closed. In UM, imagine your hands are like two flowers made of cotton. Hold them gently, you don't need to squeeze them or apply pressure. No need to worry about raising your toes during this tenshingoso.
Pay attention to the flow of energy.

Taimyo Part II Notes

Taikimai

When doing taikimai, think of yourself as cornstalks waving in a cornfield.
Option: if you are on flat ground, taikimai can be done on tiptoes with some natural movement back and forth.
Always do taikimai with kaishoken.

Shoulder Rotation & Arm Swings

Use knees as shock absorbers when swinging arms.

Hand and Foot Circles

Option: rest toes on the ground for ankle circles if your balance is not good. Focus on the movement of wrists and ankles.

Musoken Arm Toss

The focus of the musoken arm toss is on the cutting edge (outside) of your arm. The purpose is to release unnecessary energy. (You can move your eye focus from side to side, or not).
This movement is good for removing tension or "sick" ki energy.
Lead with your elbow.
Wind up the musoken by swinging forward to start, then snap your forearm and wrist vigourously.
Aim jodan level at 45 degrees above horizontal. Make sure you distinguish it from chudan musoken.
Gedan can be aimed slightly behind you or down and slightly out to your side. Note: musoken is 100 times stronger than tsuki. Aoki sensei calls it a form of "relaxation and self-defence" !

Yoshin Part II/ Hachiji dachi zanshin

Zanshin means "maintaining concentration".

At the top, hands rest over one another like cotton balls. Avoid squeezing hands together. Your hands represent ten (heaven) and universal energy. It's as if you are standing under a shower of heavenly energy that goes through us into the earth.
As you draw your hands down, pause and stay in the positions as long as you like. At the end, hands are out to the side, not in front of you.
Your hand chakra should face down. Arms should be at an angle lower than 45 degrees. Make sure there isn't any tension in your hands and avoid letting them droop down. Hands should be at the angle of a Chinese temple roof.
Lift and open your toes.
Keep your weight slightly forward.

Taimyo Part III Notes

Wakame

As you move, release tension from all parts of your body, starting at the top and moving down (head, neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen ... knees, calves, ankles, feet, toes).
Imagine ki energy entering and filling up every corner of your body
Feel and respond to the movement of air, temperature, sounds and the light around you. Finish wakame in seiritsu-tai position (standing upright, hands relaxed at sides)

10 Position Meditation

(The end of wakame is position #1). You can both send and receive energy in the meditation positions:

Ki-ichi-i "returning to oneness"
(formerly position #10)
Hoko-i "spreading light"
Imagine a glowing light or candle in your abdomen
Shosei-i "bright world"
Imagine the light rising to your heart chakra level, getting even brighter and spreading out around you, as if you are a lighthouse. The level of your hands should be a few inches above your shoulder Pay attention to your fingertips and extend them outward (don't let hands droop).
Tencho-i "top of heaven"
The light is in a vertical orientation. Palms of hands are together overhead. You may want to narrow your stance slightly. If you choose to look up, avoid tightening the back of your neck. If you are looking up, the energy should rise from your heart chakra.
Kongo-i "diamond"
The bright light is shooting out of your body at every angle, just as light reflects through the facets of a diamond. Note: from #2- #5 each level of brightness is "upgraded" as Ito says. Palms of hands can be slightly touching or slightly apart (Ask your instructor. This depends upon your nature/character). Stance can be wider than shoulders. Do not point the tips of your fingers toward yourself (and always avoid pointing your fingers directly at others - it is too intense).
Kenka-i "offering flowers"
Hands at shoulder level, open softly (not flat), hands naturally curling up a bit. You can narrow you stance as needed.
Kenshin-i "offering the body (devotion)"
Hands farther apart and just about eye level
Bokyo-i "looking homeward"
Align the tips of the middle fingers. Hands should be 1/2 overlapping, just above eye level. Arms should be extended out fully, reaching into the distance as in shoko.
Joshin-i "clearing/purifying the mind"
At your solar plexus or comfortable spot close to it, right hand every so gently overlapping the left (not resting), thumbs meeting in mid air and barely touching (not pressing together) "as if two large cotton balls are meeting" says Ito.
Muso-i "nothingness"
(formerly position #1) Same as tenshingoso um. Hands should rest gently, not squeezing. Feet together.

Important notes

on moving between #4 tenchoi and #5 kongo-i:

If looking up toward the sky/ceiling - draw hands straight down toward your face/nose. Then draw them down, close to, and past your mouth and chin (like tracing the outline of your face). Then push out your hands out slightly to the final position. As you do this you will naturally develop a kaihokei koshi.
If looking straight ahead draw hands straight down toward the top of your head, then close to and past your face (fingers still pointing upward), as if tracing the outline of your face. Then push out your hands out slightly to the final position. As you do this you will naturally develop a kaihokei koshi.

Hugging Heaven

"hoten kokyuho"

The small circle we draw is like the small universe (our earth) and the big circle we make as we rise up is like the big universe. Our earth is a hologram or representation of the whole ("As above, so below.") "Dai uchu no kokyu" is the kokyu or breath of the universe to which we are trying to return.
Or imagine working with an energy ball that grows and expands. The ball is huge when you are facing front, but as you bend over you squeeze it down to basketball size. When you open, the ball again expands.
The feeling should be round, soft and cloudlike. Mind, body and spirit merge into the rhythm of the universe

Great Dipper

"hokushin kokyu ho"

This movement is sharper and more triangular than Hugging Heaven.
Remember that you are connecting heaven and earth (ten and chi) with your body. When you turn and stretch, do not just relax, keep a creative tension (and attention) in your body and arms.
Option: complete 2, 4 or 8 openings. When looking back toward your heel, make sure you open the shoulder over which you are looking and look beyond (avoid tucking your head in and looking under your arm).
Stretch out and squeeze/twist your body as if wringing out a rag or pulling taffy.
Even though you are reaching diagonally for your heel, the energy in your body should connect Ten and Chi in a clear, vertical relationship.
Close in position #9 of the 10 Position Meditation form (joshin-i) .

Odachi Zanshin

You are completely filled with universal ki energy, standing between heaven and earth, holding the space. There is a feeling of being united with Brahman, Atman and this sacred space.
Stand like a great mountain.

Gichin Funakoshi (the founder of modern day karate and the teacher of Master Egami who was the teacher of Hiroyuki Aoki) changed the character for Karate from "kara," meaning Chinese to "kara" meaning emptiness (or sky). The empty "kara" has its roots in Taoism and spiritual philosophy and represented a deep aspiration for the martial arts, much different from their roots in the Chinese fighting arts. Odachi zanshin, in one sense, is the culmination of Aoki-sensei's dream for Shintaido. In it, we reach up to heaven and bring some if it back in a form made tangible in our bodies.

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