Tenouchi 

   Tenouchi is generally considered one of the more difficult aspects of Kyudo. The Kyohon, while sometimes alluding to tenouchi, seems to have little to say on the subject.

   One of my early teachers, Abe sensei, gave me my first knowledge of tenouchi. He would look at the callouses on my hand and make corrections. But I don’t remember him ever telling me to look at his own tenouchi. In fact he told me that there was an old martial saying, “Teach shogi, go and tenouchi and you will be defeated.”

   Every year at the national seminar tenouchi is taught/discussed. Somehow the idea and the practice come across with difficulty. Several of the teachers have stated that they were never taught tenouchi. They had to observe their teachers carefully to get an understanding of the art. A couple of teachers went so far as to say that they had to “steal” technique from their teachers. In the case of tenouchi everyone’s hand is somewhat different. This complicates things somewhat.

   Traditional teaching methods in the Japanese martial traditions are quite different from what Americans typically expect. Teaching is frequently through demonstration. Anzawa sensei made the remark that, “The skill is learnt without speech.” Sometimes obscure phrases are employed. I remember one teacher discussing tenouchi using the phrase “washi zukami” (like an eagle grasping a branch). This evoked power in my mind but sensei’s explanation was to hold the bow naturally.  Much of my own understanding of Kyudo is due to carefully observing different sensei, personal conversations initiated by different sensei and a lot of training.

   My current understanding of tenouchi is based on the teachings of Abe sensei and two others. I am working very hard on this right now. Sometimes I think I might be getting a handle on the subject.

   Beginners especially should remember that there is a tenouchi for each hand.

   Aaron Blackwell – Renshi Rokudan