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| Ten No Kata Omote | 天の形 | Performed by John Mantzaris Sensei It is generally accepted that Ten no Kata was created by Gigo Funakoshi as a simple training tool for beginners. Ten refers to “sky,“ “heaven,“ or “universe.“ The kata is usually translated as “Kata of the Universe,“ or “Kata of the Heavens,“ giving it an almost divine quality since perfection of basic technique has always been the ultimate goal of Shotokan karateka. Ten no Kata requires very little space and can be practiced almost anywhere by karateka of any age. It is not a kata in the traditional sense. It is divided into two parts, Omote (front) and Ura (back). Ten no Kata Omote is more similar to kihon than kata. It consists of ten sets of techniques. The first four sets are punching attacks: chudan-oi-zuki, jodan-oi-zuki, chudan-gyaku-zuki, and jodan-gyaku-zuki. The following six sets are block/counter-attack combinations; three defenses against chudan and
