The Tanden

By Ric Light

Tanden is translated into English as the centre of the body and in Chinese (Mandarin) it is dantian. It is the centre of gravity but in Japanese and most other Asian cultures it means more. It is seen as being humans’ inner compass and their roots in the natural world. In JWK Karate we focus on the lower tanden which in the middle of the body, at least three finger widths down from the bellybutton, but it will not show up on a X-ray because it is not a physically distinctive part of the body. Often referred to as the energy centre of a person it has been seen in different cultures, over different periods of history as where the individual’s essence and spirit exist and is considered across Asian cultures as the centre of life force energy (ki). The lower point of the Tanden (there are three levels) is the most important for us as the focal point of breathing and the centre of balance and gravity, which is very relevant to karate. During training you should centre your consciousness in the lower tanden to keep good balance and posture as you move. Being conscious of your tanden can help you control your thoughts, emotions, and even pain. Acting from the tanden is seen to be related to higher states of awareness in Buddhism but you must develop awareness of your tanden first

For many martial arts the one single, most important thing is tanden. Students of karate and other martial arts like aikido and judo must learn to discover, develop, and use their tanden as more than just their centre of gravity. In training, you need to be true to your centre and connected with it. Then the rest of the progress in your training and development of self-realisation will move forward. Without this, you will not be able to go beyond the mere techniques of karate. When moving while doing kata, kihon and kumite, focus on moving your tanden and you will have no problems with over-reaching and losing strong posture.