| Tenkan | |
| Romaji: | Tenkan |
| Japanese: | 転換 |
| English: | convert / divert |
is the Japanese name of a movement practiced in several martial arts. It is a 180 degree pivot to the rear, on the lead foot.[1] That is, if the left foot is forward, the pivot is clockwise, and if the right foot is forward, the pivot is counter-clockwise.[2]
Tenkan is a very common foot move in aikido.[3] Strategically, tenkan is most often used to place tori back-to-back with uke. A few attacks - techniques that commonly begin by executing tenkan include: shōmen'uchi - kaitennage; katate-dori - shihōnage; and morote-dori - kokyūnage.
Some styles of aikido practice six basic ashi sabaki (stepping/footwork) movements, of which tenkan is one.
Those six basic stepping techniques are:
Tenkan is a foot move used in judo.