Tenchi Kumite

Tenchi Kumite (天地組手, "Heaven and Earth Fighting") is a codified system of first proposed by  which only martial artists that have reached the  of  are capable of utilizing. Since its conception several centuries ago, it has become a cornerstone for many advanced martial artists within that have managed to gain a solid competency over. The idea behind Tenchi Kumite is that one invokes the fundamental concept of Kiroku in order to draw upon the power associated with the of various aspects from the world around them, and in doing so, it allows the Hakudaka to produce an effect with their martial arts to aid them in battle.

Overview
What makes the existence of martial arts unique is that it was born and subsequently developed with the intention of drawing inspiration from other sources, learning from experiences, and ultimately bettering oneself through what has been learned. Martial artists absorb the usefulness of their experiences and discard whatever does not help them improve, resulting in the overall enhancement of their abilities. Of course, at the novice stage, there is only so much one can do with their experiences. Just trying to copy the fluidity of water might make one's mind more relaxed and calm but does it truly provide them with any increase in their agility or speed simply by focusing upon water's behavior? For such a thing to even be considered a possibility, one must gain a satisfactory level of competence within the basics of Hakuda.

Hakudaka must manage to attain a heightened degree of mastery over themselves, having managed to go as far as to become remarkably familiar with. According to Seireitou, the minimum level of skill required for a Hakudaka to successfully begin learning the Tenchi Kumite would be equivalent to what the themselves consider, in the height of their ignorance on the subject, a Hakuda master. Seireitou has compared this to how it is perceived in the that a first degree black belt in a martial arts means one has become a master, but only those within the martial arts community truly understand that a black belt simply suggests an acquired level of competency within that particular martial arts. In further relating the two ideas, Seireitou first proposed the Tenchi Kumite as a system which is separated into nine dan (段, "Rank"), subsequently stating that the difference between Kiai and Kiroku is like comparing standard color belts to black belts.

Achieving the ability to invoke Kiroku suggests gaining compentency within Kiai, and in doing so, it eventually becomes possible for a martial artist to draw upon the power of Ki from experiences and observations that a martial artists makes throughout the course of their training. With such a considerable degree of control over their mind, body, and soul, a martial artist is able to tap into the power concealed in their experiences. Ki can be thought of as energy, but also of existence. When speaking of Ki, a martial artist speaks of an existence, and thus, all things have their own Ki. Hakudaka can learn from their experiences, observations, and so on, by drawing power from the existences of which they encounter. Of course, the very idea behind such a thing is quite complex, and not many martial artists, even those who do possess the skill level required to invoke these effects, are able to truly conceptualize the act of drawing power from Ki. That is why the Tenchi Kumite was created, in order to establish a codified system of which a Hakudaka could be given a framework with which to further develop their skills. Its name, which translates into the grappling hands of heaven and earth, refers to all things in creation and thus a fighting derived from all things in the world encompassing heaven and earth.

There are three degrees to which Tenchi Kumite is invoked, depending upon the user's level of mastery over Kiroku and also their continued pursuit of mastering Kiai. When first learning Tenchi Kumite, one simply adopts the power of Ki, inducing some sort of effect onto themselves. A technique that draws upon the fluidity of water, for instance, would cause a sliding effect that makes the martial artist's footwork very smooth and flowing. Taking it even further, one draws upon the power of Ki with such mastery that their own Ki begins to change and shift into a nature reminiscent of that Ki. A technique that draws upon the ferocity of a tiger, at this level of mastery, would cause the martial artist's own Ki to adopt a tiger-like feel to it, which could cause actual tigers to perceive that person as also being a tiger. True mastery over Tenchi Kumite is demonstrated at the third degree where one's physical body actually alters and changes depending upon the Ki from which power is drawn. Going back to the fluidity of water, one's body would physical appear to flow and sway as if they were actually composed of a liquid. Using a tiger's power might cause the arm to actually transform into an actual tiger arm, complete with fur and claws. Therefore, Tenchi Kumite mastery is defined as being three stages of succession: respectively, "Adopting Power", "Wearing Power", and "Becoming Power".

Ranking
Being a codified system, the Tenchi Kumite is graded on a Dan (段, "Rank") scale, from "First Dan" to "Ninth Dan". Since its conception, various techniques have been added to the system, more frequently by the. It serves as a shared Hakuda system very similar to the central system learned and followed by the  via. Similar to that ranking system, the Tenchi Kumite's dan ranks are split based upon complexity and difficulty of the technique. In other words, the harder it is to draw power from an existence's Ki, the higher ranked it will be.

First Dan (初段, Shodan): Rather commonplace, the first level of Tenchi Kumite is the most basic idea of drawing power from Ki. In fact, it is due to its simplicity that there are not multiple techniques designated under the first dan; rather, it functions as a single ability. It is simply the act of drawing strength from general experiences. A martial artist can empower themselves through their memories of friendships, opponents, and so on, resulting in streaks of energy that surround the martial artist and induce a shimmering aura around their bodies. This boost can be quite helpful to many novices, although for more advanced masters, this increase is superficial at best.

Second Dan (二段, Nidan): At the second dan, a martial artist can invoke the power of animals and beasts that one has encountered or observed. It is possible to draw power from how a certain animal behaves, such as their movement, their physical strength, or any of their other specific attributes. However, there is a misunderstanding when it comes to this concept, due to the fact that Hakudaka of this level would already be expected to possess a degree of supernatural strength that would make using techniques of animals intended to enhance physical strength pointless. For example, a Hakudaka using a technique that draws upon the power of a gorilla's arms. Shouldn't a standard Hakudaka be capable of physical prowess that could already overpower a common gorilla? That is where the misunderstanding begins. Tenchi Kumite allows a Hakudaka to improve themselves by invoke the idea of the existence they are drawing power from, rather than actually taking power from a being itself. In this same example, gorilla are known for having tremendous limb strength, and thus, using the idea of that is enough for a Hakudaka using second dan Tenchi Kumite to increase their strength temporarily using a technique based upon that notion, regardless of how strong they already were. By learning from the physical attributes of animals and beasts, the second dan composes techniques that enhance certain attributes about a Hakudaka's martial arts.

Third Dan (三段, Sandan): Moving beyond living beings, the third dan is where a Hakudaka can draw power from the Ki in commonly observed nature. This can involve drawing upon the fluidity of water, the resilience of the mountains, the swiftness of the winds, and so on. Many martial artists venture out onto the world in order to truly experience the aspects of mother nature, and as a result, they draw upon the power from these existences, reflecting them in their martial arts.

Fourth Dan (四段, Yondan): Reaching the fourth dan suggests one is truly beginning to grasp the core concept behind Kiroku. Similar to the first dan, a martial artist draws from their personal experiences, but in a far more specific manner. Specific experiences from their battles, such as the feel of their opponent's attacks scarred onto their body, can allow them to further enhance their own abilities through these techniques.

Fifth Dan (五段, Godan): One manages to invoke the power from complex aspects of nature, such as lightning, tornadoes, and other natural disasters.

Sixth Dan (六段, Rokudan): A far more advanced form of the second dan's concept, a martial artist is able to actually draw upon historical or mythological living beings and animals that one may learn about through external accounts rather than through directly encounters. Dragons would be an example of such beings.

Seventh Dan (七段, Shichidan): Spiritual and symbolic aspects of animals and nature can be invoked at the seventh dan. For instance, water is represented as an element of cleansing. It wipes away impurities. A technique based upon that would allow for a martial artist to induce a cleansing effect onto their body or perhaps into their spiritual energy, making it possible for them to purify themselves or even restore order to chaotic systems. Hakudaka can invoke the conceptual aspects associated with that existence's power.

Eighth Dan (八段, Hachidan): Even ideas and beliefs can be existences themselves. Wisdom itself can be power.

Ninth Dan (九段, Kudan): Drawing power from the existences of deities, a feat that is reserved only for Hakudaka that have reached true heights of mastery within Kiroku.

Behind the Scenes
In martial arts, Kumite (組手, "Grappling Hands") is the term used to refer to freestyle sparring between opponents in order to practice techniques in an actual match.