Rank 三 · Intermediate

Airplane(Lighthouse)

灯台 · Tōdai

Balance the ken on the spike tip, level with the floor.

Difficulty Rung 1 of 6 on the Intermediate ladder

The spike tip rests inside the ball's hole while the ken floats parallel to the ground — the king of balances and the door to half of the advanced ladder.

How it's done

  1. 一

    Hold the ken horizontal, spike pointing forward.

  2. 二

    Slip the spike tip into the hole of the tama.

  3. 三

    Rotate the ken until it's level with the floor and let go.

  4. 四

    Hold the balance — arm relaxed, eyes on the tip.