The Tenkai Palm

[Guest]

Hi People,

I have been doing card magic for as long as I can remember, however I have never learnt the Tenkai palm. I have looked in magic shops for books that contain the method but none seem to have any. Does anyone know of any books or dvd/videos that explain how to do this sleight?

Magical Regards,
The Cardiologist

[Jim Maloney_dup1]

It's in the Dai Vernon Book of Magic.

-Jim

[Guest]

Thanks Jim.

[Richard Kaufman]

Ross Bertram also uses it in Bertram on Sleight of Hand.
Slight modifications of the palm, where less of the card protrudes from the hand, are in my book CardMagic and many other places.
Vernon's improved handling of his "Jumping Jack" routine using the Tenkai palm appears in the second volume of The Vernon Chronicles.
Earl Nelson's handling of "Jumping Jack" using the Tenkai Palm appears in Genii, an August issue a few years back.

[Guest]

I have a couple of palming videos that show the Tenkai palm, including Allan Ackerman's and Daryl's (the latter is part of the Encyclopedia of Card Sleights series).

[Ira Rush]

Two other sources you may want to check out:

"Close Up Illusions-Gary Ouellet" (both the book and video) in a routine called Flash Deck. The Tenkai palm is explained and shown, with cards.

Unexplainable Acts- Gary Kurtz in a routine called "Flurious"(again both the book and I know there is video/DVD that shows this routine-can't remember the name of the DVD/video however). In this routine, the Tenkai Palm is used with a jumbo coin.

The Gary Kurtz book is even published by "RK" himself, so you may want to check it out.

Hope this helps

[Guest]

The late Rick Anderson also had a book that not only taught the tankai but also effects with it. "Holy Moses" was one of my favourites where you pass your hands over an origami turtle and it turns into a live turtle that crawls away. Cardiologist, if you write me privately I would be more than happy to explain the basics of it to you.
PSIncerely Yours,
Paul Alberstat
AB Stagecraft
http://www.mindguy.com/store
Your source of unique mentalism world-wide

[Steve Hook]

Paul:

I think that was Rick Johnsson.

Cool book with a fold out piece that let you prop the book up while you learned the routines. I have a signed copy.

Rick was good pals with the Raleigh, NC, magicians of the '70s and '80s. He did one of the most interesting lectures you'd ever see.

Steve H

[DChung]

That's right. Rick Johnsson of Too Perfect Theory fame. The book was entitled Practical Impossibilities and includes among other things his IBGTH switch.

The entire book is on nothing else but his Tenkai palm, including handling tips, angles, and of course tons of applications.

[Steve Hook]

Steve Beam is another author who has some excellent work using the Tenkai Palm. My books are boxed so I can't give you the exact info.

[Guest]

You might also look into Marlo's work on the "M.P. Palm" (I'm still not quite sure what the difference is... regardless Marlo has some great work using the Tenkai style technique.)

The first thing that comes to mind is the M.P. side steal from MINT #1. This efficent move allows the fingers to remain staitionary at the front of the pack (no side to side squaring action.)

Another related (and underated) palm is the Longitiudinal Palm (sp?) Check out Roger's Thesaurus and/or Card Finesse 2.

[Denis Behr]

Originally posted by D. Conn:
Another related (and underated) palm is the Longitiudinal Palm (sp?) Check out Roger's Thesaurus and/or Card Finesse 2.

...or Gary Kurtz' work which makes nice use of the LTP (Longitudinal Tenkai Palm).

[There are lots of references in http://archive.denisbehr.de on Tenkai and LTP sleights but the archive is down at the moment until about monday because of a server problem.]

Denis

[Steve Hook]

Excellent source on the Longitudinal Palm:

Kabbala
Vol. 3, No. 2, February 1976
Marlo on the Longitudinal Palm p.17

[Richard Kaufman]

It should be pointed out that the person who first published the Longitudinal Tenkai Palm was Piet Forton--BEFORE Marlo.
Personally, I think it is a ridiculous way to palm a card and have never seen any benefit over the regular Tenkai palm and its variations.

[Steve Hook]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:
Personally, I think it is a ridiculous way to palm a card and have never seen any benefit over the regular Tenkai palm and its variations.

Did Marlo claim to have invented it or did he just publish his finesse? I don't have the book handy to check that.

Also, there are several effects that can only be done via the LTP, not the Tenkai, which would probably change your mind. But that's for another thread someday. ;)

[Richard Kaufman]

Piet Forton and Marlo argued for years about how invented the Longitudinal Tenkai Palm--there's no question that Piet published it first.

[Guest]

Do you know where and when Mr. Forton published the palm?

Cameron

[Philippe Billot]

It was in 1957 that Marlo presented the Longitudinal Angle Palm, page 10, in his booklet
The Tabled Palm, but he didn't tell exactly he was the creator.

In this same booklet, he presented also the Angle Palm (which will become the Marlo Angle Palm) but it was later that he said : Don't confuse this with the Tenkai Palm.

Perhaps, Mr. Racherbaumer have other sources or precisions

[TXDR3Z]

Can you use the TP only with cards or also with other props?

[Philippe Billot]

For instance, see Oval Purse Holdout (page 30) by David Roth in Coinmagic by Richard kaufman (1981)

[Guest]

Personally, I think it is a ridiculous way to palm a card and have never seen any benefit over the regular Tenkai palm and its variations.

Well, here's one;

The Tenkai often produces the 'vanishing thumb' illusion.

LTP keeps the thumb extended and in view.

Can you use the TP only with cards or also with other props?

Gary Kurtz' "Flourious" routine puts the TP to good use w/ Jumbo coins

Check out "Unexplainable Acts" (and/or his "Flourious" vid.)

[Richard Kaufman]

The Tenkai Palm only causes your thumb to vanish if it's used improperly.
If your thumb is in view when using the Longitudinal version, then you are on the verge of flashing.
I repeat: it's a bad grip.

[Steve Hook]

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman:

I repeat: it's a bad grip.

And I repeat that while the standard Tenkai Palm may be better in some situations, there are applications which you haven't seen, Richard, which are impossible with the TP.

Are you serious about such a broad condemning statement, Richard, or are you just trying to wake us up so we'll drive more safely during the last week of the holiday season? ;)

[Richard Kaufman]

I think it's a lousy grip with too many bad angles.
And, unless you have a very long thumb, it severly curtails the mobility of your thumb and limits its activities.

[Guest]

I have a long thumb ;)

[Richard Kaufman]

I've heard that about you. :p

[Guest]

Originally posted by D. Conn:
I have a long thumb ;)

You know what they say about long thumbs...

Ernest Earick has a great use for the LTP in his By forces unseen. Its one of the most uncanny controls I have read.
However it is very angle friendly and quite invisible (if done well).