ホモテナシ

Ullrich (X 17) divided the 点前 into three levels:

1. people 点前: focusing on the interaction between the host and the guest in the spirit of 侘び茶. These are basically 入門, 子習い, 茶箱 and 花月.
2. 道具点前, which is basically the 四ヶ伝
3. Buddha 点前, which are the 行之行台子 and 真の行台子. 行之行台子, he said (IV 19), is the pinnacle of 侘び茶.

• 盆略（ぼんりゃく）. Both called 盆略点前（ぼんりゃく　てまえ）or 盆略点（ぼんりゃく　だて）. Devised by Ennōsai (Urasenke XIII).
• 千歳盆（ちとせ）
• 平点前
• 初炭（しょずみ）
• 後炭（ごずみ）

Variation relating to the order in which things are done, or using special 道具:

• 続薄茶
• 名水点
• 洗茶巾
• 葉蓋 （はぶた）
• 筒茶碗

Variations relating to the placement of things or special rooms:

• 棚 (including 五行棚, 長板 and 台子)
• 中置き
• 釣釜
• 流し
• 隅炉 and 大炉
• 逆がって

➡️ So with these variations, you could actually spend quite a long time practising before you even need to study 子習.

• General rules
• Also written 小習 (in Chanoyu Vocabulary, for example). 16 specific practises called 小習事十六ヶ条（じゅうろっかじょう）for different implements. Divided into former 8, and latter 8.

The six 茶箱 lie a bit in an odd spot ⸺ they are taught together with 子習, but include more complicated elements such as handling of the 茶碗's 仕覆, the refolding of the 茶巾 or the cleaning of the surface the tea container will land on (similarly to 盆点); and, more importantly, finish exactly as they started, giving them a more 真 feeling.

In terms of order, 和敬 is probably the easiest, because it's always done without 拝見, directly followed by 卯の花, which is considered the 平点前 of the 茶箱. Then follows the set of 雪, 月 and 花; and finally the courtly 色紙点.

• As the name says, there are seven of them; but I have only practised 且座之式（しゃざ　の　しき）
• I think of it as the 'final exam' of 子習; because you need to be really strong with it; and you can basically do anything 点前 at all in this setting.

These are the 割稽古 for 行之行:

• General rules and differences to 小習.
• 茶通箱
• 台天目
• 唐物
• 盆点
• 和巾 was reinvented by 玄々斎, and is not really part of the 4 四ヶ伝.

• 行之行台子（ぎょうのぎょう　だいす）
• 大円草（だいえん　の　そう）
• 真之行台子（しん　の　ぎょう　だいす）
• 大円真　（だいえん　の　しん）

In CQ51 there's a brief footnote explaining that けんちゃ is offering tea at a Shinto shrine; while くちゃ at a Buddhist temple (both only done by the 家元, obviously).

In the Almanac, you find a different division into 8 basics (also called 小習) and 8 advanced techniques: