In HxH, Ken is the ability to combine Ten and Ren to maintain an extra dense defensive layer of Nen aura around one’s body, and maintain that layer for an extended period.
In improv, Ken is the technique, honed to a fine point at The Annoyance Theater, of holding onto your shit. When you start a scene, you establish your character and what they’re doing, and nothing your scene partner does can take those away from you.
Maybe you start a scene flipping burgers, and your scene partner starts rowing a boat. Without the protection of Ken, the Yen of a contrasting move can sandblast the aura off of your body and leave you naked and shivering, forcing you to rush to the comfort of whatever Yen is left onstage. You might abandon the idea of grilling, and start rowing the boat too.
Now let’s try it with Ken. You’re grilling. They start rowing a boat. Maybe now you’re grilling in their boat. Maybe they’re about to crash their boat into your grill. But you’re fucking grilling.
Ken doesn’t have to be adversarial. It helps everybody by granting your moves incredible clarity, and a useful predictability. Not only will you know who you are, your scene partners and the audience will too.
It is no accident that Ken is a combination of Ten and Ren, and that it is a technique that you engage immediately when the scene starts. You must use Ren to create your character, and if you neglect Ten then this act will distract you from whatever choices your scene partner is making at the beginning of the scene. Alternatively, if you begin each scene by only engaging Ten, then you’re making your scene partner do all the work.
If you want to participate in improv jams, you had better learn Ken. Ken will save you in a scene where nobody else is even using Ten. It will be hard, but with training your Ken will be strong.
Mastering Ken makes you unstoppable.