Above are two illustrations of Okinawan-style Funakoshi taikyoku [shodan] kata, one with the rear foot at 45 degrees, the other with the rear foot positioned at 90 degrees. This is because Master Funakoshi applied both methods, and each have advantages and disadvantages.
From my perspective, the taikyoku kata and the ten-no-kata (omote and ura being inseparable) are one and the same. The ten-no-kata, devised and published at the same time as taikyoku, by 1943, are composed of fundamental movements which are also found in the taikyoku kata that include shodan, nidan and sandan stages, as well as further variations to the techniques and the general performance as shown below. You can alter the depth of stances, the speed of movements, the formation of the fist, the hardness / softness of execution, etc. In my opinion you should experiment with kata practice to try to understand karate kenpō better. It is a constant struggle to find understanding of anything in life, and that struggle is emulated in the art of karate.
Of course, if a person would prefer to practice the ten-no-kata as they were published by Masters Gichin and Gigō Funakoshi, arguably that would follow his teachings more purely. It depends how you look at it, though, as Master Funakoshi taught not to just follow blindly, but rather that evolution of practice is natural. It was always the way to make alterations based on your various teachers's instruction and your own experience. "Finding your own kenpō" is what Master Funakoshi was taught and what he transmitted, evident by the various lines stemming from his ever-changing school.
Taikyoku is taiji in Mandarin Chinese. It means "grand ultimate" and refers to what happens after there is nothing; that there is stillness and then action. It is yin and yang, in and yo, soft and hard. Master Funakoshi taught these principles in his karate, evident, for example, from his article entitled "Stillness & Action / Yin & Yang", written in 1934 and translated into English by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy in 2001 in the text Karate-Dō Tanpenshu, appearing on pages 54-58.
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