Pinian 1-5

The word 'Pinan' (Ping 'An in Chinese) means "Way of peace" (literally, "Great Peace", sometimes translated as "Calm Mind", "Peaceful Mind", "Serenity", or "Security."). The name is taken to mean that once these five forms and their applications have been mastered, the karateka can be confident in their ability to defend themselves in most situations. Another theory is that the name was inspired by the Bubishi. In article 1 on the History and Philosophy of White Crane, it says, "Immeasurable self-conquests are made possible through a peaceful mind and inner harmony. The strength and resiliency gained from martial art training fosters an inner force with which one can overcome any opponent and conquer worldly delusion and misery".

The word 'Pinan' is made up two ideograms. The original Okinawan pronunciation of the first ideogram is 'pi', whereas the Japanese pronounce it 'hei.' That is because when Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to Japan, he renamed the kata to Heian. The name Heian comes from the contraction of the characters for heiwa and antei, meaning peace and stability. He did this so that the Japanese people would find the names easier to use, to further distance the art from any of its Chinese origins and to acknowledge the development of karate by the Okinawans & Japanese.

The Chinese translation of Pinan is "safe from harm". Korean Karate (Tang Soo Do) systems also practice these kata; they are termed, "Pyungan", which is a Korean pronunciation of the term "pin-an". Generally Wado-Ryu & Shito-Ryu favour the Okinawan pronunciation of 'Pinan'. Shotokan stylists favour the Japanese pronunciation of 'Heian.'

The five pinan katas are pinan shodan, pinan Nidan, pinan sandan, pinan yondan and pinan godan. These kata serve as the foundation to many of the advanced kata within Karate, as many of the techniques contained in these kata are contained in the higher grade katas as well, especially Kusanku.

Pinan Dai (The Great Pinan)

The Great Pinan, practiced by some schools, is an amalgamation of all the five Pinan kata. The order in which the five kata are performed is changed from that of the simple and basic training order and in this order the five kata blend naturally from one to another, without any breaks forming one elaborate and intricate kata. Pinan Dai is a term used for all five Pinan being done sequentially without returning to yoi with each form. Supposedly, these represent the five element system: earth (Pinan Shodan/Heian Nidan); water (Pinan Nidan/Heian Shodan); fire (Pinan/Heian Sandan); wind (Pinan/Heian Yodan; void (Pinan/Heian Godan).

History

It was the great 'Anko' Yasutsune Itosu (1830 -1915) who developed the Pinan or Heian katas, a series of five empty hand forms taught in many karate styles. Itosu was born in Yamagawa village, which was situated in the Shuri region of Okinawa.

The Pinan kata were introduced into the school systems on Okinawa in the early 1900s, and were subsequently adopted by many teachers and schools.

In 1901, Itosu placed Karate onto the physical education program of the Shuri Jinjo elementary school. As it stood Itosu believed Karate to be too dangerous to be taught to children and set about disguising the more dangerous techniques contained within the katas. As a result of these modifications, the children were taught the katas as mostly blocking & punching. This enabled the children to gain benefits such as improved health and discipline from their karate practice without giving them knowledge of the highly effective & dangerous fighting techniques that the katas contain.

In 1905, Itosu was appointed as karate teacher to the Prefectural Dai Ichi Collage and the Prefectural teachers' training collage. In 1908 Itosu wrote a letter to the Prefectural education department that outlined his views on karate and asked that karate be introduced onto the curriculum of all Okinawan schools. Itosu was granted his wish and karate became part of the education of all Okinawan children. The Pinan kata series was introduced into the Okinawan School District karate program as gym training from 1902 to 1907.

One of the stories surrounding the history of the Pinan kata claims that Itosu learned a kata from a shipwrecked Chinese man living in Okinawa in the Tomari region. This kata was called "Chiang Nan" by the Chinese man. The form became known as "Channing", an Okinawans/Japanese approximation of the Chinese pronunciation. The original form of the Channing kite is lost. Itosu formed 5 katas from the long Channan Kata which he thought would be easier to learn. It is said that Itosu changed the katas name from Chaing-Nan to Pinan as he found 'Chaing' too difficult to pronounce. The Pinans also include fighting techniques from other katas presenting the Shuri region at that time.

Another variation is that Pinan Shodan and Nidan were created by Bushi Matsumura, and were originally called Channan Sho and Dai. They were based on kata taught at Fukien Shaolin in the Five Elder style. The Chinese reading for this name is "Chiag Nan." Chiag Nan was the name of a Chinese Diplomat who resided Shuri. It is possible that Bushi got the techniques from him. Itosu created Pinan Sandan, Yondan, and Godan and added them to his own system. Some sources say he took them from other Chinese kata also called Chiag Nan that he got from a Chinese master, who may have also been Chaig Nan himself. These three are not Matsumura kata, but were passed down other Shorin lines.

But, it is more likely that Itosu created a kata using the older Katas Kusanku Dai, Gojushiho and perhaps Bassai Dai. This Kata was created to bridge a gap between knowing nothing of Karate and the skills that one was practicing during the other Katas by using movements and techniques that would be similar to the student once they begin training in Karate. After completing this New Kata he changed his mind about having one long Kata and broke it into five and then renamed them.

There has also been argument about whether Itosu had created them as an adjunct to physical education, or whether he was trying to establish a separate tradition to further distinguish his modern karate tradition from Quanfa (fist techniques), or Toudi (Chinese Hand, also alternately pronounced as karate) both referring to older style fighting and self-defense traditions. In either case, the Pinan can be considered representative of Itosu's karate. The Pinan kata are said to have been officially introduced in the spring of 1904 (Gima et al, 1986).

Choki Motobu, in both his 1926 and 1932 publications, states: "The Pinan were created by the modern Bujin (warrior) Itosu Sensei as teaching materials for his students, making them truly a unique form of Okinawan kenpo, which is indeed a very joyous thing for those who follow the Way" (Motobu, 1926, 1932).

When Funakoshi came to Japan he brought with him all of the Kata he had learned from his master and those he had taught to the school children for Itosu Sensei. When he was in Japan and formulating a style to introduce to the general public in Japan, he took the Okinawan Pinans and changed the name to Heian as well as swapping number one for number two and initiated deeper stances and higher kicks He also replaced front kicks with side kicks and altered other moves in the series.
Characteristics

The Pinans are taught to various beginner ranks according to their difficulty. In Pinan kata, the practitioner is surrounded on all sides by several imaginary opponents. Most of the pinan Kata follow the same Embussen or path. The path looks like an H turned on its side or a capital I with upturned ends at one end or the other.

Pinan Shodan emphasizes in “morote” movements where the two hands move into the same direction.

Pinan Nidan demonstrates the fundamentals of “oizuki”, where the same hand is being used with the leading foot.

Pinan sandan forms the basis of the “complimentary forces” where the body twists and the striking/blocking technique follows the flow of the body movement.

Pinan yondan utilises double arm block, breaking techniques, kicking and countering.

Pinan godan is the shortest kata including leg blocks and strikes.

Martial arts and karate systems practicing pinan kata

Pinan Kata are present today in the curriculum of Shotokan, Shito ryu, Wado ryu, Shorin ryu, Kobayashi ryu, Matsubayashi ryu, Kyokushin shorei ryu, Shukokai, Kosho-ryu kempo, Isshin-ryu, Tang Soo Do and several other styles.

Of the five major Japanese styles of karate (Shotokan, Wado-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, & Shito-Ryu, Kyokushin kaikan) practised throughout the world today only Goju-Ryu does not practice the Pinan / Heian Katas. The reason the Pinan katas are common to the three remaining styles is that Itosu features strongly their family trees. Master Itosu along with Kanryo Higasionna were the main teachers of Kenwa Mabuni (founder of Shito-Ryu). The name 'Shito' is derived from the two characters used in the writing of 'Itosu' & 'Higasionna'. Mabuni was undoubtedly Itosu's foremost disciple. Along with Master Azato & Master Matumura, Itosu was also one of the teachers of Gichin Funakoshi (founder of Shotokan). It is doubtful that Funakoshi learnt the Pinans directly from Itosu as Funakoshi concluded his training with Itosu before the Pinans came into being. Some sources say that Funakoshi learnt the Pinan katas from Kenwa Mabuni in 1919, four years after Itosu's death. Kenwa Mabuni, Gichin Funakoshi & Choki Motobu (who also studied under Itosu) were the main karate teachers of Hironori Otsuka (founder of Wado-Ryu). Otsuka also studied Shinto Yoshin Ryu jujitsu under Yukiyoshi Tatasusaburo Nakayama. Otsuka received his instruction in the Pinan katas from both Mabuni and Funakoshi. Masutatsu Oyama studied Okinawan Karate under Gichin Funakoshi.

There are differences in the ways that the various styles perform the Pinan / Heian katas but the overall pattern remains the same. These changes are the result of the developments made by the founders of each style. In certain styles, Pinan Shodan and Pinan Nidan are inverted - what certain styles call Pinan Shodan is what others call Heian Nidan, and vice-versa. For example, the kata Shotokan calls Heian Shodan, other styles, such as Shito-ryu call Pinan Nidan. Another point to note is that Shokukai teaches Pinan Nidan first and Pinan Shodan second, believing Pinan Nidan to be the easier, more beginner-friendly kata. The order that is learnt in Wado-Ryu goes as follows, Pinan Nidan, Pinan Shodan, Pinan Sandan, Pinan Yodan and Pinan Godan.