Pinan Shodan
The Pingan kata are a series of five empty hand forms taught in many karate styles. The Pingan kata originated in Okinawa and were adapted by Anko Itosu from older kata such as Kusanku and Channan into forms suitable for teaching karate to young students. When Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to Japan, he renamed the kata to Heian, which is translated as “peaceful and safe”. Pinan is the Chinese Pinyin notation of 平安, which means also “peaceful and safe”. Korean Tang Soo Do (not Chuck Norris’ American Tang Soo Do), one of 5 original kwan of taekwondo), also practice these kata; they are termed, “Pyong-an” or “Pyung-Ahn”, which is a Korean pronunciation of the term “ping-an”.
The Pinan kata were introduced into the school systems on Okinawa in 1895, and were subsequently adopted by many teachers and schools in the 1900s. Thus, they are present today in the curriculum of Shitō-ryū, Wadō-ryū, Shōrin-ryū, Kobayashi-ryū, Kyokushin, Shinki-Ryu, Shōrei-ryū, Shotokan, Matsubayashi-ryū, Shukokai, Shindo Jinen Ryu, Kosho-ryū Kempo, Kenyu Ryu, and several other styles.
One of the stories surrounding the history of the Pingan kata claims that Itosu learned a kata from a Chinese man living in Okinawa. This kata was called “Chiang Nan” by the Chinese man. The form became known as “Channan”, an Okinawan/Japanese approximation of the Chinese pronunciation. The original form of the Channan kata is lost. Itosu formed 5 katas from the long Channan Kata which he thought would be easier to learn. Funakoshi modified the Pinan forms on Heian forms, introducing his version of Kushanku (actually renamed Kanku Dai). The 5 kata were Pinans Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yondan, and Godan.