View source for Pinan

{{short description|Series of five empty hand forms taught in many karate styles}}
{{For|the municipality in the Philippines|Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte}}
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{{Infobox martial art form 
| name          = Pinan
| other_names   = Ping'an, Pin'an, Heian, Pyung-Ahn, Pyeong-an
| image         = 
| imagesize     = 
| caption       = 
| martial_art   = [[Karate]]
| origin        = {{flagicon|Okinawa}} [[Shuri,_Okinawa|Shuri]], [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]], [[Japan]]
| creator       = [[Ankō Itosu]]
| creation_date = 1880s
}}

The '''Pinan''' ([[Chinese language|Chinese:]] 平安, Píng'ān; [[Japanese language|Japanese:]] ピンアン, Pin'an) ''[[karate kata|kata]]'' are a series of five empty hand forms taught in many [[karate]] styles.  The Pinan kata originated in [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] and were adapted by [[Anko Itosu]] from older kata such as [[Kusanku (kata)|Kusanku]] and [[Channan (kata)|Channan]]<ref>{{cite book |title=Channan: Heart of the Heian forms |last= Schmeisser |first=Elmar T. |publisher=[[Trafford Publishing]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-4120-1357-4 |page=124}}</ref> into forms suitable for teaching karate to young students. Pinan is the Chinese Pinyin notation of 平安; when [[Gichin Funakoshi]] brought karate to [[Japan]], he changed the kata name to {{nihongo|'''Heian'''|{{ruby|平|へい}}{{ruby|安|あん}}}}, which is the [[onyomi]] pronunciation of the same [[kanji]]. Pinan or Heian means "peaceful and safe". Korean [[Tang Soo Do]], one of 5 original [[Kwan (martial arts)|kwan]] of Korea, also practice these kata; they are termed, '''Pyung Ahn''' ([[Korean language|Korean:]] 평안, Pyeong-an), which is a Korean pronunciation of the term "ping-an".<ref>{{cite book |title=Complete Tang Soo Do Manual: From white belt to black belt |last= Pak |first=Ho Sik |author2=Escher, Ursula  |publisher=[[High Mountain Publishing]] |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-9718609-0-2 |page=237}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Traditional Tang Soo Do Vol. 2: The Basics |last= Shin |first=Jae Chul |publisher= J.C.Shin |year=1992}}</ref>

==History==
According to [[Motobu Chōki]], one of Ankō Itosu's early students, the Pinan kata was created by Itosu and were originally called Channan ({{lang|ja|チャンナン}}), possessing slightly different movements.<ref>{{cite book |editor=Karate Kenkyū-sha |title=Karate Kenkyū |trans-title = Karate Studies |language = ja |date=1934 |publisher=Kōbukan |location=Tokyo |page=20}}</ref> When Motobu asked Itosu about this point in his later years, Itosu replied, "The form is somewhat different from those days, but now I have decided on the form as it was performed by the students. Everyone preferred the name Pinan, so I followed the young people's opinion."

Since Motobu (b. 1870) began studying under Itosu at the age of 12 ([[East Asian age reckoning]]), this confirms the Channan were already in existence by the 1880s. The name "Pinan" was suggested by students of the former Okinawa Prefectural First Middle School (now Shuri High School) or Okinawa Prefectural Normal School. Itosu was a karate instructor here at the time, and adopted the name "Pinan".

The Channan is now lost, but some believe that [[Motobu-ryū]]'s "Shirokuma" ({{lang|ja|白熊}}, {{lit|white bear|lk=yes}}) kata may be Channan due to its similarity to Pinan.<ref>{{Cite web |last =Swift |first = Joe |title =Channan: The "Lost" Kata of Itosu? |url = http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=127 |website = FightingArts.com |access-date = 2023-10-26 }}</ref>

The Pinan kata were introduced into the school systems on [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] in 1895. They 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]], [[Seido Juku]], [[Shinki-Ryu]], [[Shōrei-ryū]], [[Shotojuku]], [[Shotokan]], [[Matsubayashi-ryū]], [[Shukokai]], [[Shindo Jinen Ryu]], [[:it:Koei-Kan|Koei-Kan]], Kosho-ryū Kempo, Kenyu Ryu, Kushin Ryu and several other styles.

Funakoshi modified the Pinan forms to Heian forms, introducing his version of [[Kūsankū_(kata)|Kushanku]] (actually renamed Kanku Dai). The 5 kata were Pinans Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yondan, and Godan.

==Current practice==
{{unsourced section|date=February 2023}}
The Pinans are taught to various beginner ranks according to their difficulty.  The kata are all loosely based on an [[I-shaped]] ''[[embusen]]'' or shape.  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 [[Kūsankū (kata)|Kusanku]].

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{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}. For example, the kata [[Shotokan]] calls Heian Shodan, other styles, such as [[Shitō-ryū]] call Pinan Nidan{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}. 

Additionally, certain styles change the order in which the kata is taught. For example, [[Wado-Ryu]], [[Shūkōkai]] teach Pinan Nidan first, and Pinan Shodan second, being Pinan Nidan is a more fundamental/beginner-friendly kata{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}. The taught order is as follows.

#Pinan Nidan,
#Pinan Shodan,
#Pinan Sandan,
#Pinan Yondan (also called Pinan Shidan) and
#Pinan Godan.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
In some [[Shito-Ryu]] dojos the order is different, as most Shito Ryu versions of Pinan Shodan are harder than the rest, so the order is as follows,
#Pinan Nidan
#Pinan Sandan
#Pinan Yondan (also called Pinan Shidan)
#Pinan Godan
#Pinan Shodan{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

==See also==
* [[Karate kata]]
* [[Kata]]
* [[Taikyoku]] - The simplified versions of the pinan/heian kata.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Karate}}

[[Category:Karate kata]]