{"id":6486,"date":"2016-05-31T17:07:13","date_gmt":"2016-05-31T21:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/?p=6486"},"modified":"2017-01-11T12:58:14","modified_gmt":"2017-01-11T17:58:14","slug":"pinan-katas-of-kyokushin-karate-to-keep-you-safe-from-harm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/pinan-katas-of-kyokushin-karate-to-keep-you-safe-from-harm\/","title":{"rendered":"Pinan Katas of Kyokushin Karate, to “Keep You Safe From Harm”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Gichin-Funakoshi-Sensei\"<\/a>

Gichin Funakoshi Sensei<\/p><\/div>\n

\"mas_oyama_kata\"<\/a>

Masutatsu \u201cMas\u201d Oyama<\/p><\/div>\n

The 5 Pinan Katas taught in Kyokushin<\/strong><\/a> were introduced by Sosai Masutatsu \u201cMas\u201d Oyama<\/strong>, the founder of Kyokushin, coming from his background in Shuri-te, as a 4th<\/sup> Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate<\/strong>, under it\u2019s founder Gichin Funakoshi.<\/p>\n

The Pinan were originally created by ‘Anko’ Yasutsune Itosu<\/strong> Sensei in 1905.<\/p>\n

The word ‘Pinan’ historically has been translated as ‘Peaceful Mind’<\/strong> in Karate, but more recent research by experts has confirmed the correct translation should be “Safe from Harm”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Pinan-Kanji\"<\/a>

Pinan (Heian)<\/p><\/div>\n

Pinan<\/strong> (Heian) is written using two characters. The first character (\u5e73<\/strong>) is pronounced \u201cping\u201d in Chinese Mandarin and the Okinawan dialect, and \u201chei\u201d in Japanese. The character originates from a pictogram denoting plants floating on the top of water and means \u201cflat, level, even; peaceful, clam\u201d.<\/p>\n

The second character (\u5b89<\/strong>), which is pronounced \u201can<\/strong>\u201d in all the languages mentioned, originates from a pictogram denoting a woman underneath a roof and means \u201cpeaceful, tranquil, quiet, content\u201d.<\/p>\n

However, when these characters are combined (\u5e73\u5b89<\/strong>) things change. Read on!<\/p>\n

In Japanese, the two characters together would be pronounced as \u201cHeian\u201d and translate as \u201cpeace and tranquillity\u201d.<\/p>\n

Although, in Chinese they mean something very different!<\/p>\n

The characters used for writing \u201cPinan\u201d and \u201cHeian\u201d mean \u201csafety\u201d or \u201csafe and sound\u201d. Similar translations \u201csafe from danger\u201d and \u201csafe from harm\u201d are used by speakers of Mandarin. These translations all communicate the same sentiment and are in effect interchangeable. It is commonly used in China when seeing someone off.<\/p>\n

Anko Itosu Sensei most probably would have used and meant \u201csafe from harm\u201d when naming the kata he created, to honour the Okinawan and Chinese roots of his karate, and not use the translation from mainland Japan.<\/p>\n

\"Tode\"<\/a>

T\u014dde (China hand)<\/p><\/div>\n

Similarly at the time Itosu Sensei created the Pinan\u00a0series, \u201ckarate\u201d was\u00a0written in Okinawa\u00a0using the characters for \u201cChinese\u201d (pronounced \u201ckara\u201d or \u201cto\u201d) and \u201chand\u201d (pronounced \u201cte\u201d or \u201cde\u201d) \u5510\u624b<\/strong> giving us the reading \u201cT\u014dde<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"karate\"

Karate (empty hand)<\/p><\/div>\n

It was when the art spread to Japan that the character for \u201cempty\u201d (which can also be\u00a0pronounced as\u00a0\u201ckara\u201d) \u7a7awas widely substituted, in order to make the art easier to promote in mainland Japan, as it indicated that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanese style, and differentiate from the Okinawan and Chinese roots. Thus, it became “Karate”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So, it would make natural sense that the characters Itosu Sensei also used for Pinan would follow the same principle, and so it\u00a0would mean \u201cSafe From Harm<\/strong>\u201d, rather then \u201cpeaceful mind.\u201d Which makes even more sense if you practice the kata, as there is nothing peaceful about them, but the Bunkai<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0included will keep you safe from harm!<\/p>\n

History of the Pinan Kata<\/h3>\n
\"'Anko'<\/a>

‘Anko’ Yasutsune Itosu Sensei (1831-1915)<\/p><\/div>\n

‘Anko’ Yasutsune Itosu<\/strong> (1830 -1915) who created\u00a0the Pinan katas, a group\u00a0of five empty hand forms, now taught in many styles of karate, including Shotokan, Shito-ryu, Wado-ryu, Shorin-ryu, Kobayashi-ryu, Matsubayashi-ryu, Shorei-ryu, Shukokai, Kosho-ryu kenpo, Tang Soo Do, and of course, Kyokushin.<\/p>\n

Itosu was born in Yamagawa village, which was situated in the Shuri region of Okinawa.\u00a0In 1901, Itosu put\u00a0Karate onto the physical education program of the Shuri Jinjo elementary school. Itosu believed Karate to be too dangerous to be taught to children, so he set about disguising the more dangerous techniques contained within the katas. As a result of these modifications, the children\u00a0were 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 the knowledge of the dangerous fighting techniques that the katas contain, within the bunkai<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Students<\/a>

Students practicing Karate outside Shuri Castle in Okinawa (c. 1938)<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1905, Itosu was appointed as karate teacher to the Prefectural Dai Ichi College\u00a0and the Prefectural Teachers’ Training College. In 1908 Itosu wrote a letter to the Prefectural education department that outlined his views on karate and asked that karate be introduced into 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.<\/p>\n

There are several stories about how\u00a0Itosu developed the Pinan kata<\/p>\n

One of the story claims 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 kata\u00a0is 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 of the Shuri region where he lived.<\/p>\n

\"Bushi-Matsumura\"<\/a>

Matsumura “Bushi” S\u014dkon<\/p><\/div>\n

Another variation is that Pinan Shodan and Nidan were created by Matsumura “Bushi” S\u014dkon <\/strong><\/a>(Matsumura began the study of karate under the guidance of Sakukawa Kanga<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00a0and were originally called Channan Sho and Dai. They were based on kata taught at the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fukien Province of China, 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 Okinawa. It is possible that Bushi got the techniques from him. Itosu created Pinan Sandan, Yondan, and Godan and added them to his own system.<\/p>\n

\"Motobu<\/a>

Motobu Ch\u014dki (1870-1944)<\/p><\/div>\n

Choki Motobu<\/strong>, in both his published books on karate (Okinawa Kenpo Karate-jutsu Kumite-hen (1926) and Watashi no Karate Jutsu (1933), 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<\/em>” (Motobu, 1926, 1932).<\/p>\n

We might not ever know the true origin of the kata, but we do know it was created to introduce people to Karate. Originally it was one long kata, but later\u00a0broken down it into five and named accordingly.<\/p>\n

When Ginchin Funakoshi went\u00a0to mainland Japan, in 1917, and again in 1922,[2]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0he brought with him all of the Kata he had learned from his teacher, including\u00a0and the Pinan kata\u00a0he had taught to the school children for Itosu Sensei. As his teacher before him, Funakoshi altered the kata when introducing\u00a0T\u014dde (Karate) to the people of Japan. For example,\u00a0he changed\u00a0the name Pinans to Heian (the Japanese pronunciation), switched number one kata for number two, \u00a0added much\u00a0deeper stances and higher kicks, replaced many front kicks with side kicks, as well as altering\u00a0other moves in the kata series.<\/p>\n

Sh\u014dt\u014dkan was the name of the first official dojo built by Gichin Funakoshi, in 1936[3]<\/a><\/sup> at Mejiro, and unfortunately was destroyed in 1945 as a result of an allied bombing. Sh\u014dt\u014d<\/strong>\u00a0(\u677e\u6fe4<\/span>), meaning “pine-waves” (the movement of pine needles when the wind blows through them), was Funakoshi’s pen-name,[5]<\/a><\/sup> which he used in his poetic and philosophical writings and messages to his students. The Japanese kan<\/b> (\u9928<\/span>) means “house” or “hall”. In honour of their sensei, Funakoshi’s students created a sign reading sh\u014dt\u014d-kan, which they placed above the entrance of the hall where Funakoshi taught.[5]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0However, Gichin Funakoshi never gave his system a name, just calling it karate.<\/p>\n

\"Mas<\/a>

Mas Oyama, second from left, Shotokan Dojo 1943<\/p><\/div>\n

One of\u00a0Funakoshi Sensei’s students was a young Korean named\u00a0Choi Yeong-eui, who would later change his name to\u00a0Masutatsu Oyama (\u014cyama Masutatsu).<\/i><\/p>\n

In 1946, Oyama enrolled in Waseda University School of Education to study sports science.<\/p>\n

Wanting to continue his previous martial arts training and wanting the best in instruction, he contacted the Shotokan dojo\u00a0operated by Gig\u014d Funakoshi, the second son of karate teacher\u00a0Gichin Funakoshi.<\/p>\n

Oyama attended Takushoku University in Tokyo and was accepted as a student at the dojo of Gichin Funakoshi. He trained with Gichin Funakoshi for two years.<\/p>\n

\"Oyama<\/a>

Oyama Dojo 1953<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1953 Oyama opened his own karate dojo, named Oyama Dojo<\/b>.\u00a0Oyama’s own curriculum soon developed a reputation as a tough, intense, hard-hitting but practical style which was finally named Kyokushin<\/a><\/b>, meaning ‘the ultimate truth,’ in a ceremony in 1957.<\/p>\n

Sosai Mas\u00a0Oyama adopted and incorporated the Pinan Katas into Kyokushin Karate with a few modifications, to adapt the\u00a0Katas to the Kyokushin stances, giving more emphasis to force.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Osu!<\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The 5 Pinan Katas taught in Kyokushin were introduced by Sosai Masutatsu \u201cMas\u201d Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin, coming from his background in Shuri-te, as a 4th Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate, under it\u2019s founder Gichin Funakoshi.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6521,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[157,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6486","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6486"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6486\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7175,"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6486\/revisions\/7175"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6486"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6486"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/the-martial-way.com\/posts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6486"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}