Pinan in karate refers to a series of five KATA that are among the most widely practiced by beginners. Pinan is the original, Okinawan pronunciation, hei in standard Japanese, some schools of karate call the kata heian. Whichever way it is pronounced, the first ideogram means “peace,” while the second, an, means “tranquility.” Together, the name symbolizes the ultimate goal of karate: to achieve tranquil peace both socially and spiritually.
The five pinan kata were developed by an Okinawan karate master, Yasutsune Itosu (1830-1915), who is recognized as one of the most influential figures in the history of karate. Because their movements exclude the more difficult techniques, the kata are taught to beginner and intermediate students of karate. Among the major schools of karate which include the pinan (heian) in their syllabus are Shito-Ryu, Shotokan, and Wado-Ryu.
The paradox that the ultimate goal of karate is non-violence is widely known but not always understood. On the one hand, there is no denying that some practitioners of karate only superficially recognize its peaceful aims, if at all, and simply learn its techniques so that they can win their fights in bars and on the street.
Meanwhile, people who have heard only about the philosophical, spiritual aspects of karate are often shocked to see the fierce aggression displayed by students when they visit an actual school. They expect old karate master’s with long white beards who talk of love and harmony to students who gently go through their drills in a dreamy fashion. They do not understand that karate, ultimately, is the art of fighting, and one cannot fight well without aggression.
Both approaches to karate are misguided. To practice karate is to recognize that the ultimate goal of our society is to evolve into one in which all its members can live peacefully and fruitfully. At the same time, it is also necessary to recognize the inescapable fact that our society still gives rise to violent situations, and that in order to deal with them, violent reactions are sometimes necessary.
In order to determine whether violence is necessary, we must be able to see the situation objectively. Yet we must always be extremely prudent, for any act of violence, no matter how well-justified it may seem, can have terrible consequences. This tension between the ideal and the real is a point of much self-reflection for the true student of karate. Through reflection and meditation, the student moves closer to the second objective of karate, expressed in the name of the pina kata: peace and tranquility of the spirit through a greater understanding of oneself.
That Itosu gave a name with such profound meaning to a handful of basic kata seems to indicate the importance he placed on teaching these truths to students from the beginning.
