PINAN.

Pinan kata are not so old but widely trained amongst Shurite stylist such as Shotokan (Heian), Shitoryu, Shorinryu, Kyokushinkai and of course Wado ryu. There are a couple of legends that want to give the origin of Pinan Kata.

One says that a karate expert Ing Shu Ho originated Pinan. Also there was something similar to the Pinan called Chanan kata in Okinawa. The other story says that Itosu Yasutsune (1830-1914), the teacher of Funankoshi sensei and Mabuni sensei, formed the Pinan kata out of Kushanku kata.

PINAN NIDAN This original second kata (still in name) is mostly trained first and before the original first kata Pinan Shodan. This because the techniques are easier to learn for beginners. The kata studies the basic movement in karate; lifting and descending of the body, forward moving and turning.

The stances practised in this kata are “ma hanmi no nekoshi dachi”, “zenkutsu dachi” and “shiko dachi”.Also a beginning with the principle of body evasion. Irimi (to enter) with tai sabaki (body movement). PINAN SHODAN This kata introduces the use of soto uke.

PINAN SANDAN Defences against grappling from in front and from behind are taken as primary study point in this kata.

PINAN YONDAN Remarkable in this kata are the open hand techniques ‘kakate’ or ‘grappling’ hands. The adversary is being grappled in different ways and taken down by knee- or elbow techniques. Like Pinan Shodan is this kata nice to prepare for kata Kushanku.

PINAN GODAN The fast changes of positions in this kata can really suggest a fight against multiple adversaries. The kata is excellent to use in demonstration. A remarkable serie of techniques in this kata are three double hand-blocks in which the hands turn around each other as twirling leaves in the wind. The technique is called in Japanese ” kare ha” which “falling leaves” means. One of the many explanations is that the arm of the adversary is trapped and twisted in the arms.

KUSHANKU The name of this kata, Kushanku, is one of the oldest to be able to trace back. The name is taken from a Chinese military attache, Kung Hsiang Chung, who came to Okinawa in 1762 and taught his kempo to Tode Sakugawa.

Whether the story is true or not, it has lot of similarity to the Chinese system, northern Shaolin, than other karate kata.Kushanku is a kata full of various combinations, turnings, jumpings and even creeping. Most of the movements in Kushanku are already encountered in the Pinan kata.

Kushanku has a lot of varieties; Shiho Kusanku (shito ryu), Yara Kushanku (matsubayashi ryu), Kusanku Dai and Sho (shorin ryu), Kanku Dai and Sho (shotokan), Kanku (kyokushinkai), Kushanku (wado ryu).

NAIHANCHI This is said to be Othsuka sensei favourite kata. He studied it further in depth with Choki Motobu, who is said to have influenced sensei heavily about this kata.

The kata is performed without any combination. All moves are apart. Very significant is that all moves from the torso (hip) up are performed without influencing the steady horse riding stance, kiba dachi. Naihanchi is a Shuri-te kata. In Shotokan the name is altered to Tekki.

SEISHAN This kata was trained also in Naha and in Shuri and is the oldest still taught kata in Okinawa.

Stances trained are yoko sheisan and tate sheisan.

The first part of the kata is performed slowly with muscle tension in various of the techniques, the second part is preformed relaxed, combination of movements, quick and explosive. The sudden change is to train the control over the muscles for relaxation or tension.

CHINTO According to the legend Chinto was a Chinese sailor washed ashore on Okinawa and started to teach Kempo to Bushi Matsumura who created Chinto kata.

In shotokan this kata is also called Gan kaku, heron on the rock.This kata trains the importance of stability and balance and the countering when grappled by the adversary.

BASSAI Also an old Shuri-te kata. The meaning of the kata :” to push out of one another” as if “the breaking of a fortress”.

This can be interpreted as getting into the defence of the adversary.

JION Jion means Templeground, so one can say that the kata is formed in a Buddhist temple or by someone related to it. One says that this kata should be done in a calm, strong precise way, in the spirit of Buddhist monks.

JITTE (To be as strong as) Ten Hands is the translation for Jitte.It is a beautiful and strong kata that seems too easy for the essence of the kata.

NISHEISHI The name indicates the number 24.Like there are twenty four different self defence situations in this kata.

It is an old habit to name a kata to a certain number. Superenpai for instance that indicates to the number 108.

ROHEI Dance of the gods. The name Rohei in Okinawen translation means; vision of the white crane. This kata was already trained by Matstumura.

WANSHU Wanshu was the name of a chinese diplomat who was the inspiration of this kata. Wang Ji or Wanshu came to Okinawa in1683 were he lived in the Tomari area to do his diplomatic activities and to teach the self defense system of ” Shaolin white crane fist boxing”.

Wanshu was supposed to be a large man whose specialty it was to lift the adversary above his head and then throw him to the ground and jump on him. This movements can still be found in the end of the kata.

The kata is also nicknamed “flight of the swallow”.