About This Kata
| Name | Heian Shodan [平安初段] |
| Translation | Peaceful Mind – First Level |
| Style | Shotokan |
| Level | Beginner |
| History | The Heian kata were originally called Pinan (平安) and created by Itosu Ankō around 1907 to introduce karate into the Okinawan school system. Itosu simplified older complex kata such as Kushanku and parts of Passai to create five preparatory forms. The word Pinan means ‘peaceful and safe’. When Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to mainland Japan in the 1920s, he renamed them Heian using the same kanji but the Japanese pronunciation. Funakoshi reversed the order of Shodan and Nidan, as he considered the original Pinan Nidan technically easier and better suited as the first form. |
| Lineage | Kushanku/Channan (Chinese Forms) → Itosu Ankō (Shuri-te) [Pinan] → Gichin Funakoshi (Shōtōkan) |
Peaceful Mind – Level 1 (Shotokan Kata)
