About This Kata
| Name | Heian Nidan [平安二段] |
| Translation | Peaceful Mind – Second 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. When Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to mainland Japan, he renamed them Heian and reversed the order of Shodan and Nidan. What is now Heian Nidan was originally Pinan Shodan — the first of Itosu’s Pinan forms — but Funakoshi placed it second as he found the other form more suitable as an introduction. |
| Lineage | Kushanku/Channan (Chinese Forms) → Itosu Ankō (Shuri-te) [Pinan] → Gichin Funakoshi (Shōtōkan) |
Peaceful Mind – Level 2 (Shotokan Kata)
