Pinan Kata’s
My name is David John Helmick; a Renshi Black-Belt under Hanshi Frank Ramirez Jr. of the Sanchin Bushi Karate System. I have studying the Martial Arts for 25 years.
The Pinan Kata Series has been a way of life for me in many aspects. Our Encyclopedia tells us that the Pinan Kata’s originated in Okinawa. The meaning of Pinan is “Peaceful and Calm”. The Pinan Katas are movements like the Taikyoku Kata’s; that are movements from an H -Pattern
The word, Pinan has a definition: “Peaceful Mind”. This peaceful mind is mindset that we develop to create inner harmony deep inside our soul. With that development, we merge the mind, body and spirit to create a force that will magnify strength to gain knowledge for life situations.
In the essence of life situations, our path of journey is challenged by many obstacles. These obstacles can overwhelm one’s mindset and derail one’s inner soul and cause the destruction of our inner spirit. By finding and developing a working progress of peaceful living we keep the mind, body and spirit in harmony.
Today’s society presents struggles in our lives as well as joyful situations. Pinan meanings are translated using different words by different interpretations. “Serenity” and “Security” go along with “Peaceful Mind” and “Calm Mind”. By utilizing the Martial Arts training of Kata, we can nourish the body to bring all elements of Bushido into balance. Thus, we live a long and peaceful life, no matter what controversy comes our way.
The 5 Pinan Kata’s: Shodan, Nidan, Sandan, Yodan and Godan. These Kata’s have high stances and narrow stances. The techniques are basic and traditional in form. Practice of these Kata’s to the point of mastery creates the understanding for advanced Kata and Bunkai. These Kata’s were designed for multiple attackers and all start with an attack from the left. We use the movement to move away from an attacker. The Pinan I-Patterns teaches us how to branch off into angles and move away from strikes to allow a distance between us and the attack. Advanced Kata’s have movements that we move into the line of attack as well as moving away. Understanding Kata movements starting with a block; allows us to plant our foundation and coil our body for the counter attack. With this compressed coil of energy, we can explode with dynamic technique necessary to survive the attack.
In conclusion, a Martial Arts practitioner can perform these Pinan Kata’s many times in repetition and never gain the true understanding of these movements. We must develop the mind with a “Peaceful Way of thinking” to fully be aware of the knowledge that we may gain. Our instructor’s teaching will enhance us to create a desire to learn the true meaning of Pinan Kata thinking. By practicing these Kata’s with eyes closed is one way we can find our inner being of Bushido. Also, changing the terrain that you are familiar with is another way to develop the mind. The direction you face upon the start of the Kata’s will create concentration and allow one to grow in the Kata movement from within your soul. Thus, we have achieved the level of living a “Martial Arts way of life”.
David Helmick, Renshi