The
kata are a series of five empty hand forms taught in many
karate styles. The Pingan kata originated in
Okinawa and were adapted by
Anko Itosu from older kata such as
Kusanku and Channan into forms suitable for teaching karate to young students. When
Gichin Funakoshi brought karate to
Japan, he renamed the kata to
Heian, which is translated as "peaceful and safe". Pinan is the Chinese Pinyin notation of 平安, which means also "peaceful and safe". Korean
Tang Soo Do (not
Chuck Norris'
American Tang Soo Do), one of 5 original
kwan of
taekwondo), also practice these kata; they are termed, "Pyong-an" or "Pyung-Ahn", which is a Korean pronunciation of the term "ping-an".