Hirokazu Kanazawa
Hirokazu Kanazawa 1931 -
“A Champions Champion”
Hirokazu Kanazawa is a world-renowned Japanese master of Shotokankarate. He is the Chief instructor and President of the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation, an organization he founded after he left the Japan Karate Association (JKA). Kanazawa is ranked 10th dan in karate.
He trained in judo during his
school years, and held the rank of 2nd dan in that martial art. He began
training in karate whilst at Takushoku University under the then-head instructor of Shotokan karate, Masatoshi Nakayama. Kanazawa
also learned from the founder of the Shotokan style, Gichin Funakoshi, and is
one of the few living karateka (practitioners of karate) to have done so.
In January 1961, the JKA sent Kanazawa to Hawaii to establish karate schools there.He was ranked 5th dan at the time.He established a dojo (training hall) and served as the inaugural President of the Hawaii Karate Congress.In May 1963, he left Hawaii to teach in Europe and Japan. In 1966, Kanazawa became Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain, and the JKA promoted him to the rank of 6th dan that year. In 1973, the All Japan Karate Federation promoted him to 7th dan.
In 1977, Kanazawa left the JKAand founded the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF).Since then, he has taught and promoted karate through the SKIF, including the organization of several karate world championships. He continues to be the Chief Instructor of his own organization. In 1998, SKIF awarded him the rank of 8th dan.
Despite leaving the JKA, he is reported to maintain some ties with former colleagues in that organization. In 1990, Kanazawa demonstrated his art at the 10th Traditional Karate Tournament International, held in Las Vegas. In 1994 and 1995, he demonstrated his art at the 14th and 15th Traditional Karate Tournaments International. The International Martial Arts Federation promoted Kanazawa to 8th dan in 1978, 9th dan in 1988, and 10th dan in 2001.
Kanazawa has written several books on
karate including, Karate My life (2003).
He has been interviewed by numerous martial arts magazines, including Classical
Fighting Arts (2005, 2006). He also
relishes interviews with sensei and students of dojos worldwide. His black belt seminars are intense and
combine kata, kumite, storytelling, and interactive discussions, followed by an
informal dinner. This personal and approachable high ranking martial artist
often receives formal salutations from organizations located worldwide thanking
him for his visits and the honor and fighting spirit he shares with all.
Outside of his phenomenal ability in Karate, Master Kanazawa has attained the highest possible rank in Tai Chi, a Chinese martial art dealing with internal power and energy. Kanazawa-sensei feels his Karate practice of strong and powerful techniques is perfectly balanced by the smooth flowing movement of Tai Chi.
In the language
of Zen, ‘ikkohanko’ means: even if there is
nobody there to watch you, there is always somebody watching. Therefore you must be totally serious in your
training and keep searching in your soul for the real you through your karate
training.
Hirokazu Kanazawa
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