Hirokazu Kanazawa
Hirokazu Kanazawa, is one of the world’s most renowned and respected traditional karate masters who held 10th Dan.
Hirokazu Kanazawa was born on May 3, 1931 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. He began training in karate at Takushoku University under 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. It took Kancho Kanazawa one and a half years of disciplined training to attain the rank of 1st dan and after three years he gained the rank of 2nd dan.
In 1956, he graduated from university and joined the JKA (Japan Karate Association). He is the only karateka ever to have won the notorious "All Japan Karate Championships" an incredible three times in a row in 1956, 1957 and 1958.
In 1977, Kanazawa left the JKA and founded the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF).
The International Martial Arts Federation promoted Kanazawa to 8th dan in 1978, 9th dan in 1988, and 10th Dan in 2001.
SKIF is now the world’s largest Shotokan Karate Association under one chief instructor having over 2 million members in over 100 countries.
Summary of Hirokazu Kanazawa's achievements to date:
1931 Born in Iwate, Japan
1956 Graduated from Takushoku University and joined Japan Karate Association
1957 Kumite Champion at the 1st JKA All Japan Championships Tournament
1958 Kumite and Kata Champion at the 2nd JKA All Japan Championships
1961 Chief Instructor in Hawaii, USA Go-Dan (5thDan), JKA
1966 Chief Instructor of Karate Union of Great Britain,Roku-Dan (6thDan), JKA
1967 Chief Instructor of JKA Europe & German Karate Federating
1968 General Manager of the European team at the World Championships in Mexico
1971 Nana-Dan (7th Dan), JKA Director & General Manager of International Division of JKA International Section.
1972 General Manager of the Japanese Team at the 2nd WUKO Championships in Paris, France
1973 Nana-Dan (7th Dan), All Japan Karate Federation
1976 Referee 1st IAKF World Championships in Los Angeles Referee JKA Asia-Oceania Championship in Hong Kong
1977 Left JKA to Establish of Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (SKIF)
1978 Hachi-Dan (8thDan), International Martial Arts Federation
1980 Referee 5th WUKO World Championships in Madrid
1981 Referee 1st World games in Santa Clara, California USA
1983 Chairman, 1st SKIF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan
1985 Chairman, 2nd SKIF World Championships in Dusseldorf, West Germany
1988 Kyu-Dan (9thDan), International Martial Arts Federation Chairman, 3rd SKIF World Championships in Utsunomiya, Japan
1991 Chairman, 4th SKIF World Championships in Mexico-City, Mexico
1994 Chairman, 5th SKIF World Championships in Yokohama, Japan
1997 Chairman, 6th SKIF World Championships in Milan, Italy
2000 Chairman, 7th SKIF World Championships in Bali, Indonesia
2001 Jyu-Dan (10th Dan), International Martial Arts Federation
2003 Chairman, 8th SKIF World Championships in Durban, South Africa
2006 President, 9th SKIF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan
2010 Kancho, Supreme Instructor and President of Shotokan Karate-do International Federation
2019 Passed away on December 8, 2019 (aged 88)