Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke (May 1931 - Dec 2019)

Soke Hirokazu Kanazawa
10th Dan SKIF
(1931-2019)

Kanazawa Soke (10th Dan Black Belt) was one of the world most renowned and respected traditional karate masters of all time.  He was the first karateka to have won the notorious All Japan karate Championship.

In 1957 kumite champion (while nursing a broken wrist)
In 1958 kumite and kata champion

Although trained in Judo in his early years, Kanazawa Soke took up karate whilst at University under the late headmaster of JKA shotokan, sensei Matsatoshi Nakayama. Kanazawa Soke is also one of the few remaining karateka privileged to have studied under Master Gichin Funakoshi, the famous Okinawin schoolteacher who brought karate to mainland Japan from Okinawa and founded the Shotokan style.

In 1978, Kanazawa Soke set up SKIF (Shotokan Karatedo International Federation). SKIF is now the worlds largest Shotokan Karate Association, having several million members in over 130 countries.