Background
Kanazawa was born on 3 May 1931 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
金澤 弘和
Kanazawa was born on 3 May 1931 in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
In 1956, he graduated from university and joined the JKA.
He is the Chief instructor and President of the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation, an organisation 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 was promoted to the rank of 1st dan in Shotokan karate with less than two years of training in the art Promotion to 2nd dan came three years later.
That same year, he was promoted to 3rd daughter That same year, Kanazawa was among the first to graduate from the JKA"s instructor training programme.
Mikami and Kanazawa had been classmates and roommates for a long time and, because they knew each other well, they launched a minimal number of attacks, mainly just circling until the time was up.
Thus, they shared the kumite title. 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 daughter In 1977, Kanazawa left the JKA and founded the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF).
Since then, he has taught and promoted karate through the SKIF, including the organisation of several karate world championship competitions.
Despite leaving the JKA, he is reported to maintain some ties with former colleagues in that organisation. 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.
He has been featured in Paul Walker"s book, Lessons with the Master: 279 Karate lessons with Master Hirokazu Kanazawa.
The International Martial Arts Federation promoted Kanazawa to 8th dan in 1978, 9th dan in 1988, and 10th dan in 2001.