One of the world’s most renowned and respected traditional karate masters alive Kanazawa Shihan, 10th Dan. He won the notorious ‘All Japan karate Championship’ Kumite championship in 1957 and in 1958 won the Kata and Kumite Titles. On one occasion winning the finals whilst nursing a broken wrist from an earlier event.

Although trained in Judo in his early years, Kanazawa took up karate whilst at University under the late headmaster of the shotokan style Matsatoshi Nakayama (10th Dan). Kanazawa 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.

Breaking away from the JKA (Japan Karate Association) in 1973, Kanazawa set up SKIF (Shotokan Karatedo International Federation). SKIF is now the world’s largest Shotokan association, having over 2 ½ million members in over 100 countries.

Murakami Sensei 6th Dan, Stephen Marriott 3rd Dan, Kanazawa Sensei 10th Dan, Sue Sylvester 4th Dan, Akita Sensei 5th Dan

2009
Chairman, 10th SKIF World Championships in Athens, Greece

2006
Chairman, 9th SKIF World Championships in Tokyo, Japan

2003
Chairman, 8th SKIF World Championship in Durban, South Africa
Present : Kancho, Supreme Instructor and President SKIF

2001
Jyu-Dan (10th Dan), International Martial Arts Federation

2000
Chairman, 7th SKIF World Championship in Bali, Indonesia

1997
Chairman, 6th SKIF World Championship in Milan, Italy

1994
Chairman, 5th SKIF World Championship in Yokohama, Japan

1991
Chairman, 4th SKIF World Championship in Mexico-City, Mexico

1988
Kyu-Dan (9thDan), International Martial Arts Federation
Chairman, 3rd SKIF World Championship in Utsunomiya, Japan

1985
Chairman, 2nd SKIF World Championship in Dusseldorf, Germany

1983
Chairman, 1st SKIF World Championship in Tokyo, Japan

1978
Hachi-Dan (8thDan), International Martial Arts Federation

1977
Left JKA and Established Shotokan Karatedo International

1976
Referee 1st IAKF World Championship in Los Angeles
Referee JKA Asia-Oceania Championship in Hong Kong

1973
Nana-Dan (7th Dan), All Japan Karate Federation

1972
General Manager of the Japanese Team at the 2nd WUKO Championship in Paris, France

1971
Nana-Dan (7th Dan), JKA
JKA Director & General Manager of International Division of JKA
Shihan at Musashikogyo, Kantogakuin and Kitasato Universities

1968
General Manager of the European team at the World Championship in Mexico

1967
Chief Instructor of JKA Europe & German Karate Federation

1966
Chief Instructor of Karate Union of Great Britain
Roku-Dan (6th Dan), JKA

1958
Kumite and Kata Champion at the 2nd JKA All Japan Championship

1957
Kumite Champion at the 1st JKA All Japan Championship Tournament

1956
Graduated from Takushoku University and joined Japan Karate Association