Hirokazu Kanazawa, born on May 3, 1931 and died on December 8, 2019, was a renowned Japanese karate master and direct student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate. Known for her exceptional technical talent and philosophical approach to karate, Kanazawa is an emblematic figure in the history of karate.
Kanazawa was born in Iwate, Japan. He began practicing judo and boxing during his high school years, but it was when he joined Takushoku University in Tokyo that he discovered karate. Impressed by a karate demonstration at university, he decided to devote himself fully to this martial art.
In 1952, he joined the Japan Karate Association (JKA), where he began training under Masatoshi Nakayama. His dedication and natural talent enabled him to progress rapidly, and in 1957 he won the All Japan Karate Championship organized by the JKA.
Kanazawa began teaching karate in 1958, after being appointed a full-time JKA instructor. He traveled throughout Japan, teaching and spreading karate. In 1961, he was sent to Hawaii to help found the Hawaii Karate Association. This was the beginning of his role in spreading karate internationally.
Over the following decades, Kanazawa continued to teach and promote karate worldwide. He has trained instructors and students in many countries and helped found several international karate organizations.
In 1978, Kanazawa founded the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF), an organization dedicated to promoting Shotokan karate worldwide. As a SKIF grandmaster, he continued to travel and teach well into old age, sharing his passion for karate with students of all ages and levels.
Kanazawa is particularly renowned for its mastery of kata, the traditional forms of karate. He is also renowned for his deep understanding of bunkai, the interpretation of movements in kata. His ability to execute karate techniques with exceptional precision and fluidity, while incorporating a deeply philosophical aspect, has become his trademark.
In addition to his technical contributions, Kanazawa is also renowned for his humanistic approach to karate. He saw karate not only as a means of self-defense, but also as a path to personal and spiritual development. He insisted on the importance of courtesy, respect and discipline, values he regarded as essential