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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.
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 was also one of the few 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. Soke
died 2019 |
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1956,
after Takushoku graduation, he joined the Japan Karate
Association.
1957, Kumite Champion 1st all Japan Karate Championship.
1958, Kumite and Kata Champion 2nd all Japan KARATE
championships.
1960,
Chief instructor in Hawaii and United States.
1962, Establishes a Hawaiian KARATE league. He becomes the
head teacher and guides America mainland each place.
1963, He acquires the 5th dan.
1964, Studies briefly in Okinawa.
1964, Becomes European head coach and chief master in
England and Germany.
1966, He acquires the 6th dan.
1968,
Coach to the European squad at the Mexico World
championships.
1968,
Returns to Japan to take up the post of Director of the
JKA.
1972,
Took the World Championships title in Paris with the
Japanese JKA squad.
1975, He judges "the international amateur KARATE title"
(Los Angeles).
1976, Judges the Asian title competition in Hong Kong.
1978,
Returns to Japan after living a short while in Canada.
Leaves the JKA and establishes SKIF (Shotokan
Karate-do International federation).
2000,
Awarded the highest rank in Martial arts, 10th dan at the
Indonesian championships in Bali.
As Terry O Neil once
wrote "Kanazawa was often cited by experts as the man
who has come closest to achieving perfect technique and
from an aesthetic viewpoint, the karate of Kanazawa has no
equal. " Not God given but single minded
determination that has not waned for fifty years.
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