Kancho Hirokazu Kanazawa 10th Dan. Head of SKIF 
Sensei Kanazawa was born in 1931, Iwate in Japan. A student and vice-captain of the infamous Takushoku University dojo for four years, he was taught by the founder of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi, and by masters Nakayama, Nishiyama, Okazaki. His history is very extensive but below is a short summary.
 
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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