Also known as
Kancho Kanazawa · Soke Kanazawa
Description
Japanese master of Shotokan karate, ranked 10th dan, who held the 2nd dan in
Judo. Kanazawa trained under Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama at
Takushoku University, won the inaugural All Japan Karate Championship kumite
title in 1957, and was among the first graduates of the JKA instructor training
programme. After teaching for the JKA in Japan and abroad, he left the
association and founded the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF),
which he led as Soke and Chief Instructor until his death in 2019. He was among
the last living karateka to have learned directly from Gichin Funakoshi.
Teachers (2)
-
Funakoshi Gichin
sports_martial_artsShotokan
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Well-documented across multiple sources that Kanazawa learned directly from
Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan, and was one of the last living karateka
to have done so
“Kanazawa also learned from the founder of the Shotokan style, Gichin Funakoshi,
and was one of the last living karateka (practitioners of karate) to have done
so.”
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Hirokazu Kanazawa -
Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link
history
info
“A direct student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate”
— Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation.
Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke - Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation
link
history
info
-
Masatoshi Nakayama
sports_martial_artsShotokan
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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fact_check
Wikipedia and SKIF's own bio, two independent sources, both directly state
Kanazawa trained under Masatoshi Nakayama, then head instructor of Shotokan at
Takushoku University and later JKA chief instructor
“He began training in karate whilst at Takushoku University under the then-head
instructor of Shotokan karate, Masatoshi Nakayama.”
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Hirokazu Kanazawa -
Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link
history
info
“At Takushoku University he turned to karate, training under Masatoshi Nakayama
and learning directly from Gichin Funakoshi.”
— Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation.
Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke - Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation
link
history
info
Ranks (2)
-
military_tech10 dan
Confirmed
Dan-Kyu System (2000)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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fact_check
SKIF bio lists 10th dan; Wikipedia confirms the International Martial Arts
Federation promoted Kanazawa to 10th dan in 2000
“The International Martial Arts Federation promoted Kanazawa to 8th dan in 1978,
9th dan in 1988, and 10th dan in 2000.”
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Hirokazu Kanazawa -
Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link
history
info
“Kanazawa held the rank of 10th Dan.”
— Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation.
Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke - Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation
link
history
info
-
military_tech2 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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Wikipedia infobox states Kanazawa held 2nd dan in Judo from his school years
“He trained in judo during his school years, and held the rank of 2nd dan in
that martial art.”
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Hirokazu Kanazawa -
Wikipedia (EN). Wikipedia (English)link
history
info
Students (1)
-
Ari Anastasiadis
sports_martial_artsShotokan
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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fact_check
Goran Glucina's first-person video description states that he and Ari
Anastasiadis both trained under Hirokazu Kanazawa; corroborated by the Karate
Maskoutain hommage. The interaction period is inferred from Anastasiadis's
documented Tokyo/JKA stay in the late 1950s when Kanazawa was a JKA instructor.
visibilityFirst-hand
“We all trained under the greatest Karate Master of modern times HIROKAZU
KANAZAWA Soke who spread Karate -Do throughout the Western World.”
— Glucina, Goran. (2022). KARATE DEMONSTRATION on NHK
TV, TOKYO JAPAN 1985 Rare footagelink
info
Honours (1)
-
receipt_longMeijin title
Probable
history_eduTradition only
Tradition only: every supporting source is the lineage's own account of
itself
Title (2012)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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fact_check
SKIF's own bio states Kanazawa was conferred the Meijin title in 2012; no
independent source corroborates it
“In recognition of his lifetime contribution to martial arts, Kanazawa was
conferred the Meijin title in 2012.”
— Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation.
Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke - Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation
link
history
info
Identifiers
https://martial.is/entity/01KYYP8SJVM8PW3R7X6Z9NWBQB
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Hirokazu Kanazawa. In Martialis: Martial
Arts Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01KYYP8SJVM8PW3R7X6Z9NWBQB - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01KYYP8SJVM8PW3R7X6Z9NWBQB, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Hirokazu Kanazawa}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage
Database}, year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01KYYP8SJVM8PW3R7X6Z9NWBQB}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
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