Also known as

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

  linkShotokan 3

  Confirmed

  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

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  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

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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)linkinfo

  "A direct student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate."

  — Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation. Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke - Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation linkinfo
• 
  Masatoshi Nakayama

  linkShotokan 3

  Confirmed

  Multiple sources confirm Kanazawa trained under Masatoshi Nakayama, then head instructor of Shotokan at Takushoku University and later JKA chief instructor

  sports_kabaddiTakushoku University badge

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Multiple sources confirm Kanazawa trained under Masatoshi Nakayama, then head instructor of Shotokan at Takushoku University and later JKA chief instructor

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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)linkinfo

Ranks (2)

• linkShotokan

  military_tech10 dan 3

  Confirmed

  SKIF bio lists 10th dan; Wikipedia confirms the International Martial Arts Federation promoted Kanazawa to 10th dan in 2000

  Dan-Kyu System (2000)

  granted by Kokusai Budoin, International Martial Arts Federation

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  SKIF bio lists 10th dan; Wikipedia confirms the International Martial Arts Federation promoted Kanazawa to 10th dan in 2000

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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)linkinfo

  "Soke Hirokazu Kanazawa, 10th Dan and founder of SKIF."

  — Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation. Hirokazu Kanazawa Soke - Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation linkinfo
• linkKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech2 dan 3

  Confirmed

  Wikipedia infobox states Kanazawa held 2nd dan in Judo from his school years

  Dan-Kyu System

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Wikipedia infobox states Kanazawa held 2nd dan in Judo from his school years

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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)linkinfo

Students (1)

• 
  Ari Anastasiadis

  linkShotokan 2

  Probable

  Goran Glucina's first-person video description states that he and Ari Anastasiadis both trained under Hirokazu Kanazawa; corroborated by the Karate Maskoutain hommage documenting Anastasiadis's collaboration with Kanazawa on SKIF instructional materials. The interaction period is inferred from Anastasiadis's documented Tokyo/JKA stay in the late 1950s when Kanazawa was a JKA instructor, not directly dated by any source.

  sports_kabaddiJKA Honbu Dojo badge (1956-1960)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  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 documenting Anastasiadis's collaboration with Kanazawa on SKIF instructional materials. The interaction period is inferred from Anastasiadis's documented Tokyo/JKA stay in the late 1950s when Kanazawa was a JKA instructor, not directly dated by any source.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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 footagelinkinfo

Honors (1)

• receipt_longMeijin title 3

  Confirmed

  SKIF bio states Kanazawa was conferred the Meijin title in 2012 in recognition of his lifetime contribution to martial arts

  Title (2012)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  SKIF bio states Kanazawa was conferred the Meijin title in 2012 in recognition of his lifetime contribution to martial arts

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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 linkinfo

Sources