Karate, among its many benfits to all ages, helps children learn to focus, concentrate and follow instructions. Plus they just love to wear their karate gi / uniform! This is a skill that can be used in the classroom and in everyday life.
Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, is thought of as one of the main figures in shaping modern martial arts. He gathered obscure fighting techniques from the back of Okinawa and introduced them to the world.
Shihan Hirokazu Kanazawa is a 10th Dan SKIF and one of the most seasoned Shotokan Karate instructors in the world. His name is synonymous with the 'Shotokan Way and his fame draws students from around the world to his training classes. Although he is a highly skilled martial artist, he is at ease and hospitable, a trait shared by all of the great Shotokan Masters who have come before him.
Born in 1931, Kanazawa began his Shotokan studies at Takushoku University. Already an accomplished judoka and a boxer at the time, he was drawn to the long-range fighting techniques used in the Shotokan style. He was a member of the university's karate club and practiced at least six hours per day. He was able to do this in addition to his studies at university, and developed an incredible endurance and techniques by putting in the effort.
After completing his studies at the university, he joined the JKA as a student of Sensei nakayama. In 1957 the year he was invited to graduate alongside Takayuki Miami, Teruyuki OKazaki, and Keinosuke Eoeda from the first two-year instructor training program, which would later become known as JKA Instructors Course.
After the course was completed Kanazawa was sent to Hawaii to establish JKA Karate schools in the United States, where he did his best to promote and develop his art. He also visited the dojos where Chosin Ryu founder Chosinchibana and Higa Yochoku honed their karate skills.
During this time, he was in a position to improve his understanding of the methods and katas of the Shotokan style, and also make adjustments when he felt it was necessary. He was committed to promoting the JKA and was instrumental in establishing new standards for how tournaments were run.
In 1973, Kanazawa split from the JKA and established SKIF (the Shotokan Karate International Federation). It is the largest international Karate organisation with more than 2.5 million members who follow his philosophies. He continues to teach and inspires all who have the pleasure of studying under him.
A true master of martial arts, Shihan Fumio Demura was an early pioneer of karate in the United States. A 9th dan in the Japanese style of Shito-ryu, he was also an accomplished Okinawan Kobudo expert with a vast knowledge of traditional Ryukyu weapons. He dedicated his life to sharing his love of martial arts with the world.
Demura is an extremely skilled competitor who has won many Kumite and Kata championships. He was the founder of both the North American Karate-do Federation, and the All-Japan Karate-do Federation. He is also acknowledged for creating the first official rules and regulations for karate tournaments.
He was an ambassador for international recognition for karate, travelling across the globe to teach seminars and to conduct demonstrations. He was often a guest on martial arts talk shows and was featured in numerous martial arts magazines.
In the late 1960s, Demura moved to the United States where he began to share his love of Karate with the general public. He was Pat Morita’s stunt double in the first and third Karate Kid movies and is widely credited for being the source of inspiration for the character Mr. Miyagi.
Today, Demura is the founder and director of Shito-Ryu Karate-do Genbu-Kai International, a company which spans 20 countries and has a large number of members around the world. He teaches at his dojo in Santa Ana, California and is often on weekends giving seminars or assisting at tournaments for martial arts across the globe.
He emphasizes that true karate helps train the body, mind and spirit. This is evident in the five principles of dojo kun, which include respect and the courtesy. He is a loving husband and father who exemplifies the true meaning behind karate-do.
Sensei Demoura died in 2023, at the age of 86. He was loved by a lot of people and is missed by his students, friends, family and the martial arts community. In the years to come, we at Chito-Ryu will honor his legacy and pay tribute to his devotion to the martial arts. We will continue his vision to bring the martial arts into mainstream society and help young minds learn its principles.
Ryusho Sakagami was born in 1915 in Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. He was the son of a wealthy businessman. He began his martial art training in the 30's. The first was in kendo and later in Iaido. This is the art of drawing the Samurai sword. Sakagami Sensei continued to teach karate as well as Kobudo.
Sakagami sensei was awarded his black belt in Aikido and judo during his time studying with Master Funakoshi. He was an unofficial guide to Japanese martial arts and was known for his vast knowledge of techniques such as lineage, kata and kata.
When he began to teach Karate-do in United States, Sakagami Sensei was one of the most well-known instructors to introduce Karate to the West. He was an excellent instructor with a remarkable ability to communicate his vast martial arts knowledge in a manner that anyone could understand. He was a man with profound spiritual beliefs and always considered his students' best interests.
He was an icon and a motivational figure to those who had the pleasure to train with him. His legacy will be remembered for many generations to come.
Shihan is an honorific title given to martial artists who are considered to be masters in their respective areas. It is typically given to instructors who hold the rank of 6th Dan or higher. The organization that awards it can be referred to as Hanshi (master of Karate) or Sensei. The word hanshi is actually a misinterpretation of an Okinawan word meaning "model, example, pattern." The term Sensei means master teacher and it is only for those who have attained this level. Karate organizations generally use their top instructors as Sensei. For instance, Aikikai practitioners call their founder Ueshiba Morihei O-Sensei Sensei. The ZNKR kendo federation uses the term Hanshi for their highest teacher ranks.
Kase Senju had a strong sense of humor and was a very friendly man. He was a shrewd and smart karateka who often referred in his classes to classics of Japanese literature and philosophy. He loved to discuss his own karate background as well as the people who an influence on it.
He was a senior instructor for the JKA and was instrumental in setting its first contest rules. He was a direct student of Yoshitaka FUNAKOSHI and had trained under many legendary karate masters among them Hirokazu KANAZAWA, Keinosuke ENOEDA, and Masatoshi SAKAGAMI.
Like many of his fellow instructors, Kase was a natural teacher who could explain techniques and concepts in ways that made them accessible to students of all ages and levels. He also had an keen eye for the development of techniques, and he was always looking for that authentically Shotokan.
Kase Sensei when asked about his initial Karate inspirations, referred to an judoka by the name of Kyuzo Mifune who taught him jodo. He also praised MoriheiUyeshiba's aikido which he described as Daito-ryu that was infused with Shintoism. He also told the story of YukiyoshiSagawa, an expert in kendo who once told him about
One of the things Kase Sensei was the proudest of during his career was his role in bringing Shotokan to the world. He explained that the Japanese government sent Kase-Sensei to a number of countries as a young person to show Karate. His aim was to bring people from all nations together to promote international friendship.
He also talked about his relationship with Sensei Okuyama, who was a former JKA Grand Champion. Kase sensei had a huge deal of respect for Okuyama and was delighted to see him perform in the same way as he did. He described Okuyama as a man who "knew what he was talking about" and had "a special kind of power, not due to the muscles, but from kime, but something else." He believed that Okuyama had the spirit of the art that Gichin Funakoshi had created.
