Hirokazu Kanazawa Shihan explains Shotokan’s Hangetsu Kata. You can master its unique breathing method by practicing Kihon and Jiyuu Kumite described in this Hangetsu Kata.

In the year 1922, the Karate developed in Okinawa was brought and introduced by Gichin Funakoshi into the mainland of Japan. It was the opening of the history of Shotokan style Karate, i.e. modern Karate. After 100 years later since then, Hirokazu Kanazawa Shihan presents the new interpretation of Shotokan’s Kata to open up its new possibilities. He insists that one can master the original Karate movement by feeling and detecting the breathing, or Ibuki which the Kata implies in it and by harmonizing that breathing to movement. In this DVD Kanazawa Shihan introduces Hangetsu Kata which is the only one breathing Kata that Shotokan has.

Instructed and supervised by master Hirokazu Kanazawa. He was born in 1931. Since his childhood he became interested in Budo and he entered in Takushoku university which was famous for gathering many strong Karate athletes. During his student time he learned Karate from Gichin Funakoshi who is called “the father of Japanese modern Karate” and from Masatoshi Nakayama, who became the first representative Shihan of JKA (Japan Karate Association). In 1956 He was selected as one of the first trainee group of JKA. At the JKA’s second competition he became a champion of both Kumite and Kata categories as the first general winner. He visited abroad as a pioneer of Karate promoting instructor and taught Karate in Hawai and Europe. He became independent from JKA in 1978 and established International Shotokan Karate-do Federation. He passed away 8 Dec. 2019 at the age of 88. He was the one of worldwide well known Karate-ka and called “World heritage Kanazawa”.