Seienchin is a hard kata at any age never mind when you are over 60, i hope i would be able to do as good job when i am kanazawa's age, and i think that people see 10th dan and exspect a perfect performance ? No one is perfect at karate no matter what grade you are, thats what make's it so good, we are all way striving for perfection but will can never really get it , but we will still try all the same, bowing with respect to kanazaw sensei.
BEST ANSWER on this subject: I do not like to get in the habit of saying one style is better than others. In regards to karate as a sport-I believe tournament compeition, that while it has some benefits, it does create a mindset and habits that will not work for actual combat. I also agree that when you can not attck the joints, eyes, throat, fingers, groin, etc that a true martial artist would not be able to effectively use their style.
For those who are critiquing a man in his 60's in this clip, Kanazawa sensei is probably the most humble man in karate Ever. He is not perfect in his technical execution, but he is on a different level to anyone with his progressive mentality and wisdom. i'm not a fan of his or many people's physical display of technique, But the point is u don't have to be impressed, just BE RESPECTFUL! The man has done karate since the 50's !!! longer than most of our ages This performance was inspiring OSS!
@karatekid73 - Good on you KK73. Finally someone making sense. Simply be respectful is all that is required and people can all get along. To that I would add Tolerant. And I have to say that even at his advanced age Kanazawa Sensei is moving better than any other Shoto Kan karate Sensei that I have trained with or seen. Actually it's as frustrating as it is inspirational.
Simply a "Thing of Beauty" Master Kanazawa performs Kata better than anyone I have ever seen. He never seems bored doing them and his love of his art is obvious.
Good for you Fudoshin. Keep studying. I've been doing MA for 40 years now. The differences are not as vast as you might think. There is distance ma-ai in Goju as much as there is in close fighting in Shotokan. And both use more jujutsu than most sensei know. My system combines all three. Kanazawa is not only a Shotokan master, but a karate master who knows the value of jujutsu in karate as well. He does Ibuki like breathing in Hangetsu and practices Sanchin and Tensho. An all around master.
Kanazawa Sensei iz known for exploring other styles and for paying great attention to breathing techniques, so it makes perfect sence for him to do this Kata. And, as everything he does, he does it perfect :)))
Master Kanazawa is demonstrating a Goju-ryu kata using some Shotokan dynamics. This is exactly what the early masters did historically. When you are this technically advanced, the point of martial arts is to adapt the kata and bunkai to your body type and level of mental maturity. This man is a true master. I study both Shotokan and Goju, jujutsu and judo and found this performance an inspiration. He obviously understands Seiyunchin masterfully.
I really apreciate Sensei Kanazawa and his knowledge. I know his work personally. He is great. I practice for since 15 years ago Shotokan and Goju ryu, and can say that these styles has different strategies of combat, distance and understanding of ma ai blocking and other tactics... so each kata of each style has his proper way to do because of the meaning of movements. Goju ryu is for short distance, and his blocking techniques must do with muchimi for example.
very good for martial arts all around, more shotokan guys should learn goju n vice versa with goju guys. from what i heard both styles are brother and sisters anyway.
Tiger and Crane are the foundations of both style crane with goju n tiger with shotokan.
I ask all of you who comment to answer this question seriously... How many of you can claim to have stuck with anything in your lives as consistently and as vehemently as Kanazawa-sensei has stuck with his practice of Shotokan karate? How long? One year? Two? Five? Ten? Try over sixty years? The fact that he is having some fun with Shito-ryu katas is great. Why not let him enjoy his art and quit criticising? After all, what do you self-professed critics have to offer anyway?
The performance of this kata demonstrates a lack of good balance, excessively wide forward stances, and weak lower blocks - executed with the elbow far from the power center / tanden and thereby reducing shoulder and back muscle use, while accentuating use of the weaker triceps. In addition, it lacks fluidity. I definitely dislike this rendition of Seiyunchin. The biomechanics are not sound. If this kata was performed at 80 yo, he dyes his hair and has botox injections....my guess.
@ernestobrennecke As you might have noticed, Kanazawa Sensei is a (the) Shotokan master doing a Shito Ryu kata. It might be that your analysis has a point. But I really doubt that a Shito Ryu master is able to demonstrate a Shotokan kata perfect aswell, because both are very different styles. Besides that, I state that Kanazawa is able to interprete a kata in a high level and thus correct (Shotokan) way. There is absolutely no reason to show any disrespect to Kanazawa.
@ernestobrennecke you should be ashamed of yourself! With such an arrogant post, you're trying to potray yourself as some high level "expert" on this kata...yet, after all that training that (supposedly) made you an "expert", you didn't learn the first and foremost thing Karate and other Japanese martial arts are aiming to teach: respect for those who came before us and who gave and achieved a lot more then we can eve dream of. What kind of a "master" is givng such gay comments about hair?
@ernestobrennecke , That is a terrible thing to say to anyone! Kanazawa Sensei has devoted his life to teaching Shotokan and Taichi. How many Shotokan instructors have made videos, written books as much as Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa has? He is the only Instructor I have seen that actually teaches flying kicks at the age of 80+. I had the prevalidge of attending some of his classes......
I had courses with Kancho Kanazawa 8 times.. The big difference with this master is that he is open minded with all styles of karate..
This is not an original shotokan kata but sensei kanazawa include it in the competition of SKIF , and seipai also...
And don't forget that his own kata called nijuhachi ho is a combination of shuri naha and tomari te movements!! oss and respect to all these masters that goes martial arts one step beyond...
@pbtran Kanazawa was an eccentric and still is. His technique has become strange and is a huge departure from original karate. See comments my channel. Decide for yourself.
@IEKUKATAKA Why are his techniques strange? He is almost 80, so he cannot move like a youngster. The principal of techniques of nowadays Karate has not changed compared to those of original okinawan Karate. The tsuki from original Okinawan style is the same tsuki as in Shotokan or Wado-ryu. Kanazawa dedicated almost his whole life to Karate, so he's not "eccentric" but simply found his own way. Instead of complaining about his person everyone should find his OWN way!
@silverblackphantom No! I was to join his organization years ago but decided not to. Kanazawa is a very nice guy but his karate is very strange and has a very unique flare. He was known as an eccentric then and I did not like his style. I eventually left all JKA lineage activity because I do not consider it karate as it is largely sports based and the syllabus has shrunk dramatically from the martial art. Karate was a martial art, I believe changing it voids it as karate.
@Mantorras13 Funakoshi Sensei, Mabuni Sensei, and other founders of styles learned this Kata from one person, so it iss not so surprising, the styles made their own changes later. I think they learned it from Itosu Sensei.
@chapusa100 this Kata is Naha-te line. Today it's a Goju-ryu (main style) Kata. Kanazawa Sensei started Karate training in the 50's... The main styles where already set by then. He learned JKA Shotokan Karate, by then the Kata curriculum was defined and this Kata wasn't a part of it...
@Mantorras13 you are right, Kanazawa was a student of Funakoshi. Remeber that Funakoshi and Mabuni learned katas before the made thier own organisations. So it was possible for them to be in the same class learning one kata and the bunkai.
@chapusa100 - Actually he was a student of Nakayama, Okazaki, Tsuyama Sensei and may have trained at times under Nishiyama Sensei. These men probably experienced some training under Funakoshi Gichin.
Seienchin is a hard kata at any age never mind when you are over 60, i hope i would be able to do as good job when i am kanazawa's age, and i think that people see 10th dan and exspect a perfect performance ? No one is perfect at karate no matter what grade you are, thats what make's it so good, we are all way striving for perfection but will can never really get it , but we will still try all the same, bowing with respect to kanazaw sensei.
johnbryan12 1 week ago
Very nice kata....
shihangodan5 1 week ago
Osu,Kancho is amazing.
SKIFTIGER 2 weeks ago in playlist harry potter
My main style is Goju-ryu, but I have learned some katas from other Karate styles. I find it cool to learn more kata to expand your horizons.
SithV1 1 month ago in playlist Traditional Martial Arts Part 6
Amazing. I love Karate.
10cruz 2 months ago
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BEST ANSWER on this subject: I do not like to get in the habit of saying one style is better than others. In regards to karate as a sport-I believe tournament compeition, that while it has some benefits, it does create a mindset and habits that will not work for actual combat. I also agree that when you can not attck the joints, eyes, throat, fingers, groin, etc that a true martial artist would not be able to effectively use their style.
pomminsu 1 month ago
TheWolfjr 3 months ago
For those who are critiquing a man in his 60's in this clip, Kanazawa sensei is probably the most humble man in karate Ever. He is not perfect in his technical execution, but he is on a different level to anyone with his progressive mentality and wisdom. i'm not a fan of his or many people's physical display of technique, But the point is u don't have to be impressed, just BE RESPECTFUL! The man has done karate since the 50's !!! longer than most of our ages This performance was inspiring OSS!
karatekid73 3 months ago
@karatekid73 - Good on you KK73. Finally someone making sense. Simply be respectful is all that is required and people can all get along. To that I would add Tolerant. And I have to say that even at his advanced age Kanazawa Sensei is moving better than any other Shoto Kan karate Sensei that I have trained with or seen. Actually it's as frustrating as it is inspirational.
BelloBudo007 3 months ago
Simply a "Thing of Beauty" Master Kanazawa performs Kata better than anyone I have ever seen. He never seems bored doing them and his love of his art is obvious.
pool4tony 4 months ago
Good for you Fudoshin. Keep studying. I've been doing MA for 40 years now. The differences are not as vast as you might think. There is distance ma-ai in Goju as much as there is in close fighting in Shotokan. And both use more jujutsu than most sensei know. My system combines all three. Kanazawa is not only a Shotokan master, but a karate master who knows the value of jujutsu in karate as well. He does Ibuki like breathing in Hangetsu and practices Sanchin and Tensho. An all around master.
Shotokita 5 months ago 2
Kanazawa Sensei iz known for exploring other styles and for paying great attention to breathing techniques, so it makes perfect sence for him to do this Kata. And, as everything he does, he does it perfect :)))
PanicusVulgaris 6 months ago
Master Kanazawa is demonstrating a Goju-ryu kata using some Shotokan dynamics. This is exactly what the early masters did historically. When you are this technically advanced, the point of martial arts is to adapt the kata and bunkai to your body type and level of mental maturity. This man is a true master. I study both Shotokan and Goju, jujutsu and judo and found this performance an inspiration. He obviously understands Seiyunchin masterfully.
Shotokita 9 months ago 12
I really apreciate Sensei Kanazawa and his knowledge. I know his work personally. He is great. I practice for since 15 years ago Shotokan and Goju ryu, and can say that these styles has different strategies of combat, distance and understanding of ma ai blocking and other tactics... so each kata of each style has his proper way to do because of the meaning of movements. Goju ryu is for short distance, and his blocking techniques must do with muchimi for example.
Great respect for Kanazawa sens
fudoshin9 5 months ago
Amazing kata from a shotokan shihan. My respect to him.
AgasBzj 9 months ago
very good for martial arts all around, more shotokan guys should learn goju n vice versa with goju guys. from what i heard both styles are brother and sisters anyway.
Tiger and Crane are the foundations of both style crane with goju n tiger with shotokan.
thugnast 10 months ago
I ask all of you who comment to answer this question seriously... How many of you can claim to have stuck with anything in your lives as consistently and as vehemently as Kanazawa-sensei has stuck with his practice of Shotokan karate? How long? One year? Two? Five? Ten? Try over sixty years? The fact that he is having some fun with Shito-ryu katas is great. Why not let him enjoy his art and quit criticising? After all, what do you self-professed critics have to offer anyway?
seishin73 10 months ago 6
@seishin73 respect for your comment, man!
PanicusVulgaris 6 months ago
@seishin73 well i have been in karate since i was 2 and practice everyday and iam 4th dan
not even close to perfection of the body
Majordeathman10 2 months ago
@Majordeathman10 You claim to be a 4th Dan, and yet you are missing the point of a Karate-ka? Interesting, Truly Interesting.
trograin 2 months ago
Sure this rendition isn't perfect, but consider the guy's age and it's actually not that bad. I hope I'm that mobile at his age.
sbowesuk 10 months ago 2
The performance of this kata demonstrates a lack of good balance, excessively wide forward stances, and weak lower blocks - executed with the elbow far from the power center / tanden and thereby reducing shoulder and back muscle use, while accentuating use of the weaker triceps. In addition, it lacks fluidity. I definitely dislike this rendition of Seiyunchin. The biomechanics are not sound. If this kata was performed at 80 yo, he dyes his hair and has botox injections....my guess.
ernestobrennecke 11 months ago
@ernestobrennecke As you might have noticed, Kanazawa Sensei is a (the) Shotokan master doing a Shito Ryu kata. It might be that your analysis has a point. But I really doubt that a Shito Ryu master is able to demonstrate a Shotokan kata perfect aswell, because both are very different styles. Besides that, I state that Kanazawa is able to interprete a kata in a high level and thus correct (Shotokan) way. There is absolutely no reason to show any disrespect to Kanazawa.
xaven1978 10 months ago 3
@ernestobrennecke you should be ashamed of yourself! With such an arrogant post, you're trying to potray yourself as some high level "expert" on this kata...yet, after all that training that (supposedly) made you an "expert", you didn't learn the first and foremost thing Karate and other Japanese martial arts are aiming to teach: respect for those who came before us and who gave and achieved a lot more then we can eve dream of. What kind of a "master" is givng such gay comments about hair?
PanicusVulgaris 6 months ago 2
@ernestobrennecke , That is a terrible thing to say to anyone! Kanazawa Sensei has devoted his life to teaching Shotokan and Taichi. How many Shotokan instructors have made videos, written books as much as Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa has? He is the only Instructor I have seen that actually teaches flying kicks at the age of 80+. I had the prevalidge of attending some of his classes......
chapusa100 3 months ago
I joined SKIF 21 years ago...
I had courses with Kancho Kanazawa 8 times.. The big difference with this master is that he is open minded with all styles of karate..
This is not an original shotokan kata but sensei kanazawa include it in the competition of SKIF , and seipai also...
And don't forget that his own kata called nijuhachi ho is a combination of shuri naha and tomari te movements!! oss and respect to all these masters that goes martial arts one step beyond...
skifhania 1 year ago
He is the Best Shotokan Master
SKIFTIGER 1 year ago 2
Osu,The greatest Shotokan
SKIFTIGER 1 year ago
I believe Kanazawa Sensei's organisation is called the SKIF, Shotokan Karate International Federation.
Pecherin72 1 year ago
Correction! The Heading should be 'Seienchin Kata, Hirokazu Kanazawa, 10th Dan Shotokan (Shotokan Karate International)
chapusa100 1 year ago
Kanazawa sensei was the chosen one for JKA until he broke off to join his own association ISKF.
pbtran 1 year ago
@pbtran He resigned from JKA in 1977 and formed Shotokan Karate International......
chapusa100 1 year ago
@pbtran Kanazawa was an eccentric and still is. His technique has become strange and is a huge departure from original karate. See comments my channel. Decide for yourself.
IEKUKATAKA 1 year ago
@IEKUKATAKA Why are his techniques strange? He is almost 80, so he cannot move like a youngster. The principal of techniques of nowadays Karate has not changed compared to those of original okinawan Karate. The tsuki from original Okinawan style is the same tsuki as in Shotokan or Wado-ryu. Kanazawa dedicated almost his whole life to Karate, so he's not "eccentric" but simply found his own way. Instead of complaining about his person everyone should find his OWN way!
MegaNewbie100 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@MegaNewbie100 All you said was "I have no idea what I am talking about."
IEKUKATAKA 1 year ago
@IEKUKATAKA
Did you ever train with him in the old days? I saw from some of your posts that you trained in Japan.
silverblackphantom 1 year ago
@silverblackphantom No! I was to join his organization years ago but decided not to. Kanazawa is a very nice guy but his karate is very strange and has a very unique flare. He was known as an eccentric then and I did not like his style. I eventually left all JKA lineage activity because I do not consider it karate as it is largely sports based and the syllabus has shrunk dramatically from the martial art. Karate was a martial art, I believe changing it voids it as karate.
IEKUKATAKA 1 year ago
WOW, one of the the greatestes Shotokan Karate Senseis, doing a Kata from anouther Style. An example for all Karateca!!
Mantorras13 1 year ago
@Mantorras13 Funakoshi Sensei, Mabuni Sensei, and other founders of styles learned this Kata from one person, so it iss not so surprising, the styles made their own changes later. I think they learned it from Itosu Sensei.
chapusa100 1 year ago
@chapusa100 this Kata is Naha-te line. Today it's a Goju-ryu (main style) Kata. Kanazawa Sensei started Karate training in the 50's... The main styles where already set by then. He learned JKA Shotokan Karate, by then the Kata curriculum was defined and this Kata wasn't a part of it...
Mantorras13 1 year ago
@Mantorras13 you are right, Kanazawa was a student of Funakoshi. Remeber that Funakoshi and Mabuni learned katas before the made thier own organisations. So it was possible for them to be in the same class learning one kata and the bunkai.
chapusa100 1 year ago
@chapusa100 - Actually he was a student of Nakayama, Okazaki, Tsuyama Sensei and may have trained at times under Nishiyama Sensei. These men probably experienced some training under Funakoshi Gichin.
BelloBudo007 3 months ago