Shotokan Karate-do International Federation
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Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (SKIF) is the largest shotokan karate organisation in the world, with in excess of two and a half million members worldwide, in one hundred and twenty countries.
The Federation was founded by Kanazawa Hirokazu in 1978, after an acrimonious split with the Japan Karate Association.
One year after forming the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation there were eight branches overseas and thirty in Japan.
On October 12th 1979, SKIF held its official inauguration at the Tokyo Kaiyo Kaikan.
Two years after the inauguration, it held its first National Championships at Kitasato University.
In 1983, the first SKIF World Championships were held in conjunction with the third National Championships at the Yoyogi Sports Centre.
Very senior Japanese karate-ka are resident as Chief Instructors in most, major member countries.
The European branch of SKIF is the Shotokan Karate-do International European Federation (SKIEF) who's Chief Instructor is Hanshi Asano Shiro 9th dan.
Hanshi Asano was a key figure in the formation of SKIF.
In his autobiography: "Karate - My Life", published in 2002 (Publisher: Nikkon Budokan Foundation) Kanazawa recounts the circumstances that led to his break with the JKA and the formation of SKIF.
