Hanshi Genzo Iwata
President of the World Shitoryu Karate Federation
Master Genzo Iwata (Hanshi) was born in 1958 in Saitama-Japan. He became a practitioner in the art of Shitoryu under the guidance of his illustrious father, Master Manzo Iwata.
His father was the second son of a family of tea makers in Tokyo and graduated from Toyo University in Literature. The very student of Shitoryu Founder, Kenwa Mabuni, in 1964 Master Manzo Iwata became the representative of Shitoryu, alongside Second Soke Kenei Mabuni, when the 1st Japan Karate Federation was established. He was also Head of Delegation for the Japanese team at the first World Championships in 1970 (WUKO). This was two years after his Kata demonstration at the 19th Olympic Commemoration Invitational World Karate Championship held in Los Angeles-USA (1968). At this event demonstrations were also given by representatives of other styles, Hironori Ohtsuka (Wado) and Masatoshi Nakayama (Shoto).
Hanshi Genzo Iwata has continued the practice and promotion of Karate Shitoryu by providing and supporting learning opportunities for practitioners from abroad and in Japan. He was the Head of Shitokai Honbu Dojo for 10 consecutive years and has co-created an extensive array of official publications to help guide Shitokai worldwide (material readily available in both print and digital formats). He is an outstanding practitioner, a highly sought after Technical Advisor for all things Shitoryu and the President of the World Shitoryu Karate Federation. Hanshi Genzo Iwata lives in Japan.
