How/what is GKR karate? [Archive]

price

22-07-2007, 20:28

Hiya Pete GKR,
How much do you charge per lesson or per month?
Is there a joining fee?
How much is a licence?
What hidden expenses are there that aren't known about until a licence is obtained?
Do karate suits or equipment have to be bought through the club?
How long is it between gradings ,say up to blue belt, (based on attendance of twice a week) ditto from blue to blackbelt?
What is the lowest grade of any GKR instructor in Sheffield?
What grade is the instructor who grades brown and black belt students? Does that instructor attend specific Dan training classes him/herself?
Where, how often and who with?
What grade is that instructor?
As a traditional martial art there must be some lineage back to it's founder, could you publish that lineage i.e. fom founder to present day?
Is GKR registered as a Traditional Martial Art with the Japanese controlling body?
I'm told GO -KAN is part GOju-ryu and ShotoKAN, how did your founder become so proficient in both Martial Arts in so short a time, that they were able to establish their own style?
Did this founder ask permission of any one of the heads of any of these styles permission to do so? Not that he needed to, but as a matter of good manners which, as you know, is part and parcel of Karate.do
Something must have gone belly-up in GKR Sheffield, for I know of at least six people that are now training in a more established style. Would you care to comment on this ,please?

Protekt

22-07-2007, 21:28

Nice one price, I too would like answers to those questions plus few of my own.
1. Didn`t the founder of GKR think people might find it a tiny bit suspicous if he had signed his own grades from 2nd Dan to 8th ?
2. What is so special about GKR students that they think they can charge people for tuition and be called Sensei when they may only be a yellow/orange/green belt ?
3.Don`t you think the black and white belt is just an attempt to cover the truth that the instructor isn`t a real dan grade along with the line " its disrespectful to ask your instructors grade".
4. How would YOU feel if you found out your 4th or 5th kyu instructor or "Sensei" was charging you £5+ an class when you could train with a internationally recognised 5th dan for half that.
I am a 2nd dan at Wado Ryu and do not feel entitled to be called Sensei.

DaFoot

22-07-2007, 22:47

I am a 2nd dan at Wado Ryu and do not feel entitled to be called Sensei.
Ditto that (Judo in my case). I don't know why though, it's only a word!
My students refer to me by name or 'coach'.

chefkicker

23-07-2007, 07:18

DaFoot

23-07-2007, 07:24

Which idiot is sending their kids to train under those clowns?
Folks that don't know any better. Like my lovely sister, who knows not about MA stuff, kindly saved me a flyer when they visited her door.

Protekt

23-07-2007, 09:01

The problem is that "Joe Public" knows very little about martial arts, lets face it GKR look very proffessional, matching tracksuits, posh leaflets and paperwork, international organisation etc etc.
Compare that to the average Karate club meeting in a village hall, or the Wicker Camp where I now train with its peeling plaster and cracked windows.
Which will draw the parent with no martial arts background ?
Interesting that GKR guy hasn`t answered the quetions yet?
The main question I forgot to ask is how can you have (and whats the point of) a completely contactless martial art :huh: might as well take up sewing

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 11:20

12345678910

Johnny_B

23-07-2007, 12:15

[/QUOTE] This style of Karate is so dangerous QUOTE]

:D Thats the funniest thing ive heard in a long time.

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 12:16

The reason I haven't answered the questions yet, is because I wasn't here.

Now there's a lot of questions to answer, let me get to it.

:)

Have you seen the amount of damage that occurs when someone accidently makes contact in a tournament? Imagine what would happen if they actually made full contact? This style of Karate is so dangerous that if we punched and kicked each other every week, then we wouldn't have many students left to train.

I assume that this is a serious answer?

if 'this style' of karate is so dangerous, why isn't more popular in terms of the stand-up striking component for MMA? I would guess that the pro athletes who compete in such competitions choose boxing/muay thai etc. because they're acknowledged as the best stand-up systems. Surely GKR isn't so dangerous that the equivalant to an amateur boxing bout or thai fight couldn't be arranged? (full contact with protective equpment for example)

please excuse my cynicism but the 'this system is so dangerous' argument tends to be the stock answer for systems that are not pressure tested, their advocates arguing that eye gouges, dim mak, etc. etc. etc. wouldn't be allowed...all that stuff is great in theory, but theory and practice are often different...

chefkicker

23-07-2007, 12:17

Crayfish

23-07-2007, 12:51

Have you seen the amount of damage that occurs when someone accidently makes contact in a tournament? Imagine what would happen if they actually made full contact? This style of Karate is so dangerous that if we punched and kicked each other every week, then we wouldn't have many students left to train. What is the point in betaing each other up just for that? The amount of damage that occurs when light contact is accidently made is huge. Imagine a full contact punch or kick.

Damage only occurs because they're not conditioned, due to fighting zero contact. It's probably more shock value than anything, the first time you get hit properly hurts a lot more than than the 1500th.

We train full (well, nearly full) contact quite a lot at my MMA club. I've only been hurt twice, I was winded for 5 minutes once by a polish guy who looked like steven seagal and concussed / throwing up after a full on ground and pound, again by a larger guy. Not nice, but you learn from it and are hardened by it.

It's necessary to train with at least moderate contact so that you become physically and psychologically prepared to take blows. Chefkickers club and higher grades at the wicker also train with a high degree of contact - as in fact do any club that produce real martial artists.

Actually by not making contact you probably don't realise how ineffective your strikes are. I thought mine were okay when going to kickboxing and muay thai after doing traditional jujitsu and karate, and they just bounced off people. Only just starting to get to the stage where I'd feel like I could really cause any significant damage at all to someone with even a basic defense.

Seems you've fallen for this one hook line and sinker and I have to wonder how much money you're making from it. If you're genuinely looking to learn how to fight or even just a genuine art for art's sake, try some other clubs. There are good ones out there (disappointingly, I'd say I've been to far more bad ones than good ones, but GKR sounds particularly low...).

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 12:54

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 12:57

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Crayfish

23-07-2007, 12:57

Grim Reaper

23-07-2007, 12:59

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 13:14

aaaaaaaaaaaa

chefkicker

23-07-2007, 13:16

What?

It is dangerous.

The way we learn how to kick and punch... the techniques are dangerous.

Are they not?

That is the reason what else do you want me to say?

And I don't know why we don't use full protective clothing and make full contact (even that would hurt), I think you're forgetting, I'm just a student, I'm not even a Sensei.

Hi PeteGKR
Full contact styles are only dangerous if you
1. are not trained properly to defend yourself.
2. Are not conditioned to take a full contact blow even to the body.
By the sounds of things , both of the above are most likely true.
Now this is my invitation to you peteGKR:

Im NOT going to ask you to spar with myself or one of my students, that would be pointless (it is also a form of bullying that happens all too often in martial arts and at AFK, we are not about bullying).

Im NOT going to ask you to leave GKR (if you have spent a lot of time and money in the club and believe its a good one pointless to leave it by the wayside

What i AM going to do, I hereby with open arms invite you to have a look at how we do things at AFK, train in a beginners class, sample how I teach people to punch how you will be taught to kick with POWER (real power, not the traditional style mawashigeri which is sadly outdated now) , how to defend against head punches (which are the most common form of assault on the streets) and a few basics of what works and what puts you in a worse position than you started with.

I am not here to argue with anyone or belittle anyone. I am simply inviting you to open your mind and have a look at how someone else down the street do things.

So PeteGKR, what do you say?

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 13:21

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

chefkicker

23-07-2007, 13:23

I would go to it, but I live miles away in Warwickshire :)

But I thankyou for the offer :)

WOW!!! what brings you to a sheffield forum?
Hey where in warwickshire? I know some guys in warwick, Team Voodoo who do a similar martial art to what we do.

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 13:25

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 13:31

Hello.

I don't give a **** how "well" I'm doing in an e-argument against some people who have no respect.

I only posted here to answer your questions, not to have me and the style of Karate I train with insulted.

GKR wins most of the medals at Nas.

Thankyou.

I haven't read all of the posts, but my own post and the ones that i have read (since your initial post) do not exhibit any lack of respect, just a questioning nature and a degree of cynicism, which in my case is largely due to your own comments.

of course kicking and punching is dangerous, but not so dangerous that if, performed in a safe environment, it would incapacitate all involved...and yes, it would hurt even if one wore protective equipement, but how else does the person executing or receiving a technique get any feedback as to whether or not it works?

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 13:35

[QUOTE=Pete GKR;2465353]LOL I got here by typing GKR Karate into Google :)

QUOTE]

in that case you must know that GKR as a TERRIBLE reputation! I haven't tried it personally (happy where i train and what in), but it does have a terrible reputation.

the law of averages states that an organisation as big as GKR must produce some good clubs/karateka, so if you've found one, well done to you - good clubs are difficult to find whatever style, organisation, etc., but i'm afraid you'll need to acknoweldge GKR's reputation as a whole and the fact that you aren't going to change it.

if you're in/near coventry you should get yourself over to Geoff Thompson's!

Protekt

23-07-2007, 13:48

"Have you seen the amount of damage that occurs when someone accidently makes contact in a tournament? Imagine what would happen if they actually made full contact? This style of Karate is so dangerous that if we punched and kicked each other every week, then we wouldn't have many students left to train. What is the point in betaing each other up just for that? The amount of damage that occurs when light contact is accidently made is huge. Imagine a full contact punch or kick".

What a joke !!!! Possibly the most ridiculous statement by a "martial artist" i have ever heard. You are supposed to be learning a fighting art for Pete`s sake, If you are not prepared to take a knock take up chess (but be careful you don`t chip a nail on those heavy pieces). GKR is an over hyped, over priced, karate version of boxercise.
The reason GKR do so well at the NAS is because they make up 99% of competitors!!!!!:gag:

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 14:08

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 14:10

Even if GKR did make up 99% of the competitors that doesn't mean anything really!

If that 1% was better than the other 99%, then surely he'd win anyway!

depends how many medals there are...

Johnny_B

23-07-2007, 14:48

Protekt

23-07-2007, 14:55

If thats is the only style of martial arts you have personally experienced why not just watch another style somewhere else, better still go watch two, or three. Don't blindly believe what you are told about your style, after what you have read on here and on the internet in general you must be at least a little interested as to whether your style is what you have been told it is (in which case we are all talked rubbish), or there re some valid points in this thread which maybe would influence your thoughts / training. It wont cost you anything to find out..

Joking aside, this is a very good post, Pete GKR, you obviously take your training seriously and train hard, have a look around at other styles and instructors, it will save you money and other martial artists eyes won`t glaze over when you tell them which stayle you practise.

Pete GKR

23-07-2007, 18:21

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Cyclone

23-07-2007, 18:34

How much do you charge per lesson or per month?
£5.50 per lesson for one person.

Little bit pricey, but not unreal

Is there a joining fee?
Yes, it's £21.
Not unreasonable

How much is a licence?
??
Insurance, both for you injuring someone and/or you being injured. Hopefully instructors have full liability insurance in addition to training licenses.

What hidden expenses are there that aren't known about until a licence is obtained?
Um, the only costs are, registration, lessons, gradings and equipment.
Fair enough

How long is it between gradings ,say up to blue belt, (based on attendance of twice a week) ditto from blue to blackbelt?
Up to blue, from white would be about 13 months, but that's the minimum, it took me 2 years. Blue to black would be 28 months, but again, that's a minimum.
Now that's a bit scary. Blue, I presume that's 2nd kyu in 13 months. It took me 3 years to reach that level, training hard.
Then black in the same time. Black took me 8 years from starting.

What is the lowest grade of any GKR instructor in Sheffield?
I don't know, I don't live in Sheffield. But I've heard of Yellow Belt Instructors, which I totally do not agree with. I'm actually a higher grade than one of my instructors who is teaching me. Instructors are held back through the grades more than students though.
Yellow, like 8th kyu or something, I wouldn't let a yellow run a warmup (well, not without supervision).
Not sure I understand what you mean about instructors being held back. Surely a grade is a grade, if the grade has no teaching requirement then the standard should be the same for teaching/non-teaching people who achieve that belt.

I can't really comment on the instructors or standard of lessons in Sheffield, as I do not train there. GKR is a family orientated karate club, with members ranging from like 6 to like 86 or above. I'm just guessing, but there is a wide range. GKR wins most of the medals at the NAS (National All Styles), so I don't see how it can be seen that GKR is not a very good style of Karate to learn.
Is NAS a competition set up by GKR?

2. What is so special about GKR students that they think they can charge people for tuition and be called Sensei when they may only be a yellow/orange/green belt ?
I don't really agree with lower grade sensei's, but they are all trained to brown belt standard, obviously unless they are black belts, then there would be no point in training them to black belt standard, but they would then go to black belt classes.
If they are trained to brown or black belt standard, why do they not have the grade?

3.Don`t you think the black and white belt is just an attempt to cover the truth that the instructor isn`t a real dan grade along with the line " its disrespectful to ask your instructors grade".
No, I think the instructors belts are a good idea, as they are then all equal, and no one can say "My Sensei is better than yours."
Would anyone do that? I find it very useful to know the grade of an instructor (within my organisation) as it sorts out who's opinion I will give more weight too if there's a difference of opinion.
I've never heard (nor have I) ever cared what the relative grades of instructors are though, it's not top trumps

4. How would YOU feel if you found out your 4th or 5th kyu instructor or "Sensei" was charging you £5+ an class when you could train with a internationally recognised 5th dan for half that.
I am a 2nd dan at Wado Ryu and do not feel entitled to be called Sensei.
Once you have a black belt in GKR, you have one of the best black belts you can get.
Can't see how that can be true if you can get one in a little over 2 years training only twice a week
It doesn't matter what grade the instructors are, they are all trained to a high enough standard to be a Sensei. To become a Sensei, they have to go on a course, and then pass an assesment.
That's a bit worrying, one course and an assessment? I'd rather someone have actually trained in a style and graded through it, then have continuous assessed and taught experience as an assistant instructor before they even contemplated teaching on their own.
If I didn't feel happy being trained by my instructors, I would have left by now, and I think I am being trained to a high enough standard as I have won 2 Bronze Medals, 1 Silver Medal and 3 Gold Medals at GKR Tournaments, I want to compete in NAS soon though. Where GKR win most of the medals.

Maybe you should aim for something more challenging, if GKR win most of the medals then it's not going to be much of an accomplishment for you.

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 18:38

Yeah I'd like to take a look.

[QUOTE=ANVIL;2465379]

No, it just means that that thread is placed well in Google.

How does it?

If the person in the 1% is good enough, then they will win a medal.

ok, search more on google - if you don't already know, you'll find out...

they will, but if there are 10 medals and 100 competitors, 99 of whom are GKR and one not being GKR, then if he wins one and GKR win the other 9 based on their superior numbers, then GKR could be said to have done well (based on the fact that they made up 99% of the competitors - as stated...)

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 18:44

'Once you have a black belt in GKR, you have one of the best black belts you can get'

interesting view - according to who?

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 19:09

from wikipedia...

Controversies

NAS (National All Styles) - The UK NAS tournaments are mainly judged by the same people used in GKR tournaments as the tournaments are mainly run by GKR.

ROFLMAO!

ANVIL

23-07-2007, 19:20

it gets better...

http://www.bullshido.net/forums/sitemap/index.php/t-27150-p-2.html

the NAS/WASO is fascinating!

Pete GKR

24-07-2007, 01:44

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Cyclone

24-07-2007, 06:24

Which is it?

How long is it between gradings ,say up to blue belt, (based on attendance of twice a week) ditto from blue to blackbelt?
Up to blue, from white would be about 13 months, but that's the minimum, it took me 2 years. Blue to black would be 28 months, but again, that's a minimum.
Which is 42 months, or 10 years, 120 months?

Why single out blue if that's a middle grade?

Crayfish

24-07-2007, 09:29

That bullshido GKR thread is interesting. Heard things like that before.

Is the NAS competition UK based? How do you enter? Any money prizes? :)

Pete GKR

24-07-2007, 13:40

aaaaaaaaaaaaa

chefkicker

24-07-2007, 13:53

That bullshido GKR thread is interesting. Heard things like that before.

Is the NAS competition UK based? How do you enter? Any money prizes? :)

I would love to see some of these GKR champions on one of my fight nights.
I would gladly match some of these guys up for their first full contact fight.
They will be matched fairly, first timer Vs another first timer. I would not stricth them up with a kickboxer who has had say 5 or 6 fights, they will fight a kickboxer with maximum experience of say 2 or 3 fights but not someone with 3 wins.

PeteGKR, please ask your sensei. We have a show in November.

ANVIL

24-07-2007, 14:00

I would love to see some of these GKR champions on one of my fight nights.
I would gladly match some of these guys up for their first full contact fight.
They will be matched fairly, first timer Vs another first timer. I would not stricth them up with a kicboxer who has had say 5 or 6 fights, they will fight a kickboxer with maximum experience of say 2 or 3 fights but not someone with 3 wins.

PeteGKR, please ask your sensei. We have a show in November.

I'm suprised at you Farhad - i thought you'd be more protective of your fighters. Have you any idea just how DANGEROUS GKR techniques are?
:hihi::hihi::hihi::hihi:

sorry Pete...the above's meant in good spirits...

seriously, get yourself to geoff thompson's place - few people are more respected in terms of RBSD

Protekt

24-07-2007, 15:23

"Have you any idea just how DANGEROUS GKR techniques are? "
The fresh air 18" from the end of my nose is papping itself at the thought of fighting one of theses GKR guys !

chefkicker

24-07-2007, 18:25

I'm suprised at you Farhad - i thought you'd be more protective of your fighters. Have you any idea just how DANGEROUS GKR techniques are?
:hihi::hihi::hihi::hihi:

sorry Pete...the above's meant in good spirits...

seriously, get yourself to geoff thompson's place - few people are more respected in terms of RBSD

Maybe I should change my mind then! :o

Pete GKR

25-07-2007, 10:42

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

ANVIL

25-07-2007, 12:09

price

25-07-2007, 12:34

You're lucky I'm even here!

If I wasn't you wouldn't have anyone to argue against!

And I don't really stand a chance when you all disagree with me.

There's only one person here representing GKR, so I don't really stand a chance, but I must say that our Regional Manager accidentally made contact at the World Cup and made someone's face bleed :)

I don't know if they weren't used to being hit or whether is punch was just really good. I think it was most likely a combination of the both.

He was against another Regional Manager by the way.

Hi PeteGKR
I've been away so I've missed alot of what's been going on since my last post.
I've had a very quick scan to get an idea.
Your loyalty to GKR is commendable, you've answered questions as well as you can. I believe your loyalty is misplaced, that's only my opinion, but my opinion means nothing to you, why should it!
However,with your loyalty and enthusiasm you deserve much better than GKR. But, when all is said and done if you're happy doing GKR then stay there.But please make no mistake, PeteGKR,it is not a Traditional Martial Art no matter what your Senseis say or how many glossy mags are distributed by them to that effect.One reason is the fact that there is no contact.This makes GKR nonsense, I'm afraid. There's nothing helps you improve your blocking technique than a smack in the mouth, or any other part of the body. The learning curve rockets. Anyway, some of the advice you've had from this site is good, most of it has just been villifying GKR. Ignore it, that's what happens on here. Try the good advice i.e. have a good look at something else. For instance why not the styles GKR is supposedly made up from GOJU-RYU or SHOTOKAN? I'm told the ex GKR people have been astounded at what they have missed out on when they have trained in a more established Traditional Karate. One last thing, do you do bunkai?

Protekt

25-07-2007, 12:53

You're lucky I'm even here!

If I wasn't you wouldn't have anyone to argue against!

And I don't really stand a chance when you all disagree with me.

There's only one person here representing GKR, so I don't really stand a chance.

That has hit the nail on the head Pete, normally we all bicker like 3yr olds on here.(see the sticky at the top) the fact that we all agree, from so many different clubs and styles must tell you something !!!!!

Johnny_B

25-07-2007, 13:06

normally we all bicker like 3yr olds on here. the fact that we all agree, from so many different clubs and styles must tell you something !!!!!

A very good and interesting point!

ANVIL

25-07-2007, 13:37

Hi PeteGKR
I've been away so I've missed alot of what's been going on since my last post.
I've had a very quick scan to get an idea.
Your loyalty to GKR is commendable, you've answered questions as well as you can. I believe your loyalty is misplaced, that's only my opinion, but my opinion means nothing to you, why should it!
However,with your loyalty and enthusiasm you deserve much better than GKR. But, when all is said and done if you're happy doing GKR then stay there.But please make no mistake, PeteGKR,it is not a Traditional Martial Art no matter what your Senseis say or how many glossy mags are distributed by them to that effect.One reason is the fact that there is no contact.This makes GKR nonsense, I'm afraid. There's nothing helps you improve your blocking technique than a smack in the mouth, or any other part of the body. The learning curve rockets. Anyway, some of the advice you've had from this site is good, most of it has just been villifying GKR. Ignore it, that's what happens on here. Try the good advice i.e. have a good look at something else. For instance why not the styles GKR is supposedly made up from GOJU-RYU or SHOTOKAN? I'm told the ex GKR people have been astounded at what they have missed out on when they have trained in a more established Traditional Karate. One last thing, do you do bunkai?

ignore the nonsense bit... ;)

Pete GKR

25-07-2007, 16:33

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Cyclone

25-07-2007, 16:37

The best thing you could do is to try some other styles.

gkr_queen

04-08-2007, 16:51

Cyclone

04-08-2007, 18:17

Ah, 2 seminars and 10 sessions, that makes it all okay then. :D

Just as advice, text speak is not acceptable on the forum, wt = what, no = know, u = you, r = are. It doesn't take long to type the extra characters.

Bomberman

04-08-2007, 18:22

RobbyBrown

04-08-2007, 22:36

to get this belt yes u have 2 attend seminars but you also have to participate in a 10+ intense lessons to prove you have the control,,techniqe,,and will power to become a sensei ..(instructor)
only then are you given the belt...
...
so :P:roll:

no wt u on about before you dizz.

10 sessions to get a Black Belt?

Someones aving a larf

Grim Reaper

05-08-2007, 07:30

im afraid yuu lot dont have a clue wt u r on about have any of you actually done 1 lesson of gkr with a highly belted and graded instructor....??
from the sounds of your posts i do believe the answer to this is NO.
well let me set a few things straight u sed about becoming an instructor is all about going to a few seminars and then you are given a black + white instructors belt meaning you can teach at whatever grade you are at the time.....
WRONG
to get this belt yes u have 2 attend seminars but you also have to participate in a 10+ intense lessons to prove you have the control,,techniqe,,and will power to become a sensei ..(instructor)
only then are you given the belt...
the prices may seem a lot of money but training in groups works out 1 hell of a lot cheaper i have 5 members of my family training and we pay a fraction of what 1 person trains for...
so :P:roll:
no wt u on about before you dizz.

If you read the rest of the the thread you will see that everyone has suggested the Pete has a look at some other styles in addition to his own.

Your post really didn't put the point across very well and just sounded like a childish rant.

Most of the people on the thread above you have spent 8+ years (at least) to gain their Black belt and those that are instructors even longer, so you'll see their point when they say 2 seminars plus 10 ish intense sessions sounds far too little. :)

Crayfish

05-08-2007, 11:02

I don't think she means black belt, they let more or less any belt teach.

Considering the wealth of truly excellent martial arts teachers in the UK, I'm not sure why anyone would choose to go with someone who's had 10 sessions and 2 seminars.

The club I train at now (in Manchester) is run by three no holds barred fighters with decent pro-rules fight records, who train and teach in their own gym seven days a week as a full time, professional activity and have been doing martial arts at a high level since childhood. In Sheffield there are plenty of clubs with a similar level of instructorship.

I suspect GKR is a 'family club' thing, bring your two kids and lose some weight, rather than martial arts per se. Might as well do Tae Bo or something. Or just make up your own karate in your living room and save some money.

ANVIL

05-08-2007, 20:37

Davemantis

06-08-2007, 08:18

im afraid yuu lot dont have a clue wt u r on about have any of you actually done 1 lesson of gkr with a highly belted and graded instructor....??

i have and still dont thimk its up to much mind there are bad apples in every basket

Johnny_B

06-08-2007, 10:37

I have also been to look at one of their classes with a "highly graded instructor". To be brutally honest it was abysmal. When I asked about sparring the instructor (im using this word quite loosely) stated it was no contact, but was very keen to point out that he had broken someone's nose in a tournament, quite contradicting and shows a lack of control and respect for the rules if it was true.
As for the obligatory "black and white" belted 15 year... Just a joke, no skill, or respect, if anything he was making even harder for people to learnt he rubbish they were trying to teach. He also seemed very closed minded, this seems to be common among the GKR'ers for some reason..

wadespanners

09-08-2007, 18:47

Hi all just stumbled on this forum by searching for GKR karate on google as ive just started my daughter and i we also had a knock at the door and there was a man with a GKR tracksuit on i have only attended 2 classes 1 a week and the alarm bells have started to sound by reading this thread i have had no MA training before this is my 1st club i have joined and by all your comments you all seem to ave studied years to achieve ur status the sensai has told me that in 2 weeks which will be 4 lessons i will acheive my yellow belt i thought i was just taking to karate well this will be obtained by a kata using block punch block punch 3 forward punches then in reverse does this sound right that a MA noob like me can obtain a belt within 4 lessons it just seems very quick and by ur comments i think i understand why

Cyclone

09-08-2007, 20:31

No, it doesn't.
I expect my students to have done roughly 30 - 40 hours before going for their first grading. In 8 hours most people are still trying to figure out which is their left foot.

Mini_Cooper

09-08-2007, 20:55

No, it doesn't.
I expect my students to have done roughly 30 - 40 hours before going for their first grading. In 8 hours most people are still trying to figure out which is their left foot.

Is that a serious comment?

the_rage

09-08-2007, 21:49

If you train Martial Arts for 10 years you must enjoy it, If you train for 20 the you are getting the basics, If you train a life time you will be only starting to understand it!

Mini_Cooper

09-08-2007, 22:36

[QUOTE=the_rage;2523055]If you train Martial Arts for 10 years you must enjoy it, If you train for 20 the you are getting the basics, .....QUOTE]

:hihi:

If you train for 30 years, you need to get out more

Cyclone

10-08-2007, 06:25

Is that a serious comment?

You have to remember that I teach mostly students. There's a surprising number who look a lot like the videos you see of newborn gazelles and the like, legs and arms going everywhere, brain (or at least ears) turned off.
There's certainly no way that they could ever be ready for a grading in 4 sessions, it generally takes 8 - 10 weeks with 2 sessions a week.

DaFoot

10-08-2007, 07:32

You have to remember that I teach mostly students. There's a surprising number who look a lot like the videos you see of newborn gazelles and the like, legs and arms going everywhere...
Genius analogy! I'll have to remember that one :thumbsup:

Carcass

10-08-2007, 10:57

Is that a serious comment?
As a driving instructor, I thought you'd have some sympathy with it!! :D

Moocher

16-08-2007, 05:22

For 2 years I was GKR, after being offered a black and white belt, I felt uneasy and did some internet research, opened my mind and tried something else.

I saw the light.

With GKR it took 1 year to reach 7th Kyu, for the last year I personally refused to go to grading, as I cannot kick off one of my legs. My instructors could not fix this problem but encouraged me to grade anyway.

I still refused.

Another style fixed this problem in the first lesson.

I mean come on, they wanted me to instruct when I could not stand and balance on my left leg. Shocking

For anyone who's interested I was leaning back to far.

The comments about GKR being dangerous, oh yes it is, but only to the GKR student.

To all GKR out there, AIR DOES NOT FIGHT BACK!

And if you get into a dangerous situation RUN, RUN, RUN

geezer68

28-08-2007, 12:41

Hi,

Found your site when looking up GKR and thought I would add my experiences and warnings to anyone approached to work for GKR.

I signed up to GKR after the famous door knocking and at first enjoyed it as it got me out of the house and doing something.

Then it all went wrong.
I was approached by my Instructor and asked to attend a different class, which was by invitation only, run by the Regional Manager. On attending it turned out it was an assistant instructors course or Sempai course. Only being an orange tip made me feel uncomfortable and on my next grading I passed even though some of my blocks and punches sucked.

The Sempai training lasted for 10 weeks and then there was an exam (multiple choice I think), after passing you were assigned to a class to assist the Sensei and became a Black & White belt. (I still felt uncomfortable as I was still only a 7th Kyu).

I was asked to go and work for GKR and had the presentation which was when I became suspect.

During the day you trained with the RM to achieve your black belt, on an evening you went door knocking to recruit more people. You were classed as self employed and the only money you received was the fee when people signed up, this money you kept. The only salary you receive is when you become a Regional Manager which was £24k plus bonuses depending on how many people trained.

This was when alarm bells rang. I asked how many new regions were there to be set up and was advised that all the regions were in place and the only time a region became available was when somebody left or moved on. I asked how often this happened and was told that it could take at least 2 years.

Needless to say I declined the job.

Also as a Sempai I attended senior class (instructors only classes) and was horrified to find that as an Instructor you only received your expenses: once you had passed all the necessary training, it also depended upon how many students you trained and it was also paid anually.(The instructor I was with received £100 expenses for the year).

After a major foot injury (I could not walk or train) I was told by the RM that I didn't have the commitment to GKR that he expected and I was asked to hand by Sempai belt back.

pzk89

06-09-2007, 02:49

As a GKR 5th Kyu I feel compelled to respond to this thread. There is a lot of total nonsense being thrown about around here. Go Kan Ryu is a highly respected style for many reasons. Firstly, it has a great reliance upon stances and power generation from hip movement. This means that a lot of classes will seem repetitive, but this is the only way you learn. Other styles will attempt to teach techniques in a matter of weeks. It doesn't matter how good your technique is, it takes YEARS to achieve perfection.

Secondly, yes GKR is completely non-contact. Of course it is, we have small children in our classes. It is designed to appeal to all. I can assure you, though, that no GKR techniques lack power. Anybody who has been to a GKR tournament will know the true standard of our karateka. On my first tournament, one competitor misjudged a kick, consequently breaking someone's leg, whilst another blocked badly, and suffered four shattered fingers. Does that really strike you as a style lacking in power? These mistakes are rare, but of course they happen.

Thirdly, NAS is most certainly NOT operated by GKR, that is complete rubbish. We have a number of senior members on the board, as do other major styles. There are oversight procedures, and there is certainly no corruption involved. GKR does, however, invariably win the majority of medals.

Incidently, you should take the wikipedia entries with a pinch of salt, they are under sustained attack by organisations bitter toward GKR, and the belt ranking system on the wikipedia page is completely laughable. You would have to be training 5 times a week to do it as that suggests. Realistically, it takes 5 or 6 years MINIMUM to get a black belt. The only way to get one faster is to train as a Sensei. Trainee Senseis train very hard indeed, very regularly, with extremely high grades. They get very good, very fast.

If you want further proof that GKR is a serious style, consider our Katas. Bassai Dai has to be performed to a high standard to achieve 4th Kyu, and perfectly for 3rd Kyu. Most Shotokan variations do not even introduce this kata until Shodan-Ho.

Kancho Sullivan's grade was NOT 'done himself', but rather by Japanese masters. The only grade awarded by the club was his 7th Dan, and it was awarded after a length period of time by his very senior students, themselves 4th and 5th Dans. Believe me, there are few karateka better than Robert Sullivan in the world.

As for the door-to-door scheme, yes it might reasonably be criticised. I was subjected to the 'normally £80' trick myself. Full timers are NOT ALLOWED to do this. It is specifically prohibited, but they are operating on commission-based payment and unsurprisingly take advantage. The vast majority of GKR Senseis have nothing to do with the full-time scheme at all.

You'll find the the majority of the rumours about GKR were started by people who went on the Sensei Training Programme and couldn't hack it. There are certain elements of commercialisation which are a bit undesirable, but they are badly exaggerated, and GKR remains a traditional style of Karate.

Protekt

06-09-2007, 07:26

Kancho Sullivan's grade was NOT 'done himself', but rather by Japanese masters. The only grade awarded by the club was his 7th Dan, and it was awarded after a length period of time by his very senior students, themselves 4th and 5th Dans. Believe me, there are few karateka better than Robert Sullivan in the world.

Sullivan`s style is a joke, can you name these Japanese masters.He made the "style" up himself for pete`s sake. If GKR is so good why are there no Dojo`s in Japan the home of Karate, answer, they would be laughed out of town.Why does GKR never compete in any of the national open competions ? Why has there never been a GKR stylist in the GB, England or even any of the regional teams. YOU CANNOT HAVE A NO CONTACT MARTIAL ART. If you don`t like the idea of taking a knock, try knitting. We have children training too the only spar when ready and are then taught control.The only people who hold GKR in high regard are blindfolded GKR practitioners like yourself. The multi-style response on her should be a clue.
Don`t even mention the self defense aspect, with no contact you have no concept of distance and timing the two most important aspects of delivering any techniques, there is nothing in the GKR syllabus that is rellavent for a street situation you are giving housewives and families a dangerous false sense of security.
GKR`s place in martial arts is right next to Avon and Betterware.
As for Sullivan been one of the best in the world,:loopy: you really are taking the ****.

Johnny_B

06-09-2007, 09:22

Sullivan`s style is a joke, can you name these Japanese masters.He made the "style" up himself for pete`s sake. If GKR is so good why are there no Dojo`s in Japan the home of Karate, answer, they would be laughed out of town.Why does GKR never compete in any of the national open competions ? Why has there never been a GKR stylist in the GB, England or even any of the regional teams. YOU CANNOT HAVE A NO CONTACT MARTIAL ART. If you don`t like the idea of taking a knock, try knitting. We have children training too the only spar when ready and are then taught control.The only people who hold GKR in high regard are blindfolded GKR practitioners like yourself. The multi-style response on her should be a clue.
Don`t even mention the self defense aspect, with no contact you have no concept of distance and timing the two most important aspects of delivering any techniques, there is nothing in the GKR syllabus that is rellavent for a street situation you are giving housewives and families a dangerous false sense of security.
GKR`s place in martial arts is right next to Avon and Betterware.
As for Sullivan been one of the best in the world,:loopy: you really are taking the ****.

Could not have put it better myself.

I do have to say though, "Sullivan one of the best in the world"? You've not got a clue what out there, go to Japan, you'll find green belts better than him.

price

06-09-2007, 10:02

Carcass

06-09-2007, 10:04

chefkicker

06-09-2007, 11:12

Saying stuff like 'it MUST be dangerous, look at these injuries people got in training!' is just bull, frankly. If you hurt your partner in training, that is a BAD thing.
Plus, in terms of dismantling people, I'll take Muay Thai over GKR any day. Why don't we see any MMA fighters using GKR/karate techniques?

What are you saying Carcass :P
You never gave AFK a mention :D Surely AFK beats GKR everytime :hihi:

On a serious note, sorry to hijack this thread but by reading your entries, I would personally go through with the majority. Thankfully i have never trained in GKR but I have come into contact with GKR Black belts and instructors and when ever they have trained in a Beginners class at AFK, the hardest thing has been to teach them to keep their guard up! Something I find easier to teach to an absolute beginner!!!

CerealKiller

06-09-2007, 12:03

I have to say much of what geezer68 said made sense to me and as I am currently training with GKR I feel I have a better viewpoint than many people here.

On a personal note I have been training with GKR for over a year and take my kids with me, they absolutely love it and I have to admit I do enjoy the exercise. The alarm bells started ringing at my last grading (7th kyu) when the RS announced that the senseis would be inviting students they thought good enough to start the sensei training programme. The Guy ended with "You should look at the invitation as an honour" which I read as "decline the offer at you peril". Sure enough 2 weeks later my sensei asked me and I said I would think about it (NO!!!!!) I later told a friend and ex sensei who informed me that the RS had instruced his branch instructors to ask ANY adult 7th KYU and above that had not already done the STP. Now I have ignored the request but the RS is going to contact me this week...wonder what I should say?

pzk89 if you need any more evidence that GKR is about money then think about the following: Have you every asked if you could grade before you did the magical required amount of lessons? I know for a fact that myself and kids are all ready for our next grading but there is no way we will be allowed. You may doubt this but how often do you, (as a 5th KYU you no doubt will have) see little kids with little or no ability gain 7th, 6th and even 5th kyu belts? I bet you have looked at them and shook your head. Just put to grading because of the number of classes and not skill and knowledge.

pzk89 you gave a reasoned approach to his argument but I have to take issue with many of these points:

Yes Gkr classes are repetitive and this is apparantly because it perfects what is taught but as a GKR student I looked through Karate books and thought- why dont we do that? In my opinion there is too much emphasis on perfecting the few strikes/blocks etc.

GKR as non contact? Well I have to take issue with this too; yes it is in front of the kiddies in the dojo, but it is quite different for the senseis and i can honestly say at one grading I saw a 3rd Kyu literally beaten up by the RS.

"The only way to get one (black belt) faster is to train as a Sensei. Trainee Senseis train very hard indeed, very regularly, with extremely high grades. They get very good, very fast." Dont make me laugh, it is common knowledge that people on the sensei training programme can only count the senior classes towards their next grade. One class i attend the sensei is a 6th kyu and she can count a maximum of 2 classes towards her next grade, i do three classes a week and will easily pass her- simple! It doesnt make any difference how many classes she does only the senior ones count.

"You'll find the the majority of the rumours about GKR were started by people who went on the Sensei Training Programme and couldn't hack it. There are certain elements of commercialisation which are a bit undesirable, but they are badly exaggerated, and GKR remains a traditional style of Karate."- What an absolute load of crap, tell me then why when I look down the line in class I see 4 people that used to be sensei? Come and talk to them! I have, and they all say the same thing and it certainly wasnt that they couldnt hack it, but that the whole GKR system is messed up, built around money and entertaining kids. The last class I attended one ex sensei hit the nail on the head. She said "look at all the parents sitting over there, they just dont have a clue what us adults have to put up with, they just think its all fun. They dont know about all the politics."

On the one had as I said my kids love it and I enjoy the exercise but I dont know if I want to be involved long term in a company (yes I said company) like GKR. It seems the only way to get to Black belt in this region is to be a a teenage girl (i'm neither) flirt with the RS (hmmmm... nah!) and be willing to be a sensei (again not gonna happen) so what are my chances? Any views are welcome on this!

ShotoKarate

06-09-2007, 12:48

Someone back in the pages said that GKR is a highly respected style!!!!

Only in GKR CIRCLES I'm afraid ..... everyone else sees GKR as mixture of humour pity and anger. Read the other posts for details.

Don't know whether this has been said but Go Kan in Japanese can mean rapist.

Carcass

06-09-2007, 12:59

Don't know whether this has been said but Go Kan in Japanese can mean rapist.
That would be Goukan (long 'o') 強姦　meaning violation or rape. Most people would find this quite appropriate for GKR, mainly to do with their wallets.

I'm assuming that they use 五感　（Gokan, short 'o') meaning 'five senses.'

And Farhad, you do enough self-promotion without me having to do it for you :P

chefkicker

06-09-2007, 13:10

:hihi:That would be Goukan (long 'o') 強姦　meaning violation or rape. Most people would find this quite appropriate for GKR, mainly to do with their wallets.

I'm assuming that they use 五感　（Gokan, short 'o') meaning 'five senses.'

And Farhad, you do enough self-promotion without me having to do it for you :P

Carcass,
come and try out an AFK class for yourself and see what its all about. Then you can promote it all you want :hihi:

lj22

06-09-2007, 13:31

Hi everyone,

I think i am the only one who can comment on this subject. i first started wado ryu karate i trained for almost 5 years. due to travel i had to change styles. i then trained for 3 years in shodokan. and 2 years in hapkido. due to my job i had to move agian and started with GKR i have been training with them for 4 years.
Its a hard one it sounds pushy to go door to door (by the way i dont) but so many students would never have joined if they never did in 4 years i have never know anyone to come off the street and teach. when i trained in wado ryu and shodokan both times i had been asked if i minded standing out the front of the class as a sempai not sensei just so the new students had someone to watch if the sensei was busy with other students.
in gkr the dont get students to do that instead if someone has been training for a few years they can do a 10 week course to learn how to help in a class but if they do that they have to also train extra and go to a senior class everyweek.
every stye has its good points and bad points in the clubs i have been to there is always a sensei who dosent know how to teach or run a class properly every club has someone where you think my god how did they get there grade and every club has people who have amazing karate. the thing i like about gkr is that they never bag other clubs and they are family oriantated and they always try to promote good karate-ka and ettiquite. some others styes just train for sport and forget about the traditions and ettiquite in karate. also sullavan the founder of GKR believe it or not actually goes to japan to get graded he still does. over all ive found GKR has more of a positive outlook but thats just my expirence im sure the are a few bad sensei's in GKR. but i think it comes down to the indervidual. also someone wrote about GKR wining most nas tornaments yes they do for those who dont know nas is national all stars so they compete agianst kick boxers tai kwan do etc
we have just go a new head sensei i have only see a bit of his kata and kumite he is dam fast. my sensei at wado ryu was an awsome at sparing but ive never seen anyone so qiuck i cant wait to train with him. Sorry about any bad expirences youve had the best advice i can think of is old fashioned shop around for your sensei see what values they have seen how they train

hope this has helped answer some questions
also im from australia so i dont know about GKR in the UK it sure sounds diffrent over there i didnt think it would be.
there pretty strick on the way things are run over here each dojo has to be run the same. i know if i go to any dojo in australia i will walk in and the bow in is the same the format is the same and you dont have diffrent sensei's telling you diffrent things. a stye i was in before was bad for that some bits of kata youd do diffrent depending on which sensei you had in frount of you.

Good luck

yorkie030

06-09-2007, 14:37

Oh what a fun thread this is! :suspect:

Protekt

06-09-2007, 14:59

Hi everyone,

I think i am the only one who can comment on this subject. :loopy:

Don`t you just love the GKR humility:rolleyes:
Please refer to signature below.

ShotoKarate

06-09-2007, 15:02

That would be Goukan (long 'o') 強姦　meaning violation or rape. Most people would find this quite appropriate for GKR, mainly to do with their wallets.

I'm assuming that they use 五感　（Gokan, short 'o') meaning 'five senses.'

And Farhad, you do enough self-promotion without me having to do it for you :P

As far as I'm aware, they use the Go as in 'Goju' - presumably meaning hard - and Kan as in Shotokan - presumably meaning training hall.

chefkicker

06-09-2007, 15:03

Carcass

06-09-2007, 15:09

As far as I'm aware, they use the Go as in 'Goju' - presumably meaning hard - and Kan as in Shotokan - presumably meaning training hall.
Fairly sure that the gojuu of gojuuryuu is actually 五十　meaning 'fifty.' (five tens, hence the same character as in 'five senses')

chefkicker

06-09-2007, 15:17

Fairly sure that the gojuu of gojuuryuu is actually 五十　meaning 'fifty.' (five tens, hence the same character as in 'five senses')

Carcass , do you have "internet diarrohea" by any chance ?

:hihi:

ShotoKarate

06-09-2007, 15:18

Fairly sure that the gojuu of gojuuryuu is actually 五十　meaning 'fifty.' (five tens, hence the same character as in 'five senses')

From wikipedia --- for all thats worth ;)

After much consideration Chojun Miyagi decided on the name Gojū-Ryū (hard and soft school) as a name for his style.

price

06-09-2007, 15:46

Fairly sure that the gojuu of gojuuryuu is actually 五十　meaning 'fifty.' (five tens, hence the same character as in 'five senses')

Go is "hard" as in punches, strikes etc. Ju means "soft" as in ju-do,ju-jitsu. Therefore you have Goju the name given to Naha- te by Miyagi Chojun Sensei to enable this particular Okinawan style to be promoted and spread in mainland Japan in the 1930's. Okinawans never bothered with special names as there were only 3 "styles" anyway. it was of no interest to them locally. They didn't bother with Gi's. They, and the belt system were only introduced after 1953, when Miyagi Sensei died.
Gokan is purported to be an amalgamation of these styles.:hihi: Kan is from Shotokan. Shoto being the "pen name" of Gichin Funokoshi who was, I'm told a poet as well as a Martial Artist, and Kan meaning club, as in organisation, therefore Shoto's Club. I'm reliably informed by a Japanese friend Gokan also means rape.

RobbyBrown

06-09-2007, 21:22

One of my Master Instructors, German Champion Helmut Arseparter has also got a number of up and coming seminars coming up. All very expensive, from which you will learn absolutly bugger all.

He was asked to demonstrate how to deal with an attack by someone armed with a knife.

He pulled out a gun.....

leapy78

13-09-2007, 15:19

Hi

Several yrs ago I did GKR Karate for over a year. I had several different instructors and it was obvious to me that their level of skills varied a lot and as you can imagine some were much better than others.

From my experience within GKR I pretty much came to the conclusion that there are good instructors who have obviously spent years doing MA but whether you actually get to train with them is another thing entirely. Some you see only for gradings or if/when you go to competitions. And its pretty much hit or miss whether you actually get someone who can teach you anything worthwhile without leaving you wondering if you were wasting your time by going along!

GKR is a worldwide club and I got the impression that its much better oganised with better instructors in some areas than it is in others. For example I think its better organised in Newcastle than it is in Sheffield.

It is much better for families who want to learn a MA together in one class. It is very much family orientated and in some cases its very limiting for individuals who want to take it seriously.

Yes, i would say I did get quite a lot from it whilst I was there. Everyone was fairly friendly, it was fun and I learnt a lot from the instructors who obviously did know a thing or two, but like I said, it did have its limitations and I thought they were pretty easy to spot.

chefkicker

13-09-2007, 16:31

dave13

14-09-2007, 09:39

Hi
I agree with leapy 78 in that GKR are very family orientated, I have been doing GKR for a year and our sensei is a black belt who has practiced other styles and is very knowledgeable on how and why we do certain things. He is also strict on grading's and will not put you through just because you have the right amount of lesson's or month's done as is the sensei's instructor or regional manager . I try train twice a week with him when work allow's with the wife and kid's. I also go to other classes, a lot of the other class sensei's have previous MA experience in shotokan.
We also have had 2 chap's who were/are BB in Gojeru, one came from japan. They are brilliant at karate and in kumite they help you heaps with quickening up block's and strikes.
I read somewhere that they (gkr) are pushy and try to get you to buy their products but I haven't had that in my area and purchase my equipment outside of the club.Nobody bat's and eyelid at this.
With regards to getting a black belt in a short period of time I have been told it will take me minimum 5 years, but knowing my abilities if it takes me twice that then so be it, I will just enjoy the ride and the training I'm not hung up on getting my next belt just on improving my training. It's definately helped with my combination's as my co-ordination was terrible at first, its now begun to improve.
I understand that some area's will be better than other's as will training, I know nothing about SDC'S other than I was signed up by one who wasn't pushy and didn't come out with any tall stories on classes he just told it as it is.
With regards to non-contact, as said before it's a family club and some of the kid's are extremely young and if they began belting each other in kumite then I doubt if a lot of parent's would bring their children back if they came out with a bust nose or black eye.My kid's wouldn't. I have a friend who does kick boxing and has represented britain and they have seen the black eyes and bruises and they don't fancy any of that. That said the further you go up the grade's then contact does happen and it's accepted it will, I've been clonked plenty and the point someone made of it quickening your block's is very true as a smack on the nose or chin makes you concentrate a whole lot more as is countering quickly.
Maybe I will try another style of MA in future years as an add on to GKR or even something new. One of my mate's at work does some other form of MA and has his own club ( couldn't tell you exactly what he does but he has done this for donkey's years he is some form of master who is something like a sixth dan) so I might try his style in future, I might even try kick boxing but in my line of work turning up for work with black eyes is frowned upon.
I take on board and respect other people's points and I don't get upset by them but for me if the GKR door knocker hadn't knocked I doubt I would have got involved in MA at all and it's improved my fitness no end. I have had a great time at the competitions they organise as have the kid's and we have made loads of new friends as a result so for me it's all positive and at the moment can't fault GKR or it's training.
This is just my view on thing's and I hope people won't give me too much of a kicking for sticking up for GKR.

Protekt

14-09-2007, 11:51

Again, without contact you are doing basically boxercise don`t kid yourself its a martial art.

berry580

07-10-2007, 04:28

Hi people, my name is Barry, I’ve trained in GKR in Australia for about 3 years since I 1st started, although its been on & off due to education commitments & holidays, so to be more accurate I’ve trained for about one year 1-2time/s a week 1.5 hrs each time. I’m currently a green belt 6th ryu.

As far as I’m concerned, GKR does have “self defence consultants” (i.e. salesmen for gkr), but that doesn’t make it a “mc dojo”.
It’s inevitable that a dojo has good quality and bad quality practitioners, it’s the way things are, and I can assure you that good quality practitioners DO exist.

Let me try answer some of your questions.

AUD$2.3 approx =1 pound
All prices below are in AUD

How much do you charge per lesson or per month?
$9 per lesson (you pay each lesson) OR
Its $49.5 per month if its direct debit.

Is there a joining fee?
$48 for a trial membership or $160 for full membership

How much is a licence?
No licence for anything.

What hidden expenses are there that aren't known about until a licence is obtained?
Nothing. This “licence” don’t even exist.

Do karate suits or equipment have to be bought through the club?
No. Even one of my instructor wears his MMA uniform to his GKR dojo... lol

How long is it between gradings ,say up to blue belt, (based on attendance of twice a week) ditto from blue to blackbelt?
It depends, but I think it averages about 2 years from white to blue.
Don’t know for from blue to black belt, but probably a few ‘big’ years… lol

What is the lowest grade of any GKR instructor in Sheffield?
I don’t live in UK, no idea.

What grade is the instructor who grades brown and black belt students?
There are a lot of instructors who grades brown and black belts, I don’t know all of them, but my instructor is one of them. His name is Craig Lennox (2003 NAS Champion of champions), a 2nd dan
[i wasn't allowed to post links corz im new :( ]

Does that instructor attend specific Dan training classes him/herself?
Where, how often and who with?

To my best knowledge, our instructors regularly trains with my regional instructor, he’s 3rd dan I think, and he occasionally trains with Kancho Sullivan along with other regional instructors.
Don’t know where or frequency.

What grade is that instructor?
Kancho Sullivan a 7th dan.

As a traditional martial art there must be some lineage back to it's founder, could you publish that lineage i.e. fom founder to present day?

No idea.

Is GKR registered as a Traditional Martial Art with the Japanese controlling body?
I'm told GO -KAN is part GOju-ryu and ShotoKAN, how did your founder become so proficient in both Martial Arts in so short a time, that they were able to establish their own style?

No idea.
But, I think Kancho Sullivan learned some useful elements from those styles and incorporated it into GKR, I personally think that’s not impossible.

Did this founder ask permission of any one of the heads of any of these styles permission to do so? Not that he needed to, but as a matter of good manners which, as you know, is part and parcel of Karate.do

Don’t know.

Something must have gone belly-up in GKR Sheffield, for I know of at least six people that are now training in a more established style. Would you care to comment on this ,please?

People has is allowed to make his/her own choice, its normal for practitioners to learn other styles too, nothing wrong with that.

To sum things up, GKR might not be the most traditional/exotic style, but it definitely has its qualities and not “the biggest mc dojo” like how some people put it to be.

berry580

07-10-2007, 04:49

pzk89,
Thou speakest utter twaddle. For pity's sake, how can you not have contact in karate? Karate was evolved for close quarter civilian combat between a trained karateka and an untrained assailant e.g. robber ( we'd say "mugger" nowadays). It should involve at least close quarter combat, upright grappling and groundwork, not as sophisticated as judo etc, but enough to get you on your feet a.s.a.p. If it doesn't involve any of these then it ain't original karate. Mr Sullivan "one of the best in the World" don't talk wet! Put your obvious enthusiasm to a better Martial Art endeavour, you deserve better.There is so much misunderstanding, I don't know where to start from.

GKR is "semi-contact". That means non-contact for lower grades and semi-contact for higher grades.
i.e. there IS contact, but our instructors encourage us to control out attacks, that means ideally to put your hip in, and be able to go through the target if we want, but stop just in front of the target if we want.
Anyone knows how to throw a punch, but the important abit is whether you can control it. Remember traditional karate isn't just about fighting, its about the etiquette too.

Protekt

07-10-2007, 08:13

There is so much misunderstanding, I don't know where to start from.

GKR is "semi-contact". That means non-contact for lower grades and semi-contact for higher grades.
i.e. there IS contact, but our instructors encourage us to control out attacks, that means ideally to put your hip in, and be able to go through the target if we want, but stop just in front of the target if we want.
Anyone knows how to throw a punch, but the important abit is whether you can control it. Remember traditional karate isn't just about fighting, its about the etiquette too.

Probably best shows how confused GKR students are.
1. GKR claims to be non-contact regardless of grade, all tournaments are non-contact.
2. "ideally to put your hip in" The use of the hips is to generate power and extend reach, nothing to do with control.
3. "Anyone knows how to throw a punch" yeah right !!
4. "Remember traditional karate isn`t just about fighting,its about the etiquette too" You want to learn about etiquette go to a ballroom dancing class. I want to fight and learn to fight, thats why i do a martial art I observe the traditions of my style and pay my opponents the uttmost respect BUT IT IS ABOUT FIGHTING.
GKR students and instructors can come on her with reasons for this and that, proclaiming the Aussie guy is one of the best in the world:loopy: but you will always be a laughing stock among the serious martial arts community:hihi: As the comments on this thread prove.

You want to train GKR fine get on with it and enjoy, you pay your money and take your choice. But please don`t try telling proper martial artists how wonderful it is. As for self defence, you really are having laugh... probably at the expense of some over confident, brain washed GKR student who thinks he can defend him/her self on the street.

Carcass

07-10-2007, 11:24

Anyone knows how to throw a punch
The collection of title holding kickboxers and coaches on here (like Chefkicker) would beg to differ.

chefkicker

07-10-2007, 22:07

The collection of title holding kickboxers and coaches on here (like Chefkicker) would beg to differ.

Anyone knows how to punch??? I would say the opposite! Many (and i do mean a large majority) of martial arts black belts , do NOT know how to punch.
I have been in kickboxing for over a decade and I would call my punching ability perhaps above average ? (comparing myself to a decent level boxer that is)
Now when we get a lot of high graded martial artists, theyre kicking is ok, they can sometimes throw one or two of other techniques, they can be taught how to clinch or elbow but when it comes to the boxing skills or even boxing defence now that is hard work!
I have had to take them apart , dissect them and then reassamble them to have them punching correctly , so not anyone can throw a punch.
Comments like that show ignorance.

Carcass

09-10-2007, 09:17

Told you so Berry :P

berry580

09-10-2007, 10:22

Carcass

09-10-2007, 11:30

So your comment SHOULD have read: 'anyone knows how to fling their arms around in a manner which will most likely only serve to annoy their opponent' rather than 'throw a punch' which implies some use of technique?

Can't help but think you're onto a loser here.

deadheadfred

09-10-2007, 12:23

Thread summary;

- "My martial art is better than your martial art."
- "No, it isn't!"
- "Yes, it is!"

Actually, mine is best, and I'll fight any man on crutches who says otherwise. :)

DaFoot

09-10-2007, 12:28

Thread summary;

- "My martial art is better than your martial art."
- "No, it isn't!"
- "Yes, it is!"

Actually, mine is best, and I'll fight any man on crutches who says otherwise. :)

So long as he isn't an nth dan in crutch-do?

deadheadfred

09-10-2007, 12:29

Stop it, dafoot!

I am now near widdling myself in fear.

Carcass

09-10-2007, 12:49

Thread summary;

- "My martial art is better than your martial art."
- "No, it isn't!"
- "Yes, it is!"

Actually, mine is best, and I'll fight any man on crutches who says otherwise. :)

Nah. Summary:

*Knowledgeable martial artists from across the board* "GKR is a scam!"

*People who have been taken for a ride* "No it isn't!"
:hihi:

deadheadfred

09-10-2007, 13:19

Deadheadfred –

9th Dong pink-paisley belt in Ichi Sac
Approved Sensei in noble art of No Kan Du

…….emits eardrum bursting kiai as he leaps out of the thread before attracting too much attention to himself. :D

Protekt

09-10-2007, 14:46

:Nah. Summary:

*Knowledgeable martial artists from across the board* "GKR is a scam!"

*People who have been taken for a ride* "No it isn't!"
:hihi:
:hihi::hihi::hihi:

Cyclone

09-10-2007, 16:32

"Know how to punch" and "know how to punch with a 'correct'/'perfect' technique" is something different.
If most people don't know how to punch, as you have suggested, then what are they doing when those people are throwing their clenched fist out? Nothing?
Hope I've made myself clear.

Flailing around would be the answer you're looking for I suppose.

Punching properly is like any other skill, it has to be learnt and then practised. It can be learnt through experience, but that's the hard way and takes longer than having someone teach you and then getting the experience.

chefkicker

09-10-2007, 22:22

Beebop

10-10-2007, 09:50

I think when the posters claiming anyone can punch may have a point.

For example, I've never been kickboxing/or done karate, yet I once punched someone on the nose and gave them a nose bleed. So berry580 may have a valid point.

Carcass

10-10-2007, 10:56

I can slap someone and give them a nosebleed. No dice.

Crayfish

10-10-2007, 13:16

I've been training for 7 years in plenty of styles and I confess I have only a rudimentary grasp of good punching technique. Largely because I've never done boxing. Chefkicker's helped to improve a few things but I haven't spent enough time there to call myself a kickboxer.

There's a very good amateur boxer who I sometimes do vale tudo with, and while I may have a slight edge grappling or on the floor there is no way I would ever want to stand up with him! Much more accurate and powerful with a good defense. One day I'd like to do boxing but, only have so much time to be fair.

I can't think of any reason to go to a place like GKR, because every element of their techniques are done better by another style. Boxing or kickboxing or thai boxing will be better for strikes, judo or BJJ or wrestling will be better for grappling and all of the above will probably be better for fitness and general combat experience.

chefkicker

10-10-2007, 13:42

amc_kaz

10-10-2007, 13:53

You have discussed many of the less than satisfactory facets of the GKR experience, so I shall address the gradings ...
I trained with GKR for 4 years and reached 4th Kyu. For the last year I was there solely to accompany my daughter; it got both of us off the sofa and into some type of organised activity.
Initially we graded together - £15 each + £3 for the belt - all lower grades regardless of age were tested together. Then it changed; children to be graded from midday to 1pm, adults from 2 to 3:30. (1.5 hours is too long for 5 year olds) Now the "family" club was stopping us from participating as a family! [And my whole Sunday afternoon was gone. :rant:]
There were about 60 of us packed in there - half as many again when it was all ages. At £18 each. !!!
I pride myself on my Kata, it was good enough to win the odd medal, so when I saw "testees" (?) getting their grade (both 5th Kyu in this instance) when they patently didn't even know the pattern, I decided that enough was enough. And this from a "style" that prides itself on basics. :loopy: (OK 5 yr olds get a bit more latitude at the 9th / 8th Kyu level - Taikyoko Shodan / H kata )
GKR allows sparring at gradings from 8th Kyu, but contact is not allowed, nor sweeping - except if you are brown belt or above. But I always endured a few digs from the Area Instructor (1st Dan).
And after each grading I also was approached to become a Sempai. I always declined.
It may seem like sour grapes - but I've been there, seen it and walked away. I now train in a Traditional style in the real trace-it-back-to-the-okinawans sense. It's physically harder than GKR (we do press-ups :help: and get hit occasionally :gag:) But I am REALLY ENJOYING MYSELF :D

Crayfish

10-10-2007, 14:05

Hi Crayfish
Thank you for the mention with regard to teaching correct punching technique.
Some of the biggest compliments I have ever had have actually been from members of boxing gyms where they have actually stated that I have helped improved their boxing ability due to some of my one on one padwork drills.
See you when youre next down Crayfish.

I remember doing that last time I was down and I think it definitely helped to improve my defense in particular in just one session!

Unfortunately we don't do so much striking technique work where I am now, it's usually either grappling technique or vale tudo, although we do punch/kick combinations on the pads a lot too. And a heck of a lot of fitness, I keep waiting for my level of stamina to improve but at once or twice a week it always seems to be the same shock to the system!

Anyway, I'll look forward to coming down to AFK again and learning some more stand up tips Chefkicker!

chefkicker

10-10-2007, 14:24

I remember doing that last time I was down and I think it definitely helped to improve my defense in particular in just one session!

Unfortunately we don't do so much striking technique work where I am now, it's usually either grappling technique or vale tudo, although we do punch/kick combinations on the pads a lot too. And a heck of a lot of fitness, I keep waiting for my level of stamina to improve but at once or twice a week it always seems to be the same shock to the system!

Anyway, I'll look forward to coming down to AFK again and learning some more stand up tips Chefkicker!

Thank you very much Crayfish,
The very fact that a martial artist of your experience and calibre STILL comes to little old me every now and then on your weekend off ! That fact is incredibly flattering. You have trained all over the place at many martial arts and thai/kickboxing clubs and now as an MMA practitioner you STILL come to AFK as well as the Gracie Barra club you attend, believe me im honoured!!!
Wouldnt it be nice if you could train at AFK regularly LOL the lads are sick of having to stand on a step ladder to spar with you! :hihi:

kylefoulds

10-10-2007, 15:45

hi guys, i am an instructor with GKR and ex - SDC i trained with the club for 2 years before coming an full time consultant (the door knockers) and was teaching after 6months of training.

i can see all of you had valid points and would appreciate it greatly if you heeded my words and didnt just regurgitate the points you have already made as i have read all 150 previous posts and so if you repeat the same stuff you obviously wont be regarding what i am saying.

GKR is a money making organisation, this is true but how else can a large club sustain such rapid growth, you say it is not a real martial art, just because it isnt full contact my wotsit is bigger than yours doesnt mean it isnt a proper martial art, i was 16 when i joined, was looking for a club and an SDC knocked on my door, the chap was pleasant and professional as well as showing me how much everything costs, explained a lot more than other clubs, now from my point of view going door to door is a hard slog, I SHOULD KNOW I'VE DONE IT FOR GKR, and some people do think it is a scam, but its not, we dont pretend to be a big hard mans club, we are a club for families and adults who want to learn a martial art in an environment with discipline and respect with the knowledge they wont get belted, now this 1 year black belt stuff i have been hearing is definitley not true, there are a few points i will be clarifying for you guys.

1. yes GKR has low grade instructors they are called sempais, and are just people stood at front of the class doing some punching and blocking for people in there first few classes to copy.

2. yes some of the sensei's are lower grade, i was one of them, i taught my first class as a sensei aas a blue belt (5th kyu) however i am confident in knowing at the time my karate was much better than the average person. i trained 4 times a week after doing only 1 week with the club and train at home and with the top instructors in my region. (i live in derby BTW)

3. those people who slag gkr off as a Mc Dojo, well look at it like this, 99.9% of the population dont want to do full contact karate, some people want something to keep fit and learn some punches and stuff at the same time, i have a class for kids and for adults and its great fun, i will be the first to admit my students love me becuase a) my karate is good and they can respect me because of it and b) they like the way i am with them, i am relaxed and have good fun,
now i will be the first to admit before karate i had a bad attitude and temper and will hold my hands up and say i was a complete ar$e but now i have got self control discipline and i can defend myself, i am currently wearing a black and white belt and have been doing so for 2 years now, and am coming up for my black belt within the next 12 - 16 months, and this is training 4 times a week, i do contact training at home, punching walls wood bricks and always get my m8s to hit me all over my torso and legs so i know i can take a punch, and people who say GKR has no technique and power, answer me this, have you been on the end of a punch from a high grade practitioner of GKR, if the answer is yes then fair - dos if no then how can you comment,

martial arts should teach you respect and courtesy, now i for 1 am a strong believer that everyone should have there own opinion and so if you guys want to think what you tihnk fair play, but dont go shouting off stories you hear that are clearly not true or that you dont know about.

i will happily answer any questions you have about the club and seeing as i have been an SDC i can answer most of your questions in more depth.

for example yes we are registered with NAKMAS (national academy of karate and martial arts schools) and Kancho Sullivan trains with the 2 top goju sensei's in japan and has their blessing to teach a style with goju as the main contributor.
btw for the person who commented earlier Go = Hard Kan = Complete Ryu = School

yes Gokan does mean rape in japanese but Go-Kan WITH A HYPHEN is hard complete, now then back to the point. kancho has been doing martial arts for 43 years now, 23 of which has been with GKR so thats 20 years of karate experience training in australia with goju and shotokan. and the goju masters in okinawa graded kancho upto his 6th dan, the gap between 6th and 7th dan was 6 years i belive and in that time the okinawan sensei kancho trained with passed away so it was left to sensei gavin and shihan to grade kancho.

thanks for taking the time to read my post and i hope you consider it as i have consdiered yours.

for those wondering i do intend to train in another style of karate and it will be a full contact one but i enjoy training with GKR and would say this to you, every club has bad eggs, just because you have eaten a bad egg doesnt been the rest of them are. so please do not judge our club on one area of the UK as with all big organizations there are going to be some bad points, but instead look at how many peoples lives GKR has improved by helping them get fitter and more confident.

thanks again

kyle

amc_kaz

10-10-2007, 16:24

Kyle,
Thanks for a measured post.
A point to BEWARE ...
If you are thinking of training with another style, maybe you should check your GKR contract - when I was with GKR, some instructors were told by the Regional Instructor that if they did train outside GKR, they would have their Black & White belt confiscated and would no longer be allowed to teach GKR classes. They have now left and train in Goju Ryu. Maybe this policy has now been rescinded given the attrition of higher grades.
Regards
amc_kaz

kylefoulds

10-10-2007, 16:29

i know about that, i was talking about in the future after i finish at university, but thanks for your concern nice to see some people on here that will listen to what people have to say. :)

Protekt

10-10-2007, 20:11

How in the hell can you claim to teach people self defence when its non-contact for Gods sake, Self Defence Consultants, the big rip off !!
A title that is designed to mislead people with no martial arts knowledge into thinking GKR might help them on the street.:loopy:
The real self defense experts in this country, people like Dave Turton, Geoff Thompson and Peter Consterdine (people proven to be able to talk the talk, and walk the walk) all hold high dan grades in traditional martial arts and clearly state they have little or no use on the street.
Do you Mr or Miss GKR Self Defence Consultant with your two and a half years experience, claim to know more about self defence than Self Defence Federation Head, Dave Turton 8th Dan who cut his teeth working on the doors of Moss Side.
Stick to boxercise, please don`t dare to call yourself Self Defence Consultants.

kylefoulds

10-10-2007, 21:00

well for a start people dont know we are called self defence consultants thats our titles to them we are just karate guys, and seeing as i have had to use karate to defend myself on more than one occasion i would say it works, i dont train non contact in my personal training just in my class, and non contact doesnt make it ineffective, in fact i would like to know. what makes you think that non contact is ineffective,

and at no point have i claimed to know more than anyone else, or be better than anyone else i have cooly stated my opinion and you have flown off the handle, so i asume you do something like kickboxing or some other aggresive art, but thats beside the point.

if you can find anything in my post that claims "Do you Mr or Miss GKR Self Defence Consultant with your two and a half years experience, claim to know more about self defence than Self Defence Federation Head, Dave Turton 8th Dan who cut his teeth working on the doors of Moss Side." no i dont i know that i trained damn hard to get where i am and have been coated in blood at many of my gradings. at no point have i claimed to be better than anyone else and no REAL karateka will, and what is wrong with the title, i USED to talk to people (consulting them) on the subject of karate which is a form of self defence, you people need to learn to cool down cos you are just to irritable if someone talks to you reasonably

Beebop

10-10-2007, 21:25

,

Dave Turton 8th Dan who cut his teeth working on the doors of Moss Side.
.

Cut his teeth? seems a strange injury

Don't you mean cut his lip?

kylefoulds

10-10-2007, 22:11

in that message i highlighted what is in my post if you read that you would know it, and karate is a form of self defence, and i am no longer an SDC i did a few months as one and no am going to uni.

Moocher

11-10-2007, 05:28

Cannot help myself sorry.
TO ALL YOU GKR BLACK AND WHITE BELTS OUT THERE.

YOU CAN INSTRUCT MARTIAL ARTS/SELF DEFENCE AT YELLOW BELT- BUT YOU SHOULD NOT.

ITS WROOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I go incognito to GKR classes about once a month for fun. Once you pay the initial fee you are a lifetime member. Just turn up at any dojo, there's plenty of them. Do it, go on do it because the interpretation of some shotokan and goju ryu kata is amusing.

In fact their interpretation of everything is getting more amusing, and it constantly changes. One club I have been sneaking to has had 6 different instructors in one year.

I could be wrong here, but I'd still put money on this one, does GKR alter kata's to make them look more cosmetically appealing?

I could go on forever about these guys.

My main beaf is the black and white thing, the rest of it I can accept. If they stopped that sempai rubbish I would leave them alone.

Its not going to happen is it.

Johnny_B

11-10-2007, 09:58

karate which is a form of self defence

My personal background is Shotokan, and I do have to agree here that Karate is a form of self defence, and can be used to good effect on the street if required, but only if taught properly. People like Dave Turton may disagree, but then agin poel like Terry O'Niell would disagree with him..

HOWEVER...

at no point have i claimed to be better than anyone else and no REAL karateka will,

Please do not in any way, shape, or form call yourself a karateka, you are not, and to say so is an insult to all PROPER KARATEKA! :rant:
GKR is not karate, its a keep fit club that scams people into joining by using martial arts and karate as an advertising front. GKR is about as usefull in the real world as tap dancing.

Protekt

11-10-2007, 10:33

amc_kaz

11-10-2007, 12:36

Kyle,
One purpose of my post was to inform others that GKR attempts to remove your freedom of choice by insisting that you ONLY train in GKR.
There have also been times when previous GKR instructors have been visited in their newly opened dojo by the GKR Regional Instructor and a couple of heavies and informed that if they fail to shut up shop they will be issued with proceedings for breach of contract.

chefkicker

11-10-2007, 13:47

Kyle PM'd me too!!!
:hihi:
The PM was pointless too.
Hey Kyle, I have a few ungraded novices in my club. Can THEY become sempais in your club too?
Putting Yellow belts and such to teach ? Thats a disgrace!
Also dont go round telling people you "can take a punch" or that you tell your mates to "kick and punch you round the body" and that you get "covered in blood during gradings" to prove how hard you are.
Anyone that lets people get covered in blood during gradings is quite simply being stupid and irresponsible (unless they are an MMA club LOL).

On one hand you are saying you can take a dig, on the other hand you are saying its "no contact" make your mind up.

No offence but this thread is becoming childish.

This is what i think :

1.Knocking on doors=
Fine knock on doors, jehovahs witnesses knock on my door, i even invite them in for a chat! Cool by me

2.Katas etc,... =
Fine
Kata is the backbone of karate as long as you are taught correct BUNKAI behind the kata or it is meaningless.

3. Non contact?
Ok whatever floats your boat , who said everything has to be full contact anyway. Just dont make your art out to be an effective one thats all . You have just contradicted yourself when youre going on about being covered in blood during gradings.

4.judge a club by the students more than by looking at the instructors.If the instructors are doing their job then the students will have been taught good technique in whatever they are doing be it karate/ju jitsu /taekwondo or boxing.

Enjoy whatever you do but dont lie to people or make it out to be what its not.

chefkicker

11-10-2007, 13:47

Having looked at the GKR website there are 26 ! yes 26 GKR clubs in Sheffield alone:o.
I would love to know what grades the so called instructors are.
People are paying top prices for 3rd rate instruction.:rant:

If people are stupid then let them be stupid. Its their money and they make their choice.

DaFoot

11-10-2007, 13:51

If people are stupid then let them be stupid. Its their money and they make their choice.

Not stupid, but perhaps ill informed.
The door-to-door approach is presumably aimed at folks that have no experience, so wouldn't know wether they were getting good training or not.

chefkicker

11-10-2007, 13:53

On my next full contact show i will be staging a full contact fight a SPECIAL MATCH

KARATE Vs KARATE !!!

I want a GKR stylist and a Shotokan/Goju/Wado/whatever-Do Stylist

Both will have trained the same amount of time in their respective styles and be a similar weight.Let them both do 3x2mins in the ring and see if GKR can hold its own.
If the GKR guy looks evenly matched (win/lose or draw) then GKR will be respected as a proper karate style.
If the GKR looks like a muppet in the ring , then what everyone on this thread says is true!

If GKR dont respond then everyones suspicions are still true.

Fair call???

DaFoot

11-10-2007, 13:56

Maybe one reason people do GKR is they don't like the contact?
In which case the chance of finding a representative from that camp will be tricky.

chefkicker

11-10-2007, 13:58

Maybe one reason people do GKR is they don't like the contact?
In which case the chance of finding a representative from that camp will be tricky.

Finding a representative from MOST forms of martial art in this type of contest is bad enough, even TKD which is a full contact martial art.
The mention of hitting to the face scares most styles off to be honest.

DaFoot

11-10-2007, 14:02

I've always had the impression TKD guys don't do much contact work... or is that the diff between the 2 organisations?

price

11-10-2007, 14:52

i do intend to train in another style of karate and it will be a full contact one

The quote is from kyle and it begs the question for me (and maybe others)what exactly is "Full contact". I mean, a "full contact" elbow strike to the jaw (or anywhere else) is not nice, neither is a poke in the eye, strike to the throat, ear tearing, or that good old standby, testicular grabbing and pulling. So what is defined as "full contact",please? If it only refers to punches and kicks then many karate techniques can't be used, can they?? So can someone give me a definition,please?

price

11-10-2007, 14:54

Sorry I should have writ ... can't be used in competition.

Protekt

11-10-2007, 15:04

If people are stupid then let them be stupid. Its their money and they make their choice.

The problem is that they probably don`t realize whats going on. Nice shiny tracksuits, flash website, international organization.
Lets look at AFK or the Wicker (where I train) in contrast, neither have the marketing, financial backing or sheer number of bodies,plus both premises could be described as "worn":D
Lets face it Farhad,(skills and qualifications of instructors COMPLETELY aside) on appearances, marketing and approach they look to have a great set up, I know which club Mr and Mrs Smith with no martial arts knowledge at all would choose, its just the GKR content thats tosh.
Now if some one could produce that type of organisation with a great product, WOW !

Protekt

11-10-2007, 15:09

kylefoulds

11-10-2007, 15:36

Please do not in any way, shape, or form call yourself a karateka, you are not, and to say so is an insult to all PROPER KARATEKA! :rant:

well if you would like to come and watch me train or compete in tournaments then you will see just how wrong that is

and on the contact note, our public side is non contact, as a full timer with the club it is semi contact - full contact dependant on your grade level

Protekt

11-10-2007, 15:39

well if you would like to come and watch me train or compete in tournaments then you will see just how wrong that is

I think you will find most of us on this forum would prefer to watch a serious martial arts training session or competition, not Boxercise in a Gi.:D

Johnny_B

11-10-2007, 15:51

well if you would like to come and watch me train or compete in tournaments then you will see just how wrong that is

and on the contact note, our public side is non contact, as a full timer with the club it is semi contact - full contact dependant on your grade level

Oh dear, thats the point, I have watched GKR training, and (i use this word loosley)... "sparring". Therfore I know what I said is true.

Come to thin of it calling yourselves martial artists in general is insulting, and why single out karate for mass missinterpretation, pick on another style as well :D

You say you have used what you have been taught by GKR to defend yourself, aginst who a four year old, or a paper bag?

kylefoulds

11-10-2007, 16:15

no against 2 guys in town who tried to nick my phone. and if you have seen our training then i would like to know where it is, if it is in derby then which class. because it sure as hell aint mine

Johnny_B

11-10-2007, 16:20

One of the many sheffield branches of your business, sorry, i mean classes. Hillsborough, the Walkley class to be precise. Any more questions?

And yes there was a 15 year old, with a black and white belt on taking the class, while someone with a black belt on stood at the doorway sending texts.

Grim Reaper

11-10-2007, 16:23

MOD NOTE

The posting pf PM's on the forums is against forum rules.

The next person to do so will be off on a short break.

Cheers

kylefoulds

11-10-2007, 17:07

well thats not the way it works in derby, anyone using a phone instructor or student would no longer be in the class, the 15 yr old would of been the assistant and should not under any circumstances be teachin a class. if this is happening in sheffield i can in every way understand your feelings towards our club, but rest assured this is not the case everywhere, derby where i train the club is not run like this and any instructor "txting" in classes would no longer be teaching, as i have said i am not in sheffield and cannot vouch for the classes their, i can however vouch for derby

Crayfish

11-10-2007, 20:38

Kyle, you sound quite hands on - why don't you take up Chefkickers offer and see if you can win some respect and honour back for GKR in the martial arts circles of Sheffield? He runs a good show and will be even-handed, I can vouch that it's not some sort of trick.

mr_busdriver

11-10-2007, 20:42

[QUOTE=chefkicker;2723222]

I want a GKR stylist and a Shotokan/Goju/Wado/whatever-Do Stylist

QUOTE]

How about a hair stylist?

kylefoulds

11-10-2007, 21:07

lol ice breaker their, the only problem is i work and live in derby, so sheffers is a long way away. what sort of days times etc would you guys be looking at

chefkicker

11-10-2007, 23:36

Me and gkr

26-10-2007, 01:48

Hi,
again I just found this site whilst randomly looking for the "new and improved"website of my ex-club GKR. I trained with GKR fom being 12 and continued until i was 17 and within these five years reached 1st kyu. Fortunately or not my time with GKR ended during my AS levels as I returned from studying to find the best instructor had left. I had been an assistant instructor since 5th kyu and was NEVER made to teach anyone above or of equivalent to my grade. I was never put onto the sempai trying course but as my instructor was 2nd dan it was felt that his training and experience would be sufficient for my teaching. Luckily this particular instructor wasn't a massive fan of GKR "politics" and so I never became "white and black " belt as I had stipulated from the start that if I were to teach others i wanted them to know my grade , and through training in class with them the ability I had. Yes black and white belts make instructors equal but they also disguise lower grades. I have experienced both the bad and the good of GKR, I trained in Manchester under an instructor who at the time was also studying other styles. I feel this massively benefitted my GKR career as I learnt the different meanings behind different techniques and movement in more depth than in most of the other classes i had visited. It appears to me that the club IS better organised and apparently better taught in different areas as from reading various messages from othe GKR students I have been taught things differently eg. I was always taught that the movement of hips was to bring power etc. I had extremely limited experience of other martial arts as i had trained frequently with My boyfriend and more so his dad (in their back garden I might add!)who have trained to high levels (his dad 3rd dan and 1st dan) in various styles of martial arts, his dad is chinese and has done martial arts since being 6 (yet again a non GKR member who has taken well over 25 years to reach this standard), on hearing that i went to GKR i did receive the glazed expression which then became more glazed when i invited them to watch both a tournament and a grading of mine. THe two of them I have to be honest, were not best impressed. This particular tournament my clear points during a sparring match were all awarded to my opponent, as the referee not surprisingly came from her region, as you can imagine I have never sparred in a tournament again. this was not what i had started karate for. The particular grading a lower graded sensei decided to show me he was "boss" and minus any control or karate technique smacked me straight in the face!! Skill or what? Still I had fun with him! GKR in my experience claims to be non/semi-contact , I have to say that as I went up through the grades the amount of contact i felt did increase and I can not agree more with who ever said that you never truly learn to block untill you've been hit in the face or kicked in the stomach at full pelt!

Good time were the experiences I gained, the real family atmosphere, self-cofidence and a a sport that i could actually do!! To all those still doing GKR please look else-where, I do not proclaim to be a martial artist because I am aware from training with my boyfriend that I am only a beginner, but in my 7 years of doing and watching martial arts I have found there to be many bad clubs and the occasional really amazing one . I now study Wing- Chun and have been doing so for around 6 months and am really enjoying it . Seriously the best advice i can give to GKR students is look around , personally I really enjoyed my time with GKR but was very aware of its faults. Seriously guys have a look around theres more to martial arts than you think !! But if unlike me you have not picked up a buzz for martial arts , enjoy GKR - the fitness it brings, the confidence and friends, and basic techniques you'll pick up along the way, search for a good instructor though. Oh and final piece of advice for GKR guys COOL DOWN after class, the starts of arthritic knees at 19 is not good, is consequence of being taught to push myself too far and not cooling down!

Sorry this is so long, wanted to try and get both sides in.
Sorry I can't remember who said this but where is the club someone mentioned in MAnchester, what is it called? Id really like to go and have a look!

Crayfish

26-10-2007, 16:04

Which club? That might have been me as I live in Manchester...

There is an (allegedly very good) wing chun club near Piccadilly station if that's what you're into - I've never been but train at an MMA club called Manchester Ground n' Pound that's in the same area.

There are a huge amount of martial arts clubs in and around Manchester though so it might have been another that was mentioned!

Me and gkr

26-10-2007, 20:34

yes I have heard that as well, do you know what van dangs like in manchester town centre? I have heard that they are very good too

kylefoulds

27-10-2007, 12:56

hi guys i am still waiting for news of this sparring thing you are talking about.

and me and gkr, which region were u training in, manchester i assume, whats it like up there and who is your ZD

Protekt

27-10-2007, 15:40

Hey Farhad, that would be an event for u to organize, a GKR vs Sheffield martial artist challenge, half under "Their" rules and half under "Ours":D

chefkicker

28-10-2007, 15:37

mr_busdriver

28-10-2007, 15:45

Lets see what a GKR stylist can do in the ring.

:hihi:

This is a family forum, lets keep it clean :rant::rant:

Carcass

28-10-2007, 21:20

I'd not let a GKR stylist anywhere near my ring. :hihi:

Me and gkr

01-11-2007, 09:44

hi guys i am still waiting for news of this sparring thing you are talking about.

and me and gkr, which region were u training in, manchester i assume, whats it like up there and who is your ZD

Yes I was training in MAnchester , my ZD was originally guy called paul (sorry his last name escapes me) and within the last three months of my being there it all changed and we had some guy as ZD who was only just black belt, so thats half a grade higher than myself. I stopped training under him when I realised that when he was doing our first kata I could correct various things and when I realised his classes were not up to the standard a senior class should be up to .

just on the sheffield vs. GKr thing. My boyfirend trained with me in one of my classes, he sparred two of the 1st kyu and one 1st dan, considering he was the white belt in our club, they came off worse than he did.

Ginger ninja

26-01-2008, 21:19

Hi guys,

I see a lot of criticism on GKR. My whole family has been going to GKR classes for the last two years. Their approach is different, but looking at their tournament results, very effective.

For example, they participated in the Australian Karate federation championships where they competed against all the other karate styles. Their students won every tournament three years running. Since then they have competed in the Open style championships against Ju Jitsu, Kung Fu, Aikido etc. They've won 8 out of the last 13 of those. So say what you like, their approach of perfecting a few basic movements works well.

Re the junior instructor thing, it's certainly true that they use lower belts (who are given a black belt with white stripe to conceal their actual grade) to train junior students. The logic is, that if your high school students want to learn (say) cricket, you don't necessarily demand the National coach to train them. A skilled and knowledgeable adult would be quite adequate. For training the very low grades they do use people other than black belts.

The other reason I like it is because it is one of the more inexpensive martial art styles. I think many of the criticisms would have much more merit if this was not the case.

Protekt

27-01-2008, 15:48

Hi guys,

Re the junior instructor thing, it's certainly true that they use lower belts (who are given a black belt with white stripe to conceal their actual grade) to train junior students. The logic is, that if your high school students want to learn (say) cricket, you don't necessarily demand the National coach to train them. A skilled and knowledgeable adult would be quite adequate. For training the very low grades they do use people other than black belts.

The other reason I like it is because it is one of the more inexpensive martial art styles. I think many of the criticisms would have much more merit if this was not the case.

I am sorry but your argument is flawed, go to GKR, enjoy yourself, that is your choice but GKR will NEVER be taken seriously by the larger martial arts community.
The problem with low belts teaching newbies is that the low belt might only have that technique about 75% right himself, the newbie then only picks up 75% of that, hence they develop poor technique.
It is a lot easier to teach someone from scratch than correct months or years of bad practice.
Your comment about cricket, if a teacher was coaching my son I would want someone with a coaching qualification( i.e P.E Degree) and not someone who had only played a couple of games.
As for in-expensive :loopy: boy I can train with a 4th dan for 2hrs for £3.50, compare that with £5 for 1hr with a yellow/orange belt.
That is without all the other merchandise thrust at you, expensive membership, Gi`s badges, bags etc....
You pay your money and make your choice but dont expect anything more than :roll: when you mention GKR in a martial arts disscusion.

chefkicker

27-01-2008, 16:43

I am sorry but your argument is flawed, go to GKR, enjoy yourself, that is your choice but GKR will NEVER be taken seriously by the larger martial arts community.
The problem with low belts teaching newbies is that the low belt might only have that technique about 75% right himself, the newbie then only picks up 75% of that, hence they develop poor technique.
It is a lot easier to teach someone from scratch than correct months or years of bad practice.
Your comment about cricket, if a teacher was coaching my son I would want someone with a coaching qualification( i.e P.E Degree) and not someone who had only played a couple of games.
As for in-expensive :loopy: boy I can train with a 4th dan for 2hrs for £3.50, compare that with £5 for 1hr with a yellow/orange belt.
That is without all the other merchandise thrust at you, expensive membership, Gi`s badges, bags etc....
You pay your money and make your choice but dont expect anything more than :roll: when you mention GKR in a martial arts disscusion.

I agree totally Protekt , once again you are truly the voice of reason.
I lost ALL respect for GKR the minute i saw a GKR instructor knowing next to nothing after having turned up to my beginenrs class.
Actually she turned up to my fighters class to " get a little bit of sparring in" after seeing her extremely poor standard of technique (my beginners can punch and kick better than she did after 2 or 3 lessons!) I told her it would be dangerous to herself to even do light sparring and told her to attend the beginners class instead.
After that one class I never saw her again!
To be honest I would have more respect for her if she were to want to learn properly and then take the techniques back with her.
We do have a LOT of instructors who visit AFK to learn to punch and kick with power then return to teaching their students the very same "new improved " version.

Again you pay your money and take your choice. BUT some clubs I guess are designed for Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Ginger ninja

27-01-2008, 19:18

Your views on GKR are not shared by such people as Sensei Leo Lipinski. Leo is a veteran of the martial arts, trained since 1962 and currently holds the rank of 7th dan in GojuKai. He is the highest graded non-japanese of the JKF Gojukai in the world, and head instructor of of the Gojukai Sewakai in England and Europe.

Some extracts of a recent interview include:

"(GKR) is very similar to Goju in many of its Kata and also in its methodology and training. Your Kancho, Robert Sullivan shows a very deep knowledge and affinity for the Goju system... I also admire the very high and consistent standard I have seen among your black belts. I have been with them in Japan on 2 occasions and most recently with 120 of them in Sydney. Very good level, very good...no...exceptional attitude to training. Stacey, I do not say this lightly. Your black belts showed willingness to learn and ability to adapt to new/different methods far better than I have in in my own organisation."

When responding to a question regarding how the japanese responded to a tour for GKR blackbelts that Leo organised in 2003 he replied:

"They invited you back didn't they? That speaks volumes. To take this further, they were fully aware that your style is developed from Goju and Shotokan. They thought your standard of Kihon (basics) was very good. They commented favourably on your adaptation etc. ....They said the standards too were very good."

So my view is, I'm happy to take Leo's and the japanese word on it, unless there is someone much better qualified. I'm a bit surprised at how closed minded people are on the effectiveness of the different approaches they take to training. But then Leo also mentioned in the interview how surprised he was on how quickly GKR people could adapt and change their training based on new concepts.

Protekt

27-01-2008, 20:00

No-one has said there aren`t ANY good practitioners in GKR.
But come on, simple question, and this is THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR... Ginger Ninja, who would you rather train with (as an example in Sheffield) a 4th Dan instructor with 20 years experience and pay £3.50 for a two hour class or some body with a black and white belt and 6 months experience, charging £5 an hour. Who is going to give the better tuition ?
Also, GKR is not a traditional Japanese Karate, how can it be ? Sullivan made it up himself combining two differnt styles.
Please don`t even get me started on his dan grades..... or the self defence issue.
As has being mentioned before martial arts without contact is like trying to read without books, beyond pointless.
As for peoples opinions, well all the martial artists from many different styles on this forum agree that GKR is pants.. it is probably the ONLY thing we all agree on(look at other threads), but I would say it is a fair representation on the opinions of the martial arts community. It is regarded with contempt and dislike, compared to Avon and Betterware.
You may be excellent and be a worthy Dan grade, but all your blood sweat and tears (and serious financial outlay)will not be held in any regard outside GKR.
Seriously, go have a good time with your family, you might not have such fun, family based sessions at a different club, but I promise you will receive a much higher standard of martial arts tuition.

Ginger ninja

27-01-2008, 20:43

I appreciate you putting balance into the argument Protekt.

I'm not from England though, I'm at the bottom of the world in little old New Zealand and so I can't comment on the quality of GKR practitioners up there.

I would say that NZ and Australia did send a contingent to the recent all styles championships held in the UK (which incidently NZ and Australia won several categories in). I was interested to read the UK appraisal of how our team had done. They commented that the NZ and Australian teams seemed much sharper, faster and with a great deal more power and that the UK teams should look at how we train down here. (They added rather facetiously that perhaps our plane could crash on the way back with the weight of the medals!) So some of the criticisms of some GKR schools in the UK could be entirely valid, I simply don't know enough to comment. But a good GKR school in my experience is as good as any other martial art.

Re self defense, again I can only speak from personal experience. Ben Cunningham(GKR) who came second in the National All Style championships held in Australia last year also fought in the full contact championships about six months earlier. He came third in the whole of Australia. In my view a very creditable result.

Further, last year my son (15yrs old) got involved trying to pull his friend out of a melee from being beaten senseless by three known bullies in his school. they of course then attacked my son and almost burst his eye out of its socket. Using GKR he dealt to them rather badly, in fact was temporarily suspended (the bullies were expelled) until it was sorted out. Now true, they were not trained street fighters or boxers, but it was still 3 to one, and my son won the day.

Having said that, I do agree that the non contact approach (which was originally started in Okinawa due to how deadly Karate became) does have some significant limitations. I always make my students as a minimum get a very heavy punching bag. There is simply no substitute from hitting something heavy rather than just swinging in empty air.

Another comment the UK people made however was that GKR downunder was much more physical that in the UK. We tend to land pretty heavy blows and be damned with no contact. I suspect this improves our general standard a great deal also.

As a final comment regarding the trainers:

I have recently just restored a 1937 Morris 8. It had been shed stored for 25 years but there was still lots of rust to cut out and thick steel to weld to. Having never welded before I asked a number of people at the local Morris club for advice. Interestingly the consistent advice I got was "NEVER ask an expert". The reason being that they are so good, they have forgotten all the things you need to do, but can't because of your lack of skill.

My wife and I train twice a week with the best black belts in NZ, and run classes 2 x a week. I have to say that of course I would much prefer to learn from a black belt at my level. However, there are many in my class of whom the advanced techniques they cover simply would go over their head. A GOOD person, with say 2 years experience would be more than adequate to cover the basics with them.

Cheers

Ginger ninja

27-01-2008, 21:10

Protekt,

Another thing I forgot to metion: you mentioned rather disparagingly the GKR grading system. There is a common misconception that all grades are given in GKR based only on the number of classes you have attended. This is, and is not true (In NZ and Australia anyway).

Up until Orange belt (our grades go white, yellow, orange, green, blue, red, 3xbrown, prov black, then black) it is the case. As long as you do the classes, put real effort into the grading and show a proper attitude you are pretty much guaranteed to pass.

Aft that however things change. For example, to go from blue to red requires your sensei to recommend you, and then have the regional manager assess you personally in three classes. Only if you pass that can you sit the grading.

It becomes much more difficult after that, in fact many people quit GKR because getting to black belt is so difficult. It is part of the reason why Leo commented the black belt standard of GKR is so high.

Protekt

27-01-2008, 22:31

I wasn`t refering to student grade but Sullivan`s. How did he go from 1st dan in two other styles to 7th dan ??????
You seem to be missing the main point I am trying to make, in NZ things might be different, here in the UK GKR sucks. You don`t have to try and sell it or justify it. As far as 99.9 % of non GKR stylists and the martial arts press in the UK go its all a bit of a joke.
For the following reasons
1. Black and white belt instruction.
2. Door to door self defence "instructors".
3. Expensive training fees.
4. Marketing and sales,sales,sales over substance.
If GKR changed tomorrow, its name and reputation in the UK would still not earn its grade holders the same respect as those from other styles or clubs.
I am in no way wanting to be diss-respectfull to you or your club but this is simply the way things are here and the way GKR is seen in the UK (rightly or wrongly).
Enjoy your training.
Chris.

Ginger ninja

28-01-2008, 00:00

Hi Chris,
A couple of points, I'll look further into the grades, but as you know, anything above 5th dan no longer represents an improvement in skill but instead a measure of the input you have had into the sport. Judging from what Kancho has achieved, with excellent tournament success and taking a club from nothing into one of the largest in the world, I would have thought there was an argument for recognition of his input with higher grades.

And I'm not trying to sell it. Why would I? I'm not even from your country so certainly can't solicit people to join my dojo and wouldn't want to even if I could. I have more than enough pupils already. What disturbs me however is ill informed comment feeding onto more ill informed comment.

If GKR is so terrible, why did they clean up all the other karate styles three years running in Australia, and win both the men and womans national all styles event held in the UK in 2007? I'm not saying it is the best style or even a great one, but I certainly am saying that for someone to totally disregard it as worthless does not necessarily reflect well on them.

Regarding the black and white belt instructors, it is not so hard to see the practicality of this when you consider GKR uses just a few moves (about 40 in all) and focuses on perfecting them. This is opposed to the several hundred moves in many other martial art styles, so teaching these basics does not place as high a requirement on instructor skill in the initial stages, although I completely agree to progress up above about green you have to be taught by very good brown to black belts.

I also have to agree with you on the expense thing. In NZ it is very different, in fact it is one of the cheapest martial arts to learn. (For example, joining fee is $80 while most other clubs charge up to $300).

Take care

Cyclone

28-01-2008, 06:17

I don't know anything about the australian tournaments, but in the UK GKR only enter tournaments that they set up where they decide who can fight. It's no real surprise then when they win these tournaments.

ShotoKarate

28-01-2008, 08:43

Some of my opinions about GKR which I may or may not add to as time goes on. I'll start by saying that I'm no great expert in karate! I've practiced for 20+ years and feel as though I have some understanding but in no way have I mastered it!

Now:
1 I have a friend who goes with his son and daughter to a GKR class in Sheffield and he thoroughly enjoys it! Who am I to say anything about that?
2 They are obviously tapping a market as the 'brand' is an ever growing threat to the traditional clubs.
3 I wouldn't call it a traditional Japanese style. It is obvioulsy a western blend of Goju and Shotokan. (If it was a traditional style - the founder would have made sure the name couldn't be mis translated!:hihi:) HOWEVER - there a loads of western styles ranging from ShotoRyu (a style created by Vivian Nash and is a mixture of Shoto Kai and boxing AFAIK) and even Ticky Donovan's IsshinRyu etc etc.
4 From what I've seen of you tube clips of GKR tournaments, I've been fairly impressed. Clean techniques in kata and kumite - no more than that.

BUT what I find distasteful about it is:
1 The marketing - purely and simply based on numbers and not quality. A number of times, I've had the track suits come round to my house and as soon as I mention my karate bacground they run away! There must be a reason for this. I know my theories - others can come up with their own. One 'Self Defence Consultant' (possibly the most distasteful thing about GKR) knocked on one of current instructors door. He was shown round the purpoae built dojo in his back garden and given a description of his background. The SDC was very bashful and gave a full description of what GKR (the organisation not the style) expected him to do. It was out of the Amway book of pyramid selling! That - to me and many - is distasteful!
2 The tournament claims! - Can't speak for Australia - so I won't. However - this claim from one contributor:
I would say that NZ and Australia did send a contingent to the recent all styles championships held in the UK (which incidently NZ and Australia won several categories in). I was interested to read the UK appraisal of how our team had done. They commented that the NZ and Australian teams seemed much sharper, faster and with a great deal more power and that the UK teams should look at how we train down here. (They added rather facetiously that perhaps our plane could crash on the way back with the weight of the medals!) So some of the criticisms of some GKR schools in the UK could be entirely valid, I simply don't know enough to comment. But a good GKR school in my experience is as good as any other martial art.
As far as I am aware - GKR UK is a member of NAKMAS - a multi style organisation which in itself is a big body. But it only represents a fraction of those people practicing karate in the UK today. A national team from NZ/Aus sent to compete against in such a tournament??? I'll leave you to ponder. There might be balances..... I have my doubts.
3 The teaching/coaching - my friend who I mentioned earlier, was asked to train as an instructor after just 2 gradings! You can argue all you like about trainee instructors/sempais/black&white belt ect - but that, if it reflects GKR nationally, is clearly a disgrace and IMHO cheats people out of their money given in all honesty and trust!

I don't know much about the style itself so I won't criticise it. However, some of the practices of the organisation that drives the style are IMHO dishonest and dishonourable! It's a pity they distract us from getting to know the style better. The only way to get respect IMHO is to show yourself in a positive light!

Lecture over. I've tried to be balanced - don't know if that is possible. But there you go!

Davemantis

28-01-2008, 08:47

A number of times, I've had the track suits come round to my house and as soon as I mention my karate bacground they run away! There must be a reason for this.

:hihi::hihi::hihi::hihi::hihi::hihi: lol

maddog577

25-02-2008, 14:42

Hi I have been reading these treads with interest I am a GKR Instructor
Who in fact started as a yellow belt? Which at the time seemed strange let me tell you my story and shred some light on this matter.
I started with GKR when the Door to Door SDC came round and thought yer id like to have a go at this so I paid my £25 and signed up i started going to my local dojo @ £5.50 a session I did two then three lessons a week and in twelve weeks the minimum length of time I achieved my yellow belt.
Buy this time I had paid for 3 months bulk payment of £125 and was training 6 days a week which works out pretty cheap after i had been training for around 6 months I was asked if I would like to train as a instructor and i thought yes why not after I completed training all instruction and special event and seminars would be free so I attended instructor training for around 12 weeks did a written exam had my CRB check and did the first aid course and achieved my Black/white belt.
Normal public grading cost £15 and run once a month but instructors train and grade on a separate parallel system grading once every three months with is free, it takes around 5 to 6 years to get your provisional black belt.
Because i qualified for entry into the GKR world Cup having won a silver medal for Kata in the central region Qualifiers doing Kata i had to compete as a yellow belt I had to wait until that was finished before i could go for grading ad so in total i did 108 lessons as a yellow belt over around 8 months before finally getting my orange belt now around four months later i have achieved my green belt.
i now assist teaching at Mansfield and train 3 days a week at the senior instructor classes where i am probably the lowest grade there training is very hard and full on and we now have around 15 black belts who have recently graded and there are plenty of experienced people to train with my karate has improved no end.
Where i assist teaching our students are mostly kids with two adults with none above Yellow Belt i have no problem following the class format as taught to me the grading is done by the reginal instrutor 1st Dan not by me and all grading above red belt have to be reassessed by the senior instructor and black belts and above are assessed buy the still more advanced central region chief instructor once a year.
Because of the way GKR recruit the Nottingham R30 has around 950 active members and about 150 instructors 2 to each dojo the membership is for life and can be used to train in any GKR Dojo in The world nottm has around 5 full time SDC who do the door to door Knocking every time a dojo numbers fall below a critical number they go knocking and we get a flood of new students big established dojo's have 30 or so every class all grades to black our new class has around 12 all beginners.
When i went to the world cup at the Birmingham indoor arena there was over 4000 competitors from around the world GKR is a big organisation and i think is here to stay

Protekt

25-02-2008, 14:59

GKR is to karate what McDonalds is to fine dining.

maddog577

25-02-2008, 16:16

Would like to answer your questions if I can

v It is £6 per lesson with discounts for bulk payment or more than one member training.
v yes it is £80 for life although the SDC discount it to £25 for a temp 3 moths upgrade to the lifetime upon achieving your yellow belt.
v It is included in the lifetime membership.
v None various seminars are available through the year that you can attend for around £10 £15.
v No but you must wear the club badge which is £5 basic suite cost £17 kids £22 adult, tournament heavy (top Quality) cost £52 mitts and pads cost £17
v Belt v Min number of classes v Min time req
v Yellow 8Kyu v 12 v 6 weeks
v Orange 7Kyu v 24 v 12 weeks
v Green 6Kyu v 32 v 4 months
v Blue 5Kyu v 40 v 5 months
v Red 4Kyu v 40 v 5 months
v Brown 3Kyu v 50 v 6 months
v Brown 2Kyu v 50 v 6 months
v Brown 1Kyu v 50 v 6 months
v Black (prov) shodan Ho 50 6 months
v Black shodan 100 12 months
v Don’t know but it could be a yellow belt.
v The senior regional instructors 2nd Dan or above normally there are at least 6 or more senior instructors from around the country and these special grading are held once a year by special invitation only.
v The senior instructors who run each region train us the instructors they in turn train regularly with there instructors higher up they also train at special seminars and have gone at least once to Japan to train with certain masters don’t know who though.
v There is a linage on the unofficle web site.
v Kancho sullavan is over 60 now and had done various styles of karate before setting up on his own.
I hope this answers some of your questions.

Protekt

25-02-2008, 17:26

Its been said on here before, but just to re-cap for your benift. You may like GKR and believe in it. But just about the entire martial arts community outside GKR think it is over-priced crap.

Crayfish

25-02-2008, 20:05

So can I enter a competition with GKR people? I'm curious to see now after all this rumouration.

mr_busdriver

25-02-2008, 20:31

[QUOTE=Protekt;3178918]

the entire martial arts community outside GKR think it is over-priced crap.[

/QUOTE]

...... but apart from that GKR is very popular with the Martial Artists who post on SF

Protekt

25-02-2008, 20:40

If you are going to quote me, try and and do it properly.There is a big difference between "just about the entire" and " the entire".

ShotoKarate

26-02-2008, 09:19

Would like to answer your questions if I can
.......
I hope this answers some of your questions.

That might all be very well and good but what you don't address is the way GKR sells (or mis-sells) it's wears!

It is a VERY successful business plan, which is - I guess - one of the reasons that the 'traditional' MAs are nervous of the 'style'.

However, the main reason that GKR is so badly regarded in the MA community is that, although their are professional karate-ka at the head of every organisation who make a living out of their art, they know that there is far more to MAs than 'bums on seats'. Karate and other martial arts has a soul which can only be discovered through hard training and self contemplation, rather than door knocking and pyramid selling business plans!

Carcass

26-02-2008, 13:42

ShotoKarate

26-02-2008, 14:45

There was some talk of a proper inter-style tournament. It might just be between karate stylists but I'm sure we could find some Muay Thai fighters etc. who'd be more than happy to take on a GKR guy....

I guess you could say that about any style of karate though. I'm sure there are some GKR stylists who could handle themselves - as I'm sure there are some Thai boxers who love the art but would be made into mince meat if they competed in the ring!

My question is how can any 'style' which sells/structures itself in such a way guarantee quality of instruction for the vast majority of people paying large sums of money? AND how can the GKR-ka ensure they are not being ripped off? Especially as they are 'discouraged' from trying out other styles!

sharon_doyle

12-03-2008, 21:27

ANVIL

13-03-2008, 08:26

HAVE YOU ALL FORGOT THE MAIN REASON FOR THESE MARTIAL ARTS? it is for children to learn respect for others and themselves.

That's the MAIN reason for martial arts? Are you suggesting that's why they came about initially? i think i've just woken up to the smell of manure!

Respect is great, in fact it's integral to at least some systems, but to say it's the MAIN reason, which suggests it's above all other reasons, is, i'm afraid incorrect (at least according to the literature that i've read - i'd be happy to see anything to the contrary though).

ShotoKarate

13-03-2008, 08:29

I have just spent most of my evening reading about peoples views on GKR karate, and can I ask are most of the replies from men. What does that matter I can imagine you asking yourselves, well how pathetic look back at what you have all wrote, my belts better than yours, my contact is harder than yours, my skill is more skilled than yours. Honestly wake up and smell the roses (quote taken from a northern mother........NOT a master or sempi or some wannabe from ANY martial arts)

HAVE YOU ALL FORGOT THE MAIN REASON FOR THESE MARTIAL ARTS? it is for children to learn respect for others and themselves.

My son attends GKR in Manchester, and whilst I agree Sensei's should be black belts, my son has gained more than an art in a 1

You might be right - most of the posters and repliers are probably male. And? What does that prove? You'll probably find that most of the people practicing martial arts are men. Whether that is right or not is another subject from GKR.

As for the line about the main reason for these martial arts - respect both for others and for yourself is very important (especially in this day and age). It is one of the reasons but depending on why you went into martial arts, it isn't necessarily the main reason. Hopefully what ever the reason - respect develops as a byproduct! (and by the way - there are many arguments on here about whose better than whom in martial arts which involve women as the central protagonists! But what does that prove?)

The big BUT (and it is way bigger than my butt) about the respect issue is that IF all (or even just some) of the stories and descriptions of how GKR is run and taught are true then the organisation is showing a singular disrespect for the people who are paying lots of money - whether adult child or parent.

You wouldn't take your child to a rugby club run by a coach who had only been playing the sport for 4 months would you? You wouldn't take your child to a swimming club which was run by someone who had only just got rid of the arm bands? NO ..... Well if the stories are true then that MIGHT be what you are doing by taking your kids to a GKR club. It's upto you to look into the qualifications within the club if you want to. The club your son goes to might be ideal for him! Great if it is - I really hope he and you enjoy it! But knowing what I know - I would never recommend a GKR club for anyone to go to - not without checking it out thoroughly before hand.

Now if you look back at my posts I hope I have been as balanced as I could be yet still able to express a view without getting into any belt slapping claims! I'm no better than the next person - I know a little bit more than some and a lot less than many! BUT my 20+ years in karate helps me sniff out something that smells fishy and it is my duty to point that out if asked!

Protekt

13-03-2008, 08:40

Johnny_B

13-03-2008, 11:13

mr_busdriver

13-03-2008, 12:33

[QUOTE=ShotoKarate;3247310]

most of the posters and repliers are probably male. And? What does that prove?

QUOTE]

It proves they are not female

Protekt

13-03-2008, 12:54

[QUOTE=ShotoKarate;3247310]

most of the posters and repliers are probably male. And? What does that prove?

QUOTE]

It proves they are not female

Thank you again for another valuable posting.:rolleyes:

sanman

13-03-2008, 13:15

ShotoKarate

13-03-2008, 15:00

The smell of testosterone on this thread is almost overpowering :)

My three young boys and myself attend GKR classes and I am very happy with them. I don't know enough about Martial Arts to compare it with others. However I in my experience the instructors are very good with young children making the classes fun whilst conveying skills and discipline.

I am not bothered about my childern being able to beat the living wotsit about of anyone. I want them to know enough to be able to defend themselves in a playground situation. I want them to learn about respect and I want them to be self confident. In my experience GKR is providing all that - for my children. I may be just lucky with the instructors at the dojos we attend.

Regarding sales aspects. Well to be honest much of that sounds a little like sour grapes. GKR are successful the company makes a lot of money - so what. If some people are ghappy following the 'true' meaning of their art and making little money that's fine. If some people would sooner be more contemporary in their outlook and make a good living so what.

Good to all that - I'm pleased you are enjoying it! I hope you keep on enjoying it ..... BUT as you keep saying 'In my experience' ..... the people on this thread who are criticising GKR have vastly more experience - not to say they are any great experts - but time served allows people to see when there are things happening which do not quite ring true! As for the marketing side of it - yes! I know traditional (whatever that means) clubs and organisations are worried about the rapid progression of GKR. But I also know that it isn't sour grapes - it is more about the reputation that such shananagins has on the art of karate.

No testosterone - just trying to reason things out. As I have said in a previous post I have a friend who attends GKR sessions and thoroughly enjoys it. Fair play to him and all who practice! I just hope the allegations aren't all true and that people don't get their fingers burnt!

ShotoKarate

13-03-2008, 15:02

It proves they are not female

Lets get you on master mind - specialised subject - the bleeding obvious!

DaFoot

13-03-2008, 15:07

.... my belts better than yours, my contact is harder than yours, my skill is more skilled than yours....

Exactly why I tend to stay out of these threads :D

sanman

13-03-2008, 16:39

the people on this thread who are criticising GKR have vastly more experience

More experience in what? It would seem from the postings that many of them have never attended a GKR training session and are merely commenting on prejudgements or hearsay.

I think your posts on this thread are extremely balanced and but would argue that some of them from other posters are reasoned!

Protekt

13-03-2008, 17:12

More experience in what? It would seem from the postings that many of them have never attended a GKR training session and are merely commenting on prejudgements or hearsay.

I think your posts on this thread are extremely balanced and but would argue that some of them from other posters are reasoned!

More experience in martial arts. I started training in 1982 approx 2 years before GKR started.

sanman

13-03-2008, 18:11

More experience in martial arts. I started training in 1982 approx 2 years before GKR started.

Hi Protekt that's my point. Like I said I do not have experience of different styles, I just know what I wanted for my children and myself and GKR provides that. For people to comment on the instruction they should attend. This is why so many of my comments were laced with in my experience.

To say all GKR instructors are 'not very good' would be the same as saying all southerners are soft - its a sweeping generalisation. You get good and bad in everything.

mr_busdriver

13-03-2008, 19:12

[QUOTE=mr_busdriver;3248262]

Thank you again for another valuable posting.:rolleyes:

Cheers for the feedback.

Shotokarate was asking what something proved, and I gave him the answer

Johnny_B

14-03-2008, 10:38

[QUOTE=sanman;3249584]Hi Protekt that's my point. Like I said I do not have experience of different styles, I just know what I wanted for my children and myself and GKR provides that. For people to comment on the instruction they should attend. This is why so many of my comments were laced with in my experience.
QUOTE]

I can see your point, however you say you want your childen to be able to get out of scrapes in the playground, quite understandable, but you must realise that gkr will more than likely instil a false sense of security in your children, which can be more dangerous than them only having the option to run away.

Also, I have been and looked at GKR classes so I am quite qualified o comment on them I think, plus the fact I started training in my first style in 1991.

sharon_doyle

14-03-2008, 11:21

Before I reply to your messages from my last instalment, most good and one outright rude (but I will get to that later), I want to finish off what I was saying. My computer shut down whilst I was typing.

My son has been at GKR for 1 1/2 years, he is only six years old and he is going for his green belt on Sunday. I know some of you do gooders will be thinking he would have to train for at least 100 years in your 'art' before he could gain his green belt. but he deserves it, he has RESPECT (yes I have said the respect word again!!), patience and most of all works hard at karate and at home.

This in comparison to when I took him to tae Kwando (please don't tell me I have spelt it wrong as I could careless). The class a over sized approx 30 kids to 3 instructors, the noise was unbearable and after 6 lessons the instructors still didn't know who he was. Parents had to sit in a viewing gallery and he got no one on one time. He didn't have a clue what was going on. At the end of each lesson I would approach the Instructors and ask how he was going on, then I would have to point to my son even then they didn't have a clue, all they would say, is that he should practice at home. PRACTICE WHAT NOBODY COULD WORK OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. But you are right it was slightly cheaper, but looking long term, he wouldn't have learnt any more, possibly less, the day he decided he didn't want to go back was the day he looked the happiest he had looked in 6 weeks!!!!!

Back to GKR, I know that there are probably better 'art' classes around, but what children want is to learn martial arts and have fun, and by the way you all quote if that is how you teach I would prefer my son to stay with GKR. They also offer family discounts, so when my youngest son starts in May so will I, this way we are all doing something together. I don't want fighters, I want my children to do a sport they enjoy, and have as much fun as possible, and whilst they are doing that, in my opinion there is nothing wrong.

back to some replies I have received from my last message. Someone said I wouldn't allow my children to get swimming lessons from an instructor just out of armbands. YES, your right I wouldn't. But I have never sent my children for swimming lessons, I have taught them myself and karate alike, I don't use the club as a baby sitting service, both myself and my youngest son, have been to every lesson my eldest son has been too. and with GKR you are encourage to sit and watch, not in a gallery but at the sides. So if I thought an instructor was a waste of time I would say so, trust me I wouldn't pay out for something I don't think is right.

Also I would like to dedicate this paragraph to JOHNNY B, who kindly called me a MUPPET!!! I never insulted anybody personally, but you are one of a kind. Because I touch a nerve you had a get personal, how pathetic. What kind of martial arts do you do (origami doesn't count!!), because whatever you do I will make sure my children stay away, as I don't want my kids to end up with LITTLE BIT MAN SYNDROME. I never wanted it to get personal, I just wanted to give my opinion but if you do want to get personal bring it on, I have dealt with bigger prats than you. As for calling me a Muppet, stop for a second, take your eyes of the computer screen and look up....can you see yourself in your ceiling mirrors (you know the ones you use to look at yourself whilst your working out!!!!!!), and what do you see, so who’s the Muppet now. I my field as a therapist, I think you may have some issues possibly from childhood, but be rest assured I am almost positive an intensive course of therapy should sort you out.

Thanks for all the positive messages

mr_busdriver

14-03-2008, 11:44

ANVIL

14-03-2008, 12:21

I have dealt with bigger prats than you. As for calling me a Muppet, stop for a second, take your eyes of the computer screen and look up....can you see yourself in your ceiling mirrors (you know the ones you use to look at yourself whilst your working out!!!!!!), and what do you see, so who’s the Muppet now. I my field as a therapist, I think you may have some issues possibly from childhood, but be rest assured I am almost positive an intensive course of therapy should sort you out.

Thanks for all the positive messages

I'm assuming that the section i've highlighted is inaccurate given your use of the words 'prat' and 'muppet' - Mr Rogers would not be impressed methinks...

ShotoKarate

14-03-2008, 12:50

Exactly why I tend to stay out of these threads :D

You're probably very right to DaFoot .....

Johnny_B

14-03-2008, 13:53

Protekt

14-03-2008, 15:46

Ms Doyle, you omit one important factor, your son may work very hard and deserve his belts and also might have a very good instructor. The fact is, GKR grades are not held in much regard outside GKR. Put in laymans terms how keen would you be for your son to flog his guts out for an "o" level if it was only valid for one company. If you had joined an organization like the KUGB or JKA any grades would be respected worldwide.

sharon_doyle

14-03-2008, 17:14

Johnny B, I have just read your reply and quite frankly you are boring me now. To the point where what you say has no meaning to me. Just a couple of things, firstly, trust me I haven't swallowed the GKR brochure, my main point is my son enjoys it and as long as he does and his brother when he joins they will stay there. I also said before I know that there are better 'arts' around and when and if my sons want to change when they are older they are free to do so.

Also, re-read what I typed I didn't say there was mirrors in dojos, I said above you where you live.

Finally, I do mean little big man sydrome.

Anyway, I have to go now, my life is more than typing to you or listening to the merits of your art. take care and I wish you luck in your future.

Hatake-Kakas

15-03-2008, 20:21

Hello everyone here, I have just read nearly every message in this thread.

The only time I've ever done martial arts was for a few months when I was younger. I forgot what the style was, other than Karate, and I'm guessing a few months is okay before going for a first grading?

Well anyway, I wanted to take up a form of Martial Arts - preferably karate - and GKR came to my door. My girlfriend said she'd been to it before and that she liked it but now that I've read through this I'm having doubts. Also to mention it's £5.50, when my first dojo I went to only charged £2 and there was no initial £25 signing up deal.

More to the point and less rambling:

I live in the small town of Withernsea near Hull so GKR is the only Martial Arts class in my town; I don't know if I'd be allowed to travel to Hull to search for a better class.

Should I even bother with GKR, or should I try to travel through to the closest city?

Also I DO want to take Martial Arts seriously.

Any help would be appreciated :thumbsup:

Thanks!

price

15-03-2008, 22:26

First thing Hatake-Kakas. Don't put your age on the website!!! Second, if GKR is the only Martial Arts reasonably near to you then, sorry mate, you ain't got much choice.
Really, only you (and your parents )can make the choice ref traveling. Maybe going to GKR isn't so bad as long as you know there are far,far better Martial Arts organisations out there. Later when you're older you can travel further and train with one of these. If you do have to start training with them, don't believe GKR's "hype". Remember, they are a Business, their prime concern, as a Business, is to make Money and they'll tell you absolutely anything to keep you,and more importantly,your money with them. I have read this thread as well, and contributed to it too, after all the words on the thread, one thing is very clear, GKR, rightly or wrongly, is held in contempt by the Martial Artists of this Forum and all over the world from what I've read on international forums (or is that fori??). So we can't all be wrong , can we? If you can travel, do so, if you can't the only option open is GKR. Sorry I can't be more helpful. Good luck!

Hatake-Kakas

16-03-2008, 07:17

*Sigh*

Looks like I may just have to go to the mcdojo untill I'm older and can travel freely :(
The only positive I can see from it, though, is that my friend goes and it will keep me fit; it really doesn't sound like a good place to learn MA properly!

EDIT:

After some research of karate styles the one I went to was Shotokan (I remember being taught the heian nidan kata).
Is this a good style of karate to practice?

ShotoKarate

17-03-2008, 07:51

Hatake-Kakas

17-03-2008, 16:27

That club shut down around two years ago :(

I found an alternative to Go-Kan-Ryu; it's held at my school. I'll check it out :cool:

ShotoKarate

18-03-2008, 11:40

That club shut down around two years ago :(

I found an alternative to Go-Kan-Ryu; it's held at my school. I'll check it out :cool:

:rolleyes: And I thought I was so clever!

Hatake-Kakas

18-03-2008, 14:39

Don't worry about it! It's the stupid admin's fault for not updating the site :rant:

More on the note of GKR; I found out the sensei is the famous 'black and white' belt, but really is only orange (7th kyu) :hihi:
Unfortunately one of my friends got a visit and now his two little brothers have enrolled into the black belt factory; yes, they promised a black belt within TWO years! :o

erewhon

24-04-2008, 22:49

I've read all the posts from both sides of the GKR Karate vs. full contact Karate - I've see valid, and interesting thoughts from both sides.

Here's where I was 5 years ago - overweight, unmotivated, hated exercise and unfit. I had absolutely no intention of ever doing any exercise - right up to the point where a 38" waist was getting tight. I had several options in my mid-thirties -

1. Die of a heart attack
2. Go to a gym
3. Take up a sport
4. Do some type of physical work out, where I would get fit, with some external motivation & not wearing lycra at any point

I answered these options as follows:

1. I've decided against death and chose living forever - or at least die with a flatter stomach
2. A gym - are these people mad? All that chrome and mirrors, and mind-numbing tedium - all after spending £500 a year and doing a few classes of sit-ups
3. I hate sport - football, tennis, rugby - you name it, I've watched it and been bored to tears. That, and being expected to contribute to a team - not with my 38" waist
4. Right! - Karate seemed a possible fit - but I had absolutely no intention of getting seven bells of **** battered out of me - I could barely get up 5 flights of stairs without dying

At this point a GKR guy came to the house - did the spiel about it being fitness and non-contact and being suitable for anyone of any ability and great for kids who wanted to get out of the house one evening a week with Mum and Dad to do something together.

So - the Wife and kids joined and really enjoyed it - no bruises, lots of sweaty fun, & the wife gets her figure back.

I opt out and get 2 hours of Xbox alone. Great.

However, I'm getting fatter and unfitter, and missing time with the kids. So a year later
I decide - tentatively - I decide - S0d it - I'll pay the £20 and give it a go.

I hump my lazy a$$ to the dojo where this guy gives me the hardest thing to do - have a go at the first lesson. I follow along - all flailing arms and gangly legs and sweat and wobblyness.

But - I didn't have to hit anyone and I get to go home having taken the first step to not dying of lard by the age of 40.

I've been training every week since - initially once a week, then twice - I now train 3/4 times a week.

My Instructor always pushed me - he instilled discipline and motivation and self-belief.

Despite being a GKR instructor, he ignored the GKR '12 lessons=yellow belt' rule - he made me wait a year for my first coloured belt - about 40 lessons. And it motivated me - I didn't want an easy hand out. I couldn't care less about belts. He taught me it was a personal journey - I was doing it for me, and for my benefit alone.

Since then I have graded to 5th Kyu - it took 4+ years and 300+ (prob more) lessons - I know, in GKR terms, this means other GKR students elsewhere were grading faster, but my sensei had the sense to put me forward only when he I was good enough to warrant it - and that often meant being better in comparative terms compared to others of the same grade.

Now - a recent change to all this. Some time ago I was put forward by another instructor to join the Sensei Training Program - I saw it as a chance to train harder, alongside other higher belts, to improve my stamina and sparring technique (not contact) with a Dan black belt instructor, and to pass on my enthusiasm for Karate to other new starters.

Personally - I enjoyed the course. I got first aid training, CRB checked, and got to practice in front of senior instructors on how to teach white belts the basics, kata etc following a structured lesson plan.

I felt as a 5th Kyu, with lots of hours put in, that I was not disrespecting myself or Karate in general, by taking a group of beginners thro the basics.

I did see some things which did strike me as poor however.

Within the senior class I was less than impressed to see yellow and orange belts getting graded to Instructors - I just don't agree with it. I know the GKR argument is 'you need to be a step ahead to teach a step behind' - but I have to agree with others who have posted here - I feel that a reasonable degree of experience is required before you should even be considered good enough to stand at the front of class. Some students even qualified without demonstrating even non-contact sparring, and could barely communicate what was required in a basic class format!

Watching that happen did diminish my sense of achievement, and what it meant to qualify to be an instructor.

I've also seen, amongst the 100+ Instructors - brand new instructors given their own classes of student!

I've seen instructors so fat//infirm/lazy that if they were in my class I would make them stand at the white belt end and work there way up again. (I think a 'cull' is called for to weed out the slackers and lower grades - this will push up the overall quality of instructors, in my humble opinion)

HOWEVER...

I've also seen within that 100+ class some awe-inspiring, hard-working, fit, talented Instructors - I was glad to have found one of those on my first class who inspired me to keep coming.

I've seen committed, enthusiastic instructors, whose only goal is to encourage and motivate others to do well.

So.. GKR....

Is it a money-making machine? Probably - it's a business after all
Do they pack 'em in, charge 'em high and push newbies thro their grades? Yep
Are their some lazy/poor/inept instructors? A few
Are their other Karate schools that are 'harder' at full contact? Certainly

But...

Would I have ever got started if only full contact Karate classes existed? No
Is GKR a great way to start getting fit? Yes
Will you learn some very good basic Karate technique? Yes
Are their some awesome instructors in GKR? Yes

As with all things in life - you pays your money, you takes your choice.

ShotoKarate

25-04-2008, 08:12

RockStar935

25-04-2008, 19:16

if u wanna good martial arts u should try BMAA at hackenthorpe they do free style karate and kickboxing

GKR_Aussie

05-05-2008, 23:58

Wow, what a thread, I almost hate to dredge it up again, but its hard to sit quietly with all the misinformation thats being spewed forth.

At my local GKR Dojo at least, our sensai has been at it for 14+ years and has a wealth of experiance for us to draw upon. There are 5 Sempai (blk/white) at different levels the youngest is 18 and 5th Kyu, all have been training with GKR for between 4-10 years! 35 years worth of experiance in one typical monday evening class!

GKR's basics Strikes, Stances, Kicks and Blocks and subsequently KATA are strait out of Shotokan. Some of the best full contact fighter I've seen are from Shoto. so I'm more than happy that we are drawing upon that!

As for no contact, we train basic forms against air, then in other sessions against similar sized training partners to get the feel. We contact but its targeting. i.e a front kick is only enough to send your training partner back a step and its done at medium pace. Roundhouse is done into the shoulder or arm only. Its training!

During Kumite our lower grades 8th to 6th Kyu are encouraged to hard spar against upper belts and its full on. If an Orange can get through a green or brown or blacks defence then good on him.
No upper belt is going to follow through on a lower grade, the idea is to push not kill each other.

I spent most of my teen years in Judo and then freestyle karate and now for me and my daughters at least, I find GKR thus far to be a well balanced combination of disciplin, martial training and has a strong element of tradition, something I believe was lacking with my Freestyle.