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.
