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GKR Karate , An Incident and a Warning

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Hi there

I have been training with GKR for over 6 years ,grading to shodan ho not long ago and only started instructing after black belt .To generalise that your instructor could be a yellow belt with 6 months training and given a black and white instructor belt is not true in all cases.

I have heard of it happening although these people are usually sempai's to help out the sensei.As a new (black belt) instructor I too was given the role of sempei for many months.

now I take the class only because the sensei went on holidays

The actions of those in the case mentioned is truely deplorable and the situation handled badly .It seems there may have been more personal things between those involved than is stated.

GKR is a buisness but it is also a sports Karate which has had winners of the top NAS tournements year after year so the credentials of some show the teaching does work.

To say GKR as a whole is not worth the time or money is in error as thes two involved are two of as was said twenty odd thousand

 

Starting from the top the scenario that has been suggested used to be commonplace all over the UK and Australia and I doubt it's changed as the pressure on managers to open new training/dojo locations is continual. They have targets to hit, if this means putting a yellow belt adult in there to teach, so be it, they used to and probably still would today. So please avoid misleading people as you are wrong.

The business grew so fast due to the skill of putting novices in charge and giving innocent customers the impression that the person teaching them was qualified to do so.

A black and white stripe belt is not a Black belt and never has been.

They got away with it and students forgive them for the blatent deception. Send Kancho an email and ask him at what stage/ grade is Sensei applicable in Goju and the same for Sempai.

The answers are available on the various Goju sites.

They make up the rules as they go along.

 

Those who say they are a Shodan Ho wear a black belt but they only get their official black belt 12 months after, if they're lucky, some wait 2 or more years because the Regional Director does not like your area manager.

 

GKR are like any business that pressures it's self employed managers to hit targets. If you make the targets the rewards for regional managers can be very very good, as long as you eat and sleep the business. Family karate.....that makes me laugh it has destroyed numerous happy families with the promise of untold wealth and opportunity to go higher. There are the stories of success but there is always a flip side and there are many more sad stories were families are ripped apart because the regional director will not help as he or she should. Some regional directors get away with blue murder and one or two of them should be sacked for the strokes they pull.

Quite often in the past when an accident occurred, the paperwork would dissapear and so would the area manager, remove all trace of evidence. There have been a number of injuries at GKR and people have been unable to claim due to the above. If anyone has managed to claim, was it against the local instructor or GKR's insurance?

 

If you want to train in Karate look elsewhere.

You will be better off overall. There is a serious stigma attatched to GKR, why should you suffer from it too.

They don't get slagged off for nothing, as it says where there's smoke.

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We once attended a self defense course as part of staff training.

 

On the Knife section, the weapons we used to practice with were Bananas.

 

Has anyone been attacked by anyone armed with a Banana?

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We once attended a self defense course as part of staff training.

 

On the Knife section, the weapons we used to practice with were Bananas.

 

Has anyone been attacked by anyone armed with a Banana?

 

Nothing like reality training.

The best knives to use are knives that look real and have an edge that chalk or vegetable dye can be added to it.

You can then see were you have been cut and how many times.

 

The old techniques of how a blade is used usually follows the military style of cut, thrust and stab. Defending against someone who is high on drugs and hyper is not the same. Reality training will make you realise how different and difficult it can be to defend yourself against the above.

Bananas can be used and I can appreciate why. Little risk of you hurting yourself but unlikely to make you react as you should.

 

Bus drivers should now have the right to a screen that protects the driver from this type of danger. They are stuck in the drivers seat more difficult to protect themselves. The pay bus drivers receive does not reflect the current risks they encounter. If the bosses and managers had to face the same risks as their drivers the pay scales would quickly increase.

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Has anyone been attacked by anyone armed with a Banana?

 

Not personally, but I imagine you could have somebodys eye out if you weren't careful when training...

For everyone's education, here's how to deal with an assailant armed with a banana...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=piWCBOsJr-w :D

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I've been doing GKR since October and I'm giving it up. I'm starting Jiu Jitsu and the two friends who go with me are also leaving as we all think the same, there is not enough in Karate to keep you interested and after watching umpteen videos of Wing Chun/Judo/Jiu Jitsu/Aikedo and other arts against Karate it seems that the latter comes off far worse as you do not get trained in close combat or defence. I'm also leaving as the actions applied by Simon Burke and Peter Larsson have disgusted me and goes to show they are absolute bullies and to do what they did in front of kids, they would NOT of done that in any other discipline only Karate, cowards.

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I've been doing GKR since October and I'm giving it up. I'm starting Jiu Jitsu and the two friends who go with me are also leaving as we all think the same, there is not enough in Karate to keep you interested and after watching umpteen videos of Wing Chun/Judo/Jiu Jitsu/Aikedo and other arts against Karate it seems that the latter comes off far worse as you do not get trained in close combat or defence. I'm also leaving as the actions applied by Simon Burke and Peter Larsson have disgusted me and goes to show they are absolute bullies and to do what they did in front of kids, they would NOT of done that in any other discipline only Karate, cowards.

 

Don't judge karate by GKR standards!!!!

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Oh don't get me wrong I'm sure not all Karate is the same it's just I don't think there is any passion in GKR, it feels like it's centered more on business and money than learning an art and devoloping fitness and skills.

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Just had them round our way (swanley, kent), door knocking (thought they were jehovahs in tracksuits), had the guy in all sounded ok - right up until the £80 licence, "if you sign up now can do it for £40" alarm bells started ringing, they rang even louder with the next piece of info though "or you could sign up for a beginner pass half price at £25, then after 4 months if you like everything we will upgrade to the full pass free"!!!!!!!!! I thought theres good business everyone with half a brain would go for the 25 notes option for a start, but the writing it down on a piece of paper and then circling it 4 times reminded me of a guy that once tried to sell ma & pa a kitchen! Once the guy is old enough i'm sure there are a few Double Glazing companies that would be more than willing to employ him! Anyway did not sign, the checked the web and found this forum. thank you all

 

General rule of thumb: if its that good theyd have a shop!

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Oh don't get me wrong I'm sure not all Karate is the same it's just I don't think there is any passion in GKR, it feels like it's centered more on business and money than learning an art and devoloping fitness and skills.

 

Thanks for clearing that up! ;)

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Just had them round our way (swanley, kent), door knocking (thought they were jehovahs in tracksuits), had the guy in all sounded ok - right up until the £80 licence, "if you sign up now can do it for £40" alarm bells started ringing, they rang even louder with the next piece of info though "or you could sign up for a beginner pass half price at £25, then after 4 months if you like everything we will upgrade to the full pass free"!!!!!!!!! I thought theres good business everyone with half a brain would go for the 25 notes option for a start, but the writing it down on a piece of paper and then circling it 4 times reminded me of a guy that once tried to sell ma & pa a kitchen! Once the guy is old enough i'm sure there are a few Double Glazing companies that would be more than willing to employ him! Anyway did not sign, the checked the web and found this forum. thank you all

 

General rule of thumb: if its that good theyd have a shop![/QUO

 

I think the best thing to do in this situation would be to listen patiently and then................................................................UNLEASH THE_RAGE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

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Firstly if anyone has any questions in relation to GKR (Go-Kan-Ryu) I was previously an instructor and a door to door sales man for them and Will happily answer any questions.

 

Having trained with GKR for approx 5yrs and gaining my black belt with them I can completely agree with both sides of all arguments that have been posted here. I can honestly say that if they had not have knocked on my door I probably would never have had started any martial arts at all. For that I thank them as I would not be doing what I'm doing today if they had not turned up.

 

Where do I start?

 

Yes many of the instructors are basically beginners themselves. I can remember begin asked to join there instructor program as an orange belt (Approx 6 months training). I was so thrilled, I thought that was great and that I must have had sum skills or they wouldn't have asked me. As an instructor they are not paid. They just don't have to pay for any classes they attend, thats it.

 

All the money that they receive goes to the regional instructor. They don't get paid a cent. Many regional instructors are on allot more than many people would realize. Many are on six figure salaries. You may be wondering How do the door to door salesmen get paid? They only get paid for the memberships they sell, thats it. The money that you hand over the night they knocked on your door, all of that goes directly into their pockets minus a small fee for using the right to use their business name (GKR) for there own sell purposes. If they don't sell memberships they don't get paid. I can remember one particular bad week that I didn't sell enough memberships, that I actually paid them to work. Thats right, I actually paid them so I could work for them and I worked 6 days that week. WHAT A JOKE!!!

 

Each week they have sales targets to meet. If they don't meet them they will usually have a fairly hard training session near the end of that week or the beginning of the next. I've read some posts suggesting that they have to do karate kicks down the street if they don't meet weekly targets. This is completely false. In the time I worked for them I never saw this happen.

 

Well thats enough about the business side. If you want more details just post.

 

Now the KARATE SIDE OF THINGS.

 

As mentioned earlier I started on the instructor program after 6 months of training, and I was teaching after approximately 8 months after I signed up. The BLACK & WHITE belts that they wear are their "so called instructor belts". Once you start taking classes you wear this belt so student don't actually know what your true rank is. Many student come to class and see someone with a belt that is almost completely black with a white stripe through it and automatically assume they are a BLACK BELT. I had many people assume I was a black belt, and yet I had only started 8 months before them. When asked If I was, I was told by my regional instructor that it was an instructor belt and I was able to teach classes. If they persisted to know what my grade was I was told to tell them to ring the regional manager and find out of them. BUT NO ONE WOULD EVER DO THAT, AND THEY KNEW IT.

 

All sparring is completely non contact. Even as a black belt sparring is very very light contact if at all. But this being said, there are many black belts that think they are awesome and have no idea of what happens in the real world. They are completely naive. That why I had to leave and actually do self defense that actually works. NO instructor is allowed to do another style if they are teaching. I found out when I started in BJJ (Brazilian jiu jitsu). I finally woke up and started BJJ and shootfighting some 8 years ago. Two styles that I believe will truly help me in a fight situation.

 

Like I said. I have to thank them as I may never have had started BJJ and shootfighting. As a sport and fitness activity they are great. As a self defense there are way too many holes in their program.

 

If you would like any more information just post.

 

THANKS

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This whole subject is a farce its not a gym its a pyramid scheme, martial arts is not about money, a good coach will let you train for nothing if you dont have the money, because they want to teach, they have an interest in improving their students, and for the satifaction of seeing them flourish, that is the payment.

Any body who teachs with just a paycheck in mind should stop teaching, you teach because you love the subject not to make a living. i dont know one good instructor whos got any thing, there is no money in true martial arts, only in pyramid schemes. And any one who really wants to get to the top of their game should never teach, just keep learning.

And the prospect of getting a black belt in under a year is ridiculous, if there is a anybody out there who can lift there leg one foot in the air i will happily sell them a black belt and instructors certificate for £25, muppets! ha ha! And you can use the name GK poo fu as much as you like!!! :) i'll even through in a badge!

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