GKR Karate , An Incident and a Warning

[themadrev]

Hey Rich, I've been training BJJ faithfully for four years now and I have a constant fear that they'll take my blue belt back off me!! When I get to eight years (please God) I'm sure I'll still be a blue belt (faded like myself) because it's not just about time served. My son who is just turning five asks when he can get a black belt and I tell him if he trains hard enough and long enough his white belt will eventually turn black. He notices his white belt is getting dirtier and he's happy with that - saves me paying for badges, gradings etc! So in BJJ we just keep going and the belts come or not; that's why we love it!

[BJJ Rich]

Hey Rich, I've been training BJJ faithfully for four years now and I have a constant fear that they'll take my blue belt back off me!! When I get to eight years (please God) I'm sure I'll still be a blue belt (faded like myself) because it's not just about time served. My son who is just turning five asks when he can get a black belt and I tell him if he trains hard enough and long enough his white belt will eventually turn black. He notices his white belt is getting dirtier and he's happy with that - saves me paying for badges, gradings etc! So in BJJ we just keep going and the belts come or not; that's why we love it!

 

Still no excuse for not washing your kit!! i noticed an aroma on the mats on wednesday!!! hahahahah kidding!! but honestly these clubs where you can get a black belt so easily are ridiculous, i'm not sure if any one at ours will live long enough to get black belts the way we train hahaha!! and your right its nothing to do with the belt, i'm not sure what its actually about its really addictive though!

Are you going to big marks fight on sunday? its at 4o'clock i know its your busiest day! i can get hold of some tickets if your interested. And are you training tonight?

[themadrev]

Yes there was a smell but not from the kit...too much protein and information!! John will get his black belt - no doubt- and a couple of the guys are well on their way to purple (just my opinion -counts for nowt). Hopefully the new set up and extra classes will give us all the chance to progress. I'll be there for the gi class - I've got a pass, as long as I bring the sprog! I've no chance on Sunday it's the wee man's birthday party from 2.30-4.30 then I've a service at 6.30. Give Mark a shout from me. Cheers, Noel

[Cyclone]

Could you guys be any more OT. If you just want a chat, use PM.

[themadrev]

Sorry, whoops

[cazzie1]

GKR sounds like a bunch of idiots to be honest.

Obviously my comment is going to attract a bit of flaming from GKR fans and other sad people so if anybody disagrees me you know who I am and where I am based.

 

 

 

I train with gkr and have done for the last two years!! So i suppose this makes me one of the SAD people out there??

I found your comment to be quite rude, also your threatening behaviour towards those who disagree with you to be no better than that of those in which you are commenting about!!

I agree that the situation could have been handled better, and i also agree that there seems to be more of a personal problem between the instructors of gkr and those in which were asked to close.

But you cannot pass judgement against gkr as a whole based on the behaviour of just two people!!

Gkr seems to get alot of bad press, mostly from those who dont seem to know anything about gkr other than what they have read.

I was a sempai for gkr when i was a lower grade, i assisted in teaching those who were around the same grade as myself or lower still. Helped with the signing in of students and looking after the children in the class. I gave up being a sempai due to lack of my own confidence and wanted to concentrate on my own training. Since being with gkr i have made lots of friends, the atmosphere is generally a friendly one. Along the way as some people progress towards there black belts, some get a boost of there ego and can develop an attitude.But not all!!

Gkr is a non contact sports, but you are still likely to optain injuries at some stage during your training! Gkr does state this to their students. Everyone is learning and during the learning process people make mistakes. During kumite you are within close range of another fellow student, blocking and striking, you are bound to get bashed around from time to time. I cant understand how someone could break there arm though, im assuming it was due to negligence on either her partners behalf or her own.

With most things, gkr is either for you or not!! Students come and go of there own will. If they find its helping them in some way they will continue to come back and if they find its not for them they can leave. Alot of students that leave gkr before they reach the goal of black belt normally return at some point down the line anyway.

My point is, gkr is not as bad as you make it out to be.... its certainly helped me gain confidence, fitness etc. non contact does not necessaily mean you will not get hurt, why do you think you need the necessary protective gear? they wont let you train without it!! non contact just means unlike some styles we dont literally punch each others lights out lol chefs you need to chill your bean

[Protekt]

I will say this again to make myself clear....

KARATE WITHOUT CONTACT IS NOT KARATE..

IT IS NOT A MARTIAL ART.....

For Pete`s sake what do you think Martial means. Don`t even mention the "Self Defence Consultants" talk about a total sales miss-representation.

[price]

Hi cazzie1,

If you are happy with GKR then by all means stay with them. However, could you explain how you can have a self defence discipline without contact? I had three GKR people quit them and join us,this would be about 7-8 months ago ,the lady left but the lads stayed on and naturally, told me about GKR.I came to the conclusion from what I've been told and have read, that GKR are,to be polite, pulling the wool over peoples eyes. The GO,I understand, is taken from Goju-Ryu.cazzie1,never in a million years is GKR teaching what they say is Goju. For a start Goju isn't a sport,nor is it competetive,it is totally self defence, that's why it was devised,that is its whole reason for being.Therefore to defend yourself you must have contact of some description. If you go on youtube put Norton Dojo in Search, then that is more like the techniques you should be learning, if GKR say they are teaching Goju. This isn't to recruit members 'cos we're ok, thanks.I appreciate you probably didn't have anything to compare GKR against when you were looking.As I said at the beginning, if you're happy there then stay, but please don't be fooled that you're doing Goju-Ryu. I've no doubt someone else could put you right on the KAN part. Whatever happens, keep trainin'.

[GKRconcerned]

The absolute biggest problems with GKR are:

 

1. The total obsession in the organisation to continuously expand

 

which leads to

 

2. accepting any promising student as a 'sensei', regardless of experience

 

I am now 'over' my massive anger/upset/disappointment with this outfit and can see them for what they are - con men. I've left to train elsewhere and i'm very happy with my new home.

 

I encourage ALL GKR students to go to their instructor and ask them

 

i) When they started with GKR karate

ii) When they got their FIRST belt

iii) When they started on the STP (sensei training program)

iv) When they 'qualified' to be a GKR instructor (it'll be around 8/12 weeks later)

v) How long they have been instructing

vi) What grade they are now

 

Be really casual when you ask their current grade because asking a sensei what belt he/she is a serious breach of GKR etiquette. I wonder why?

 

When you know all of the above, and let it sink in, most people will realise that far from being trained by an experienced martial artist, they are being trained by someone who probably has 3 to 4 years of TOTAL experience, or more commonly and horribly, a whole lot less. 1 to 2 years of TOTAL experience is the norm in my old area, and still is the case.

 

Now ring up 2 other local reputable karate clubs and ask the same question. You will more than likely discover that the instructors names are 'google-able' and their pedigree is there for all to see. You won't find this with GKR instructors.

 

Sadly, most GKR students have literally no idea what they're missing and are comfortable with the 'family' atmosphere at the dojos.

 

Let's hope potential street attackers act in a family-friendly way too!

 

Which brings me to THE biggest failing of GKR - you will NOT learn how to defend yourself and I challenge any student who has always trained with GKR to forget about the possibility of defeating some enemy in the street. You've never even punched a soft punchbag have you? I can't tell you the surprise you'll have when you do so and find out your hands hurt for a day or two later. Thank God punchbags don't hit back, you'd lose ALL of that fake confidence GKR has given you in a matter of seconds.

 

GKR = First-class 'keep fit class'

 

and i'm afraid that is it!

[baerenfanger]

I was once shown (by a GKR instructor) a photocopy of Robert Sullivan's 2nd Dan grading certificate from Kei Shin Kan Karate (now called Kei Shin Kai in Japan). It was signed by Master Masanao Takazawa 8th Dan.

 

I have spoken to people in Australia who trained in Kei Shin Kan (founded by Takazawa who was given authority to train under that name by Toyama Kanken). Sullivan trained under Sensei Masayuki Takasaka in Melbourne. Sensei Takasaka was graded to 5th Dan in 1969. He is still training in Melbourne at Belmore Road, Box Hill under the name Koryu Karate Do- having broken away from KSK Japan. Sensei Uchida 5th Dan is still training in Sydney under Kei Shin Kan as is Peter Walton 4th Dan in Melbourne who no longer trains with Sensei Takasaka. Sullivan achieved 1st Dan in Australia under Sensei Takasaka and then went to Japan where he got 2nd Dan from Master Takazawa. Old home movies of Sullivan training with Kei Shin Kan when Master Takazawa visited Australia in or about 1974 with his senior 5th Dan students, still exist. They are the most incredible movies, because when people like Sullivan were babies in karate terms, here were 5th Dan and 8th Dan (Master Takazawa) Japanese displaying amazing karate.

 

Now Sullivan calls himself 7th Dan. Well I ask you, if you could learn from Sullivan or the Japanese instructor who is the real deal, who still trains in Melbourne, Uchida in Sydney - who would you go to?