GRK International

[chillindan]

Thanks for that DeeBoy, I am moving house in a few months anyway so may have to look around for another style. I have found that, so far anyway I have been very satisfied with what I am being taught. I have read around quite a lot and read various viewpoints. I think so long as you have a good instructor then you are okay, but in this respect it sounds like I have been lucky with my dojo. Maybe some other people have not been so lucky and ended up with an inexperienced instructor.

I totally accept that this is not a good way to teach karate and thank my lucky stars that I landed up in a good class that is taught well by a good instructor.

[Elky]

I totally accept that this is not a good way to teach karate and thank my lucky stars that I landed up in a good class that is taught well by a good instructor.

That's a valid point. I used to know a GKR teacher who was a really good karateka and really made an effort to make his class about the karate, not the money. The people who don't do the door-to-door sales stuff for GKR get paid very little, but this guy did it for the love of the karate and was a genuine black belt. I still try and make it to his club a couple of times a year as you get a good work out!

Much as I don't like the "business" emphasis of GKR, you do get one or two real karateka who get caught up in the whole thing.

[ashworth]

I have been with GKR for around 14 months now and haven't come across any problems at all, and like chillindan if GKR didn't come to my door I wouldn't have found out about GKR

Why does it matter what belt people are do you think when karate started up they had belts!!

[Mike Flanagan]

Why does it matter what belt people are do you think when karate started up they had belts!!

It matters simply because it is a commonly accepted rough indicator of a persons skill. It is a fact that GKR routinely has people of green belt standard (ie. about a year's training), and even lower, teaching classess in their own right. The vast majority (ie. 99.9% or more) of martial arts would consider such people as beginners, not teachers. That is why GKR hides their real grades behind the smokescreen of the 'black and white' belt and the fictitious etiquette that it is rude to ask an instructor their grade.

Mike

[chillindan]

I agree with Mike, although in GKR you do have to do x amount of classes and x amount of time on each grade, so it is possible to have somebody who is extremely proficient due to natural ability, quick learning etc to be on a lower grade than they are actually capable of because they havent completed the minimum number of classes required. They may practice in their own time (like I do) and surely this increases their ability? Assuming they are practicing correctly.

Just thought I would throw that into the melting pot.

[ashworth]

Also what may make a difference to ability carrying on from the last post, If someone has done a previous style before for a few years. just thought I'd throw in extra

[Elky]

I agree with Mike, although in GKR you do have to do x amount of classes and x amount of time on each grade, so it is possible to have somebody who is extremely proficient due to natural ability, quick learning etc to be on a lower grade than they are actually capable of because they havent completed the minimum number of classes required. They may practice in their own time (like I do) and surely this increases their ability? Assuming they are practicing correctly.

This is true to some extent. Let's say there's a bracket of about six months worth of training on either side of your current grade (so someone who's been training for a year could be as good as someone who's trained for 6 months or 18 months, depending on their athletic ability and dedication). I still wouldn't want someone who'd trained for 2 years teaching me even if they were a 30-monther in skill. I've been training in karate for nearly 8 years and wouldn't consider myself good enough to set a good example to a class or to know everything I need to know to teach good students. Some people might be good enough after this time if they've studied and trained endlessly. But if you're talking one or two years, it's just too little to have absorbed enough karate!

[Jiffy]

This is the problem right here, because of the "Instructors Belt" you don't really have any idea how much experience your instructor has. In schools that don't use this, while there is some variance from person to person, you have a rough idea how much experience the instructor has, based on their grade.

I don't have a problem with being taught by a lower grade, after all, to be taught, all you need is someone who knows more than you. However, even for low grade techniques, you will learn more from a more experienced person.

Therefore, I think as long as the student makes an informed choice for themselves, it's fine either way, but because of the instructors belt, the student is no longer able to make an informed choice, and this is what I have a problem with...

[Jiffy]

The other reason it's used also is to level out the playing field. For instance, I worked it out that I have had around 7,000 hours formal training. Would you be happy to pay the same amount of money for someone who has say 300 hours experience, and not be told about it?? (4hrs a week for 18 months)

I know I wouldn't!! But if I knew the level of experience, I could make my decision accordingly.

That's like going to hospital, expecting a surgeon, paying for a surgeon, but getting one of the oderleys.

[obiwansbane]

lol, i wish i got my black belt in 300 hours.... :'(

anyways i think this is a waste of your time to go for as a job... if you check out the school and the instructor has his head on right pay for the classes and go for it... otherwise you are better off just going to another organization and getting your black belt there