If You Study Go-Kan Ryu

[Co_Co]

RichardGregory Do you belong to GKR ?

[RichardHangHong]

Co_Co,

I trained with GKR when they first came to the UK in 1997, was a trm for a while too, then I left in 2000 with my instructors when the famous "split" happened. The standards were good back then, but when all the top people left the standards spiralled downwards. To keep people from leaving gkr started giving grades away. In the few months after the split the number of black belts nearly tripled! Doesn't that say something about their integrity? I even knew a few people from our area that went from blue to black in a year and believe me, they weren't THAT good, not by a long shot.

Sorry, did I start rambling again? Oops!

I have nothing against people who are new to gkr (as in after 2000). But its the lack of standards, ethics and morals that I have a gripe with. So good luck with your training, but if you happen to come across another good club along your journey, move across.

[GrrrArg]

GOKAN can also mean a number of different things - I would have thought anyone who considered themselves a Martial Artist would have a little more sense then to make offensive comments like that?

And no I don't mean offensive to GKR, I have no love for the club, I mean offensive to the victims of that particular crime.

The only person you succeeded in making look bad is yourself and to an extent your own club.

There is simply no point in attacking ANY style of Martial Arte, wether it is good or bad or mediocre, the people who agree with you are the ones who already did and the fans of the club will use what you say and peg you down as a troll (not trying to say that you are a troll btw).

Ramble over.

[Skinny Ninja]

I have trained with GKR for eight & a half years and am now a shodan. During this time I've heard & read loads of people slag them off, especially ex empoyees. I have been on Kancho Sullivans seminars and yes it is sometimes like a business seminar, so what?

Read a martial arts mag and there are dozens of Federations & Associations all offering to maximise a clubs income. Great, run a club because you love karate but you stiil need to earn money.

If it wasn't for GKR's cold calling on people to sign them up I would never have started karate and know they don't pay me I work full time.

If it wasn't for all the infighting between various governing bodies karate would have been in the olympics instead of TKD(not knocking TKD).

So give all the moaning a rest and just get on doing what you enjoy.

[stoneheart]

If it wasn't for all the infighting between various governing bodies karate would have been in the olympics

In my opinion that's a good thing. I certainly don't want to see karate decay more into sport than it already has.

[makiwaraman]

Go Kan Ryu...is it possibly a variation of Goju Ryu?

The best version is Kan Go Ryu considering they are from Australia.

Regards Maki

[innocui]

GKR is not a McDojo.

Does it really matter that we learn a mix of Gogu-Ryu and Shotokan? Because all Karate stemmed from Okinawa-Te, which changed after a monk visited China, into Karate.

If you think GKR is a McDojo becasue it isn't a pure form, then you really need to realise it doesn't matter what Karate you learn as long as you learn something valuable

[Hidden_Ronin]

Its not the mixture of styles that has gotten GKR its reputation, its the fact its a school created by a greedy pirate out to make money. The site claimes the martial art to be a "traditional Japanese Martial, founded in australia". What the hell? sounds like a contradiction to me.

The fact that it teaches "Self defense" in a non contact enviroment also sounds implausable to me. You can't learn to swim without getting wet, or learn to ride a bike without riding a bike and you definatly can't learn to fight without practicing at at least medium contact.

[RichardHangHong]

Its not the mixture of styles that has gotten GKR its reputation, its the fact its a school created by a greedy pirate out to make money. The site claimes the martial art to be a "traditional Japanese Martial, founded in australia". What the hell? sounds like a contradiction to me.

The fact that it teaches "Self defense" in a non contact enviroment also sounds implausable to me. You can't learn to swim without getting wet, or learn to ride a bike without riding a bike and you definatly can't learn to fight without practicing at at least medium contact.

I agree with you there Hidden_Ronin,

It's the "get more money-money-money" aspect and focus on quantity over quality amongst hundreds of other similar things that gives gkr such a bad reputation.

I see you practice Shotokan and live in Essex. Do you by any chance train under Sensei Steve Roberts? I've been training with him for the last 8 months. I didn't get to his class with Shihan Funakoshi last night as I've been ill with flu the last 3 days. Urgh!

[Hidden_Ronin]

You are correct RG, I am a proud member of Tokon Kai and have been for a year now. Its a shame you had the flu, and I hope you get well soon, and I don't mean to put salt in the wound but you missed an amazing lesson. I still ache .

Shihan himself said that practicing combinations without a resisting oponent limits thier street effectivness.