# Go-Kan Karate



## celtic bhoy (Oct 9, 2004)

Last evening a man with a clip-board knocked my door canvassing for students. 

His style is Go-Kan Karate, has anyone heard of it or tried it?

I found a website for this style it is www.gkrkarate.com 

Any info would be appreciated.


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## TimoS (Oct 10, 2004)

celtic bhoy said:
			
		

> His style is Go-Kan Karate, has anyone heard of it or tried it?



From what I've read about it, it is supposed to be a mix of Goju and Shotokan, hence the name GoKan. That is about all I know about it. It is not found here in Finland (and even if it was, I still wouldn't be interested). 



> I found a website for this style it is www.gkrkarate.com



From the webpage:


> Go-Kan-Ryu Karate is a traditional Japanese style of karate.



In my opinion this is not true, since the style was founded in Australia. Personally I would call it modern Australian karate, but I guess that doesn't sell as well as Traditional Japanese


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## Wikket (Oct 20, 2004)

This club is notorious for rapid, aggressive expansion, to the point where dojo's are being run by quite low belts just to get set up in an area.  They typically wear a black and white belt to hide their real grade and lack any real experience except a quick course in class format.

How do I know? I got my black belt in it. It was once pretty good, but I believe its lost site of everything to do with karate except the money.


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## celtic bhoy (Oct 20, 2004)

Funny you should say that.

I gave them my number when they approached me about classes. Not for any specific reason, just to let them go away happy that they could of got a prospective customer.

Anyway 2 days later their area manager rang me to see if I was interested. When he learned that I was 1 grade away from 1st Dan TKD, he inquired if I would like to become an instructor.

I said I would like to be an instructor, and with that he proceeded to tell me that he had 2 vacancies for full-time instructors. He went on to say that I could attend an intensive course and wear a black and white belt and go on and teach........just like that.

I found a class in my area and went for a look. It was taught by 2 black and white belts, one of which kept reminding the class that they would benefit in skill if they purchased a GKR video. He started to give off the feeling that if they did not purchase a video it would hamper their progress!!

I spoke to this particular instructor after the class, he appeared rather vague about the origins of the style. But he certainly new about the financial side of the style. He wasted no time in telling me the fee's and deals and the benefits of working for them.

Regardless of the obvious priority of financial  gain with this outfit, I just wanted to know if the style they teach actually come from bona fide karate styles and does it have a bona fide syllabus?.

Wikket, I assume you are not with these people anymore?


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## tshadowchaser (Oct 20, 2004)

Not meaning to upset anyone but it sounds more like a get rich deal for the founder of the organisation than anything else.  If they  tell anyone who has a black belt to come in and become an instructor then it is not so much a system as a business with many systems being instructed for $$$$$$ and I have an idea that it is more sales pitch than training


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## Wikket (Oct 21, 2004)

The founder did study Goju to Nidan and also some Shotokan.  Classes consist mainly of basics and combinations standing in line, some kata, then kumite.
I have just left the style.  I began studying with another traditional practitioner and realised quickly how much knowledge I was lacking.  

Tshadowchaser you are correct, except instructors do not need to be black belts - some are as low as 6th kyu.  They are just setting up in the USA so Im sure you will be hearing more about them in the future.


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## celtic bhoy (Oct 21, 2004)

No disrespect to you Wikket, but that is shocking that they think they can justify charging large fee's only to be taught by low kyu grades posing as instructors, and expecting to be addressed as Sensei by the students!!

I am pleased you saw the light and went to a 'real' school, you have my respect for that. 

Unfortunatly because there are some people out there who want to take the shortest route possible to a black belt, this organisation will only grow and produce more poor students. It would be a case of scratching each others back for money. All the great masters must be turning in their graves!!

The class I watched did the standing in a line bit but nothing else. A girl at the back asked why her knee hurt on her supporting leg whilst doing a turning kick (tkd terminolgy). The instructor(?) had not advised them to pivot, an accident waiting to happen. There was no conditioning excercises or cadio, just line work from start to finish.

When it was time to bow at the end of the class, he started leaping around doing cartwheels and doing chimpanzee impressions. When I asked him why he did this he said if he did not make the children and their parents laugh they might not come back!! He then said that he noticed me looking irritated at his antics and said that this is the modern way to teach.

He also mentioned, the reason why there was no conditioning was also down the fact that if he pushed students too hard they may not come back.

Beyond my comprehension.


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## Wikket (Oct 22, 2004)

No disrespect taken at all as we are in complete agreement. 

This just reinforces the advice I (now) hear given frequently - If you are interested in starting at a style/school go and have a look at a few classes first, and dont be scared to ask questions.


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## pakua (Oct 22, 2004)

*Go-kan plc*.
By Appointment.
Purveyors of Karate, Double-glazing and Loft-insulation
to the unsuspecting
(Ask about our TimeShareSpecials)​


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## TimoS (Oct 22, 2004)

pakua said:
			
		

> *Go-kan plc*.
> By Appointment.
> Purveyors of Karate, Double-glazing and Loft-insulation
> to the unsuspecting
> (Ask about our TimeShareSpecials)​




 :uhyeah:  :lool:


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## RRouuselot (Oct 22, 2004)

celtic bhoy said:
			
		

> Last evening a man with a clip-board knocked my door canvassing for students.
> 
> His style is Go-Kan Karate, has anyone heard of it or tried it?
> 
> ...




I had one of the "Gokan Ryu" students visit my dojo while they were in Japan.
The student was a very nice person but I am sorry to say the style is not well thought out.

First off the word "gokan" means _*rape* _ or _*sexual assault*_ in Japanese. Sort of an oxymoron for women study in the MA don't ya think.
Second, the Pinan kata were pretty much Wado ryu with a twist and not really shotokan. 
Third, and most importantly.......the "founder" claims to have come to Japan and "mastered" both Goju and Shotokan in something like a year or two.....*sneeze*.....sorry, Im allergic to BS.
Fourth, the self-defense applications that I was shown were the typical not well thought out kind that I run across all too often from styles of self-proclaimed masters.


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## TimoS (Oct 22, 2004)

RRouuselot said:
			
		

> *sneeze*.....sorry, Im allergic to BS.



No kidding ? What a startling revelation! I would've never thought it of you 
:lool:  :boing2:


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## RRouuselot (Oct 22, 2004)

TimoS said:
			
		

> No kidding ? What a startling revelation! I would've never thought it of you
> :lool:  :boing2:




 :lol:


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## King_Queen (Feb 19, 2005)

I am in GKR Karate Club and it is Japanese.


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## RRouuselot (Feb 19, 2005)

King_Queen said:
			
		

> I am in GKR Karate Club and it is Japanese.


 What makes you think so?


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## RRouuselot (Feb 28, 2005)

Here is thread on E-Budo where the same people are being exposed.
http://www.e-budo.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&postid=350203#post350203


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## Autocrat (Feb 28, 2005)

I mentioned this club a while ago....
Though I hate to slate.... in this case it is needed...

This club are for money, not the art or for training...
They advertise jobs at the jpob centers in the uk, "earn £14,000 per year" as a self defence instructor.....

hell, these people claim to teach the "hardness of shotokan, and the acrobatics of goju ryu".... I do goju, and I don't do any acrobatics... (unless I get thrown, which is gravity, not gymnastics! LOL).

To all appearances, the style is kata based, utilises basic atacks and defences, and is not taught as a real martial art.... it is basic and base.

I do apologise to those that train in the style, but I strongly suggest that you find a smaller, independant group.... anything that belongs to a franchise, huge orginasation or body etc. is going to be about money and politics throughout... not about you and training!

Please, for your safety, find a real club.  There is everychance that your sensei is genuine and attempting to teach you correctly, but any orginisation that lets 5th kyu take a class on a regular basis, that charges £80 per year for license and insurance, that makes you pay a small fee of "20 to wear your own Gi..... isn't worth it!


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## King_Queen (Mar 11, 2005)

Hi,

I am only a student in GKR.


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## samuri-man (Mar 12, 2005)

look gkr  is a mcdojo and no one should join it.


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## switch (Apr 2, 2005)

I'm not condoning it, not by a long shot, but you must keep in mind that there is, apparently, a demand for this. To me, the style nor the history nor the grading system matters one bit. It's the non-qualified instructors that I don't like and parents should do a bit more research before handing over their children.


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## Saitama Steve (Apr 10, 2005)

celtic bhoy said:
			
		

> Last evening a man with a clip-board knocked my door canvassing for students.
> 
> His style is Go-Kan Karate, has anyone heard of it or tried it?
> 
> ...



Avoid, bunch of fakers. If e-budo was still up, I'd be able to provide a link to the bad budo forum. 

I sat a government run security course run by a former blackbelt in Gokan-ryu who had trained in Australia. He had left because he was disgusted with their dishonest teaching practices. He was instructed by his senior that if there was a shortage of blackbelts, get a bunch of purple & brown belts and make them wear blackbelts in lieu. 

He was also instructed to bark at anyone who asked what his credentials for teaching were by telling them that it is disrespectful to ask seniors their rank. It's all about duping unsuspecting people who are really interested in budo out of their hard earned money.  

So much BS there that poor ol' Rob would be having a sneezing fit.


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## arnisador (Apr 11, 2005)

E-Budo is still down? That's a shame! The operator is still in Iraq?


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## Saitama Steve (Apr 11, 2005)

Aye, he is.


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## arnisador (Apr 11, 2005)

Too bad. It's a great resource, but as you indicate, I can't get in.


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## berry580 (Oct 7, 2007)

Saitama Steve said:


> Avoid, bunch of fakers. If e-budo was still up, I'd be able to provide a link to the bad budo forum.
> 
> I sat a government run security course run by a former blackbelt in Gokan-ryu who had trained in Australia. He had left because he was disgusted with their dishonest teaching practices. He was instructed by his senior that if there was a shortage of blackbelts, get a bunch of purple & brown belts and make them wear blackbelts in lieu.
> 
> ...


um... I'm a student in GKR, and I'm pretty sure there's no purple belts in the system.
But then, I do notice some relatively low leveled graded people wearing black & white belts.....


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## thetruth (Oct 8, 2007)

MCDOJO MCDOJO MCDOJO

The founder Robert Sullivan graded himself to blackbelt.  They seem to produce some reasonable results it tournaments but due to their numbers I'd say some politics would be involved in their success.   They are just a bunch of spruikers and as mentioned previously go kan ryu does translate as the school of rape.  Kinda appropriate really

Cheers
Sam:asian:


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## FieldDiscipline (Oct 8, 2007)

Found a previous thread about this.  I saw an advert for these on a jobcentre.  Bad news.

Thread HERE.


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