Go-Kan Karate

celtic bhoy

celtic bhoy

Orange Belt
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.
 
celtic bhoy said:
His style is Go-Kan Karate, has anyone heard of it or tried it?
Click to expand...

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
Click to expand...

From the webpage:
Go-Kan-Ryu Karate is a traditional Japanese style of karate.
Click to expand...

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 ;)
 
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.
 
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?
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Go-kan plc.
By Appointment.
Purveyors of Karate, Double-glazing and Loft-insulation
to the unsuspecting
(Ask about our TimeShareSpecials)​
 
pakua said:
Go-kan plc.
By Appointment.
Purveyors of Karate, Double-glazing and Loft-insulation
to the unsuspecting
(Ask about our TimeShareSpecials)​
Click to expand...


:uhyeah: :lool:
 
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 found a website for this style it is www.gkrkarate.com

Any info would be appreciated.
Click to expand...


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.
 
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!
 
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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