Go Kan Ryu is a Pyramid Scheme!!!

**Emma** · Posted On: 5/04/2007 11:00am

Originally Posted by DuckofDeath

A few years ago after finishing up a BJJ private at Elite Martial Arts out on the 10000 block of Westheimer, I drove west a little way before making a U-turn to take me back home and I saw a huge sign in a mall that read "GKR." I didn't have a clue what it was at the time and only later learned it meant Go Kan Ryu.

I wouldn't worry too much, GKR has been trying to break US for at least 4 years now and I don't think they've more than a couple of Dojos in Houston.

**Dirty Rooster** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 1:38pm

Originally Posted by RabidStoat

If you want to waste an hour or so of your life then try the following from one of the UK karate forums
http://www.karateforums.com/grk-inte...?highlight=gkr

Oh god, thanks Stoat *ukk*.
I went there, read a few threads on the forum.
The number of numb-nuts is incredible!!

Originally Posted by some numb-nuts

...I think we must remember that martial artists used to use all of the super-fancy movie-looking moves in defending themselves and they lasted like that for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years
...
One just has to remember the words of Bruce Lee: If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup...Be water, my friend.
...
Somebody told me a long time ago that punching someone is assault, but kicking them is assault with a deadly weapon.

Amazing stuff.

What? off-topic?? They do karate too.

**PirateTom** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 2:56pm

Hi, I thought I'd post here as I've been training in GKR since September '06, and I'm really enjoying it.

What do I care if you have to pay to be a sensei? I'm not going to teach and I don't even pay my training fees :)

I always leave each class having learnt something and everyone there is really nice, like a big karate family :S

One of your biggest gripes, it seems, is that it's non contact. What I want to know is if it really matters. You know that when you hit someone it will hurt, and non contact teaches control, as well as the fact that a large percentage of the students are under 10 years old. There is a group of violent 30-something men who get filled with testosterone and want to fight, they're perfectly happy at the end of each session, they get to get all worked up and fight their friends. HOWEVER, I think GKR could benefit from contact kumite for people who do not mind getting hurt. Certainly a contact tournament, as I find that non-contact kumite is hard to block, as you do not know if the strike "could have" gone in.

I'm learning a lot, I've won two medals (bronze and silver) for my katas and it may just be my confidence or my build, but I know I could deal with most violent situations.

Sum up: I'm loving GKR, and so are my brother and sister. It's keeping me fit and the dojo has a great atmosphere, not to mention all the great stuff I'm learning and how great the tournaments are. Entered for the Kata in the World Cup in Birmingham.

**tkd panda** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 3:11pm

Originally Posted by PirateTom

Hi, I thought I'd post here as I've been training in GKR since September '06, and I'm really enjoying it.

What do I care if you have to pay to be a sensei? I'm not going to teach and I don't even pay my training fees :)

I always leave each class having learnt something and everyone there is really nice, like a big karate family :S

One of your biggest gripes, it seems, is that it's non contact. What I want to know is if it really matters. You know that when you hit someone it will hurt, and non contact teaches control, as well as the fact that a large percentage of the students are under 10 years old. There is a group of violent 30-something men who get filled with testosterone and want to fight, they're perfectly happy at the end of each session, they get to get all worked up and fight their friends.

I'm learning a lot, I've won two medals (bronze and silver) for my katas and it may just be my confidence or my build, but I know I could deal with most violent situations.

Sum up: I'm loving GKR, and so are my brother and sister. It's keeping me fit and the dojo has a great atmosphere, not to mention all the great stuff I'm learning and how great the tournaments are. Entered for the Kata in the World Cup in Birmingham.

:karated: omfg thats the most BS post ever doing just kata will not teach you one damn thing about how to fight

**seeingStars** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 3:16pm

Does non-contact matter? Depends on if you ever want to defend yourself, you need to know you can take hits and also need to know you can place them when it matters. Non-contact is fine to begin with as you need to learn to judge distance but like the GKR guys at a local tourney found out, being hit for the first time can hurt if not used to it, so much so that a 2nd Dan walked out of the ring. How do you know that when you hit someone it will hurt if you never do it? These are the same problems with lots of TKD schools as well (not the one I attend though). If you want to get fit and win medals then fine but unless you're attacked by an OAP then I'd run as your GKR will just annoy them all the more.

**sochin101** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 4:17pm

Originally Posted by PirateTom

Hi, I thought I'd post here as I've been training in GKR since September '06, and I'm really enjoying it.

You'd enjoy something like shotokan equally, if not more, and you'd have access to better teaching, and your belts would mean something outside of your "family".

I'm learning a lot, I've won two medals (bronze and silver) for my katas and it may just be my confidence or my build, but I know I could deal with most violent situations.

No, you couldn't. I'll bet good money the first time you're solidly hit, you'll either run or piss your pants. Running is your best option. Oh, and the knife defences you've been taught? Bullshit. Run.

Sum up: I'm loving GKR, and so are my brother and sister. It's keeping me fit and the dojo has a great atmosphere, not to mention all the great stuff I'm learning and how great the tournaments are. Entered for the Kata in the World Cup in Birmingham.

Tell you what... go on youtube and look at GKR's version of Bassai Dai, then look at shotokan's version... They're different... Yours is simple... if you want to enter the world championships of remedial kata, you go ahead.

Dude, you sound young... there's more to life than kata, medals and family orientated karate... don't waste too much of your life with GKR.

**PirateTom** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 5:18pm

Originally Posted by alnwicktkd

omfg thats the most BS post ever doing just kata will not teach you one damn thing about how to fight

Did I say that it would? All I said was that I like doing kata and am good at it.

Originally Posted by sochin101

You'd enjoy something like shotokan equally, if not more, and you'd have access to better teaching, and your belts would mean something outside of your "family".

I might, but there's no shotokan clubs anywhere near my area. I'm happy with GKR.

Originally Posted by sochin101

No, you couldn't. I'll bet good money the first time you're solidly hit, you'll either run or piss your pants.

I'm sorry, I don't remember telling you everything about me. I could fight before I took up karate, doing it has taught me a lot. And yes, I probably would run, but before fighting and after trying to reason with the aggressor.

Originally Posted by Teruyuki Okazaki's Dojo Kun

Refrain from violent behaviour

Yes, I am young, and I have no intention of devoting my life to karate. If I get my black belt, I'll know I earned it and it was hard.

**sochin101** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 5:33pm

Originally Posted by PirateTom

I'm sorry, I don't remember telling you everything about me. I could fight before I took up karate, doing it has taught me a lot. And yes, I probably would run, but before fighting and after trying to reason with the aggressor.

No you didn't, but the arrogance of "but I know I could deal with most violent situations" tells me you've more than likely never been in a real fight. Nothing personal against you.
This is my major gripe with GKR... a false sense of security.
I hope you never have to resort to bustin' out saifa (lol...) to save you.:happy:

**PirateTom** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 5:47pm

Originally Posted by sochin101

No you didn't, but the arrogance of "but I know I could deal with most violent situations" tells me you've more than likely never been in a real fight. Nothing personal against you.
This is my major gripe with GKR... a false sense of security.
I hope you never have to resort to bustin' out saifa (lol...) to save you.:happy:

Don't all styles give you a false sense of security? What's to say the guy doesn't have a gun, or a blade? I can deal with violent situations by talking or running. If it comes to it, I can fight. I grew up big and strong :P

As your personal message implies, saifa doesn't work outside of a dojo >.<

**sochin101** · Posted On: 5/05/2007 6:29pm

Originally Posted by PirateTom

Don't all styles give you a false sense of security?

Nope. Some styles train with resistance... that gives you a better idea whether your techniques will work. Some style pressure test what they teach... that gives you an even better indication whether what you train is workable in the street or not.

As your personal message implies, saifa doesn't work outside of a dojo

Period. Saifa doesn't work period.