GKR karate - UK

**sochin101** · Posted On: 3/04/2008 2:55am

Originally Posted by Zimmer

So... how much do they pay?

If you're one of the guys at the top of the pyramid, you'll do pretty well.

An instructor I know ran 2 classes as cover. Including selling GKR merchandise, she took nearly £600 back to her area guy.

She never saw a penny of it.

She didn't even get her petrol paid for (80 mile round trip each class).

Wherever you see GKR estimated earnings (£400 a week POW!), it's all targeted earnings based on sales.

Sell Amway/Betterware instead... at least you'll smell of detergent instead of Bullshit.

**Madgrenade** · Posted On: 3/04/2008 3:15am

If you really were going to report them to watchdog you need examples (like Zashiki) to go on t.v and say "GKR ruined my life" or "I trained GKR and got beats!". Just saying "I don't like these guys they scam and teach crap karate" isn't gonna get them interested. This is T.V were talking about.

**sochin101** · Posted On: 3/04/2008 3:28am

Originally Posted by Madgrenade

If you really were going to report them to watchdog you need examples (like Zashiki) to go on t.v and say "GKR ruined my life" or "I trained GKR and got beats!". Just saying "I don't like these guys they scam and teach crap karate" isn't gonna get them interested. This is T.V were talking about.

You're half correct.
We either need literally thousands of people to email the show and use words like "mislead" "training not fit for purpose" "marketing scam", or we need someone to go on record and say "When I was with GKR, my area manager used to *insert earth-shattering revelation*.

After all, not having a sofa delivered isn't ruining anyone's life. It's annoying, certainly, but not exactly the end of the world. This doesn't stop DFS, MFI, Argos etc being on the show every other week for not having the right coloured handles on a kitchen or other trivial bollocks.
Just weight of numbers.

**Zashiki** · Posted On: 3/04/2008 10:00am

All g.k.r is, is a multi level marketing scheme, The FTC advises that multi-level marketing organizations with greater incentives for recruitment than product sales are to be viewed skeptically. In April 2006, it proposed a Business Opportunity Rule intended to require all sellers of business opportunities—including MLMs—to provide enough information to enable prospective buyers to make an informed decision about their probability of earning money. Robert Sullivan had already tried this business plan before with other products, none of which worked but if they had there'd be a good chance that we'd have people from 'Sullivans cleaning products' calling at our doors.

Reasons that multilevel marketing are wrong are -
The business model is fatally flawed.

It suckers people in with an appeal to make money quick (they won't)

It can get a grip of people due to indoctrination and self deception ( this is common in many religeous cults)

It may result in loss of money, credibility and self respect

The perpertraitors of the scheme will have made a profit out of you regardless. They are the ones who can't lose.

MLM schemes are selling false hopes they promise the opportunity of great wealth succsess and indipendance from the ratrace.
In reality they are nothing more than 'get rich quick' schemes that will cost you money, time, credibility and even your self esteem.

In short it's not just the people who are signing up and being taught bad karate that are the victims, it's also the people who sign up as s.d.c's because they genuinally want to be an instructor and earn good money only to end up broke and feeling like they've failed because they couldn't pull in 20-30 members a week.

**Father Dagon** · Posted On: 3/05/2008 7:11am

Originally Posted by Truculent Sheep

GKR also post ads at Job Centres, worryingly enough.

Of course! Get them while they are vulnerable. Why do you think that cults use/used to pester people at airports?

Originally Posted by sochin101

If you're one of the guys at the top of the pyramid, you'll do pretty well.

An instructor I know ran 2 classes as cover. Including selling GKR merchandise, she took nearly £600 back to her area guy.

She never saw a penny of it.

She didn't even get her petrol paid for (80 mile round trip each class).

Wherever you see GKR estimated earnings (£400 a week POW!), it's all targeted earnings based on sales.

Sell Amway/Betterware instead... at least you'll smell of detergent instead of Bullshit.

Uh, don't they have bank accounts in the UK? Or is it just like any other criminal organization - cash only?

**Jadonblade** · Posted On: 3/05/2008 12:03pm

Yeah I met some GKR's first hand at a job advertising day, I talked to won of them and tried to rationalise there no touch sparring. He went to tell me they had some people fight in cage rage... (anderson silva fought in cage rage, I wonder if he still has the belt lol). I managed to get quite abit of info from their guy. Apperantly they watch motivational films like the karate kid to psych themselves up before selling. Titles like "self defense consultants" are also veyr misleading.

**3moose1** · Posted On: 3/05/2008 12:35pm

Originally Posted by sochin101

If you're one of the guys at the top of the pyramid, you'll do pretty well.

An instructor I know ran 2 classes as cover. Including selling GKR merchandise, she took nearly £600 back to her area guy.

She never saw a penny of it.

She didn't even get her petrol paid for (80 mile round trip each class).

Wherever you see GKR estimated earnings (£400 a week POW!), it's all targeted earnings based on sales.

Sell Amway/Betterware instead... at least you'll smell of detergent instead of Bullshit.

lol petrol

**hooky** · Posted On: 3/05/2008 4:22pm

**** these guys still exist!? I had a salesman turn up on my door nearly 10 years ago ! He had a shiny brochure with pics of guys on mountaintops doing high kicks and posing with flash motors etc .. I chatted awhile with him , told him I was training South Mantis and Hung Gar , asked him to show me some stuff which he did, some short range snapping punch, I think he picked up i was'nt impressed because he got all nervous , told me I'd be a good teacher and practically ran out the door! I had'nt even done anything! Felt sorry for the guy, I guess they cash in on the naive ..I was curious so I went for an interview, very slick operation, when I told the guy I was'nt interested in dropping my Kungfu he said it would'nt be a problem! I could 'oversee' classes and I'd just pick up what to show students before class from another instructor! Man had the smile of a shark, and a shelf full of Art of War for business marketing type books. I may have been a bit paranoid at the time but he certainly came over as the 'hard sell' and mind game type. Must admit I did'nt think they would last, naivly thought MA was a BS free zone, at least on that scale. Bit worrying to hear there still around so i will fill in the WD form. Did'nt they start out in Oz? Hooky.

**3moose1** · Posted On: 3/05/2008 8:09pm

Originally Posted by hooky

naivly thought MA was a BS free zone, at least on that scale

Seriously?

I'm skeptical to go to any MA school because i'm afraid of going to a mcdojo.

**hooky** · Posted On: 3/06/2008 5:00am

Hi 3moose1, Yup seriously, The school I trained at had regular 'cross hands' with other styles , also the situation in the UK may be a little less serious on the mcdojo front than in the states, everything is a bit more local. Im not saying there is no BS here of course but I think 10 years ago it may not have been as bad as now [ particularly with regard to IMA]. There were always infights between various Karate groups usually lineage related and I figured GKR would at least get called out on that [ like I said naive !]. hooky.