GKR door knockers...

Discussion in 'Karate' started by Hiroji, Mar 6, 2007.

  1. Openmind

    Openmind New Member

    You won't have the pleasure, I'm afraid. Scottish law doesn't permit the marketing methods of GKR. I always found Larkie to be very welcoming.
     
  2. Openmind

    Openmind New Member

    Kancho Sullivan changed from selling garden sprinklers to running a karate school.
     
  3. Openmind

    Openmind New Member

    So leave them to it! They are not harming you; or does the popularity of GKR in Leeds cause envy, which in turn erodes your inner calm and turns you into "loudmouth on t'internet".

    Leave them alone if they're happy. If they're not, they can leave. I wouldn't dream of telling anyone how to follow their way.

    My instructor (not GKR) refers to Shotokan, Goju, Wado etc. as KFC, McD & B/King of martial arts - not at length or vehemently, just as a matter of fact.
     
  4. JSKdan

    JSKdan Valued Member

    Then I think your instructor needs to try and see some good instructors in these fields :rolleyes: , as you could say that about most arts, depending on who you train with. :)
     
  5. Mike Flanagan

    Mike Flanagan Valued Member

    I disagree, I think they bring martial arts generally into disrepute and that doesn't do any of us any good, least of all the unsuspecting public.

    Mike
     
  6. Teebs

    Teebs Valued Member

    That's interesting considering your style of kodo (info taken from your profile) appears to translate as 'the art of fragrance' (http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/kodo.shtml) or possibly be a form of Japanese drumming (http://www.kodo.or.jp/frame.html).
     
  7. bassai

    bassai onwards and upwards ! Moderator Supporter


    So could you tell us a little about your style , history technique etc as i've never heard of kodo.
     
  8. Gong_Sau_Rick

    Gong_Sau_Rick ultimate WSL nutrider

  9. Openmind

    Openmind New Member

  10. Openmind

    Openmind New Member

    Kodo ryu, The Old Way. Studying the Chinese/Shaolin roots of karate.
    <Removed>
    Sorry, I don't know how to insert a link, but I'll learn.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2007
  11. Teebs

    Teebs Valued Member

    Well I've looked at it and I don't see anything special. Another karate offshoot.

    And yes, I do get irritated when people just label whole styles which I suspect are extremely similar to their own (of course extremely effective...) style as useless. I've got no problem with someone coming along and saying "most shotokan karate clubs don't teach how to fight because they never spar with reasonable contact" or some similar statement, I'd probably even agree. Labelling it as the KFC of martial arts as a matter of fact statement though is just irritating.
     
  12. Openmind

    Openmind New Member

    The intention of the KFC/McD/B-King references was, I believe, that these styles had evolved (or been diluted, depending on your mindset), and become available to the masses in an easier to digest format.
    The Taigyoku kata were created by Funakoshi Gichin as an exercise for school kids, as were the Heian kata. This could have been the spur for more people to experience the martial arts, as could GKR, encouraging inquisitive minds to explore this huge world of different arts.
    I certainly don't believe in running anyone's art down or demeaning it just because it's different from my limited knowledge.
    Try and get yourself a copy of "The Great Karate Myth" and read it with an open mind. Fascinating stuff, p'raps not for everyone, and sure to put noses out of joint.
     
  13. Sam

    Sam Absent-ish member

    Please can we keep the thread on topic. If you would like to discuss Kodo-Ryu further I suggest one of you make a new thread.

    Also just a reminder about MAPS "NO free advertising policy" which can be reviewed in our TOS

    Thanks!
     
  14. prowla

    prowla Valued Member

    Well, whatever the effectiveness of any particular style, it surely has to be a better thing having kids training and doing exercise than vegging out in front of the telly or hanging around shopping precincts!

    At the beginner level, it is important that they enjoy themselves rather than turn into fighting machines from day 1. A lot of the basics that underpin all karate are common across all styles - it's almost like learning to walk again, from scratch.

    But there will be some point at which training at a particular dojo could turn out to be a dead-end, and they realise it's time to move on.

    We've got some friends whose kids were doing another style of karate, and kindof lost motivation. I made a few comments... They came and joined our club, and are now moving nicely up the grades.

    Our sensei started the club a few years back, and there was just one brown belt (adult) at the time I joined, now we have a horde of higher kyu grade children, who will all progress in due course. Some of them are going to turn into very fine karateka.

    And the membership has come about by word of mouth, leaflets/posters in the sports centre, and people stopping by to check it out. There's no need to go door knocking if you've got a quality product.
     
  15. puma

    puma Valued Member

    The thing is, GKR have no insurance and blatantly lie. That is the problem for me. I can not see how they can be defended in any way.
     
  16. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

  17. Teebs

    Teebs Valued Member

    I think they've already had one of their 30 page giant threads about it in the past.
     
  18. mattsylvester

    mattsylvester One proud daddy!

    Hiya,

    Which mag was this, and who was the person?

    Thanks
    Matt

     
  19. prowla

    prowla Valued Member

    I think that is the point.
    My sensei asked me to run a class a short while ago, and the first think I asked him about was insurance.
     
  20. Mike Flanagan

    Mike Flanagan Valued Member

    Having talked to quite a lot of people on GKR forums I've come to the conclusion that often its not better than doing nothing. Knee problems are quite common amongst GKR students, both adults and children. Incompetent teachers unwittingly force students into stances that place undue stress on the knee joints. And they encourage them to lock their arms and legs out when they're doing their 'fast and hard' basics.

    Some benefit from doing GKR, simply because they move on to something new, but others just get damaged and never train again.

    Someone once said (a long time ago on another forum far, far away) 'there's nothing wrong with the blind leading the blind, unless of course you want to actually go somewhere'. I'd put it differently - when the blind lead the blind they tend to bump into a lot of things and hurt themselves.

    Mike
     

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