It’s been a big year for GKR Karate and we’d like to thank everyone who continues to make the club what it is today, students, families, instructors and management…everyone plays an integral role in the success of our amazing club.

The year started off strong and the last few months of 2024 has been no different with plenty of events, milestones and cause for celebration.

Stop Domestic and Family Violence Campaign

After a very successful Stop Domestic and Family Violence Campaign, we re-opened purple belt orders for the month of October in preparation for our second awareness month in February 2025. Thanks to everyone’s support we were able to donate $72,040 to RizeUp, $19,490 to Shine and £6,242 to Refuge. All Purple Belt orders placed in October will be mailed out mid-January 2025 in time for the next awareness month in February 2025.

National and State Champs

New Zealand and the United Kingdom recently held their National Championships with Australian State Championships also being held last month. It was a great way to wrap up what has been a big year on the tournament circuit. Congratulations to everyone who competed and thank you to the officials who ensured the tournaments ran smoothly. Now is a great time to speak with your instructor and start setting goals for 2025 and beyond!

Black Belt Camps

Black Belt Camps have wrapped up for the year with many higher grades enjoying a weekend of specialised karate training with GKR’s top instructors. These weekends are a valuable addition to regular weekly training and provide higher grades the opportunity to train with people they might not get the chance to otherwise. Keep an eye out next year for a Black Belt Camp near you.

Major Achievements

This year, GKR had the honour of assessing and progressing four longstanding and dedicated instructors to very special grade levels. Most recently, Bob McCracken from the United Kingdom and Mark Case from Australia were both graded to their 6th Dan and bestowed the title of Renshi Shihan by Kancho. They join Brett Vanderwiel and David Gugich, who were recognised in our September newsletter, as grading to 6th Dan and Renshi Shihan too. A very big congratulations to all of our Renshi’s on their outstanding achievement.

We also had a number of students grade to 4th Dan and 5th Dan during our end of year black belt grading. Click here to see GKR’s most recent Yondan’s and Godan’s. Congratulations to everyone on their new rank!

Christmas Message

By now, you will have received a Christmas email from Kancho- if you haven’t read this, please take the time to do so as it contains some noteworthy information. If you haven’t seen this email in your inbox, please check your spam folder or click here to read online. Best wishes to our GKR family for a Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year.

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Celebrating 40 years of GKR Karate

When Kancho Robert Sullivan said to his son Matthew “We’re going to be looking at this in years to come….” in a home video in 1983, could he have imagined that tens of thousands of people would one day see this footage, celebrating 40 years of GKR Karate.

A man with a vision, and a belief in that vision, Kancho began his Karate journey in 1964, obtaining the rank of black belt in Goju and Shotokan styles before starting GKR Karate in Adelaide in 1984. The first official dojo opened at Beefacres Hall, Windsor Gardens in February 1984, with Kancho’s son Matthew being the club’s first official student. Going from strength to strength, building from that first student to more than 38,000 students in 2024, GKR Karate has stood the test of time.

Initially called ‘Bob’s Karate School, Kancho changed the name to Go-Kan-Ryu Karate Do in June 1984 which roughly translates to ‘hard and complete system in the way of the empty hand’. With the skills and knowledge gained from Goju and Shotokan, Kancho created the GKR syllabus combining features from both styles. The first badge was designed by Kancho in July of 1984, and some 35 years later in July 2019, it was updated to the current design we see today.

At first, Kancho’s aim was to build a small club, sufficient in size to feed his family and ‘pay the bills’. Eight years later, GKR expanded into NSW, and to other states across Australia shortly after. New Zealand opened its first dojo in 1994 with the United Kingdom following suit in 1996. Classes in Houston, Texas then started in 2004. In the space of 12 years, a club that started in Kancho’s garage had successfully branched out on a truly international level.

The fundamentals of GKR have not changed since its inception, with the emphasis on discipline, good character and inclusivity being as strong as ever. Whether you are at a local class, regional tournament or a World Cup, you will find the same camaraderie, respect, humility and a sense of belonging. GKR truly is karate for everyone.

Pivoting during lockdowns to on-line zoom classes and seminars enabled students to continue training during this difficult period, which eventually paved the way for the launch of the GKR Online Karate and Fitness Academy in 2024.

As a family club that is renowned for not just its high standard of karate but also for the community it continues to build on a global scale through its Online Academy, people from all over the world are able to experience and enjoy all that GKR has to offer.

From the humble beginnings of our first small tournament in a school demountable classroom in 1985 to the recently held 11th World Cup in 2024 that hosted more than 1400 competitors and 4000 + spectators over 3 days….. GKR Karate has come a long way. Thank you to all students and instructors for being a part of this incredible story!

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Dear Students, Parents and Caregivers,

2024 has certainly been a big year for GKR Karate with some remarkable milestones achieved and plenty to celebrate. For starters, this year represented our club’s 40th anniversary! We’ve come a long way since our humble beginnings in 1984 and I am sincerely grateful to everyone who has contributed to the club’s success and growth over these years.

World Cup 2024

Aside from our 40th Anniversary, we also hosted our biggest ever World Cup in Sydney. It was amazing to watch more than 1400 students competing in the true spirit of karate-do over the 3-day event, and with 4000+ spectators in full voice over the weekend, the atmosphere was truly electric.

GKR Stories

The launch of our ‘GKR Stories’ platform has provided the opportunity for us to share some inspiring stories from within our karate community. From overcoming adversity, achieving personal goals, having the courage to leave unsafe situations and more, we are appreciative of everyone who has already shared their story and look forward to sharing more GKR Stories in 2025. You can view our GKR stories by clicking here.

Stop Domestic and Family Violence Campaign

This year also saw us initiate a partnership with 3 charities and debut our ‘Stop Domestic and Family Violence – Purple Belt Campaign’ raising much needed funds and awareness for an issue that affects countless Australians. The support received for this campaign has helped us donate more than:
$72,000 to RizeUp Australia
$19,000 to Shine New Zealand
£6,000 to Refuge United Kingdom
On behalf of everyone involved, I would like to thank you for your support. You can read about our Purple Belt Campaign and associated charities by clicking here.

Online Academy

If you haven’t already activated your 1-month free trial for the Online Academy, now is the time to do so. With a comprehensive library of tailored Karate and Pilates classes the Online Academy is the perfect supplement to your training – especially if you are going away and not able to attend classes in-person over the holiday period. Click here to start your one month free access (unless you’ve done so already).

December/January Class Timetables

Whilst our last regular public classes for 2024 will be on Friday 20th December, it is likely that we will still be running a reduced class timetable in your area over the Christmas/New Year period. Please speak with your Branch Instructor in December about this reduced class timetable. If you’re not going away over this period, we encourage you to keep up your karate routine during this time to maintain the training momentum you have built. Our regular public class timetables will resume in 2025 from Monday 6th January.

Training Fees

Your direct debit training fee rates are based on an annual fee divided by 52 equal weekly payments (or 26 or 12 depending on your payment frequency). As the formal Christmas break period forms part of this 52 week calculation, please note that your normal payments will continue during this time. Again, we encourage students to not only take advantage of our reduced Christmas/New Year timetable, but to also attend as many extra classes as they can during the January school holiday period.

THANK YOU!

I’d like to express my gratitude to all the students who have maintained a consistent approach to their karate training throughout 2024, as well as thank our dedicated branch and senior instructors. The incredible work they do each week is essential to making our wide range of locations and training days possible across the country. Their commitment to delivering high-quality classes this year has, as always, been exceptional.

Merry Christmas

On behalf of the entire senior instructor group, I’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and we look forward to seeing you again in the New Year!

Best wishes,

Kancho Robert Sullivan
Founder & Chief Instructor

The post Thank You from Kancho 2024 appeared first on GKR Karate.

Wow!  What a month it’s been.  We have just held our biggest ever World Cup, including our 40^th Anniversary Celebration and Merch release; saw special new grades awarded to some of our most senior instructors; and completed our very first RizeUp ‘Homes’ project.  Here’s a quick recap for you.

World Cup

With our biggest ever World Cup taking place at Netball Central in the Sydney Olympic Park Precinct – it was great to see everyone competing in the true spirit of Karate-do.  With more than 1440 competitors, the stage was set for some epic showdowns.

We crowned new World Champions, broke competitor records and had an amazing time doing it. Click the button below for a full list of results from the weekend. We also had a fantastic crew of volunteer photographers taking photos at the event and suggest, if you haven’t already, check out the action shots from the World Cup by clicking the button below.

World Cup RESULTS  World Cup photography

Once again, we would like to thank all our officials and management team, and our sponsors; Dependable Strata; 5^th Avenue Jewellers; Sir Properties; Aviso Broking; and Conroy Removals, for their support in helping us make the 2024 World Cup the huge success that it was.

40^th Anniversary

More than 650 people danced the night away with the Party Anthem Band at our 40^th Anniversary Celebration and World Cup After Party.  There was plenty of entertainment for the kids (big and small) with arcade games from Arcade Machines Australia and a photobooth that was kept busy all night. In fact, we’re told that our celebration had the most amount of photos taken on that machine at an event ever…GKR folk are definitely not camera shy!  Complete with a birthday cake and sing-a-long, it was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the end of a very successful World Cup and 40 years of our amazing club.

Our 40^th Anniversary commemorative merchandise previewed at the World Cup and was the talk of the town.  With a sleek design that celebrates our 40 year history, we’re excited to let you know that we have opened orders for our 40^th Anniversary merchandise for a limited time only.  So, if you thought you’d missed out, fear not, we have your back, front and head (and wrist) covered with our limited edition 40^th Anniversary hoodies, tees, caps, beanies and watches! Orders close Sunday 6th October in Australia;  Sunday 13^th October in New Zealand and the United Kingdom and will be available to collect at class in November.  

Order Yours…

Australia click here ; New Zealand click here; United Kingdom click here.

Stop Domestic & Family Violence Campaign

In late July, Kyoshi Gavin and a small team of volunteers met with RizeUp CEO Nicolle Edwards and Business Lead Debbie Kennedy, to participate in a ‘Homes’ set-up.  It was a great insight into the valuable work that RizeUp does and an opportunity for GKR to offer practical support to our charity partner.  Click here to read about the set-up and see some photos from the day. If you are in Australia and would like to volunteer as part of our GKR team in any future Homes projects, then please email us at charities@gkrkarate.com

Purple Belt orders have closed for now and will be delivered to you mid-late September, in time for you to wear to class at the start of October.  We can’t wait to see photos of you in your purple belt shared on social media with the hashtag #GKRPurpleBeltCampaign #GKRCommunity

Okinawa Karate-Do Seminars In Australia & New Zealand

Kancho James Pankiewicz from Okinawa is visiting Australia (QLD, NSW and VIC) and New Zealand (Auckland and Wellington) in September/October to conduct seminars on Okinawan ‘Tomari-Tei’ techniques, kata self defence applications, principles of combat and much more.  For more information on seminar locations and dates, please click here.

Major Achievements

On Wednesday 14th August we conducted a special 5 hour seminar for our senior instructors and their karate leadership teams.  With more than 120 of these key people in attendance, we are proud to announce the progression of a number of these longstanding instructors to special grade levels.

In amongst these gradings were 2 very special recipients, both of whom graded to 6th Dan and were bestowed the title of Renshi Shihan by Kancho.

Special congratulations to our new Renshi’s – Brett Vanderwiel from Victoria and David Gugich from Christchurch (NZ).

Our other special grades were awarded to Daniel Zivanov (5th Dan); Sharon McGregor (5th Dan); Jenna Sinclair (4th Dan); Andrew Howell (4th Dan); Josh Saunders (4th Dan); Neil Boddington (4th Dan); Ray Bettridge (4th Dan). Congratulations to all!

The post GKR News – September 2024 appeared first on GKR Karate.

Have you heard….?

There’s certainly a lot happening in the GKR world this year as we celebrate our 40^th Birthday as a club and prepare for the fast approaching GKR Karate World Cup. In the last month alone, there’s also been a number of new initiatives launched, announcements made and achievements recognised, so we thought we’d take a minute to catch you up in case you missed some of it.

World Cup Entries

With the World Cup 2024 only five weeks away, the excitement is building in dojos across Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.  We can’t wait to welcome everyone to Netball Central in the Sydney Olympic Park Precinct in August, but don’t forget…entries and merch orders close this Sunday 7^th July.

Click here to enter & purchase your merch

World Cup After Party and GKR 40^th Anniversary Event

At the end of the World Cup on Sunday evening, we will be holding a celebratory after party open to all GKR students and families. The event runs from 5pm to 10pm and will be held at the World Cup venue. Due to catering requirements, all tickets must be pre-booked and the deadline for RSVP is Sunday 28^th July.

Click here for more information

World Cup Photographers – Expressions of Interest

Are you passionate about karate and photography, and have access to a digital SLR camera? Will you be attending the GKR World Cup in Sydney in August?

We are seeking expressions of interest from photography enthusiasts attending the World Cup this year who would like to use their skills to photograph competitors and upload them to our event image platform. We have a limited number of positions available for event photographers with income opportunities available for those photographers selected.

If this sounds like something for you, or, someone you know, please click the link below.

World Cup photography information

Stop Domestic Violence Campaign

In June, we launched our ‘Stop Domestic & Family Violence – Purple Belt Campaign’ and announced our support for the following domestic violence charities; RizeUp in Australia, Shine in New Zealand and Refuge in the United Kingdom.  The support from the GKR community towards this very worthwhile cause has been heartwarming and we look forward to seeing a sea of purple belts in all classes in October.  To read more about our chosen charities and how to order your purple belt, click the button below

Stop Domestic Violence Campaign Information

GKR Stories

We also premiered our first chapter of ‘GKR Stories’ hearing from Josh Nixon and then soon after from Jenni.  Josh and Jenni’s courageous stories have inspired countless people in and out of the dojo, and we are grateful for their willingness to share with us.  If you haven’t seen ‘GKR Stories’ yet, or, if you have your own story you would like to tell, click here.

GKR Stories

TikTok

GKR is now on TikTok!  You may not see your favourite instructor taking on the latest ‘TikTok challenge’ but you will see all the latest GKR content @gkrkarateofficial

GKR Karate on TikTok

Acknowledgements

Lastly, we would like to acknowledge and thank the following sponsors who are supporting the GKR Karate World Cup 2024:

GOLD SPONSORS

The post GKR News – July 2024 appeared first on GKR Karate.

To all students of GKR Karate,

The catalyst for writing this letter was the recent grading of two of GKR’s senior most instructors:

• Gavin Samin – GKR Karate’s Assistant Chief Instructor
• Anthony Ryan – GKR Karate’s International Director of Coaching

In November 2023 I had the pleasure of grading both to 7th Dan (Shichi-dan) Black belt. Beyond this great achievement I also bestowed on each the title of Kyoshi.

As this title had never existed in GKR Karate previously, I’ve had many students and instructors enquire as to what this title means. Beyond that, in recent times I have been contemplating using some new terms (titles) when referring to a number of our senior-most instructors; hence this letter.

As I am writing to all students, including those who may have only just started their journey with GKR Karate, (welcome!) I feel I should start from the beginning, with myself.

Kancho (pronounced Karn-cho)

The way I would introduce myself in a dojo would be “Hi, I’m Robert”. Most instructors will introduce themselves simply by name. Ultimately because we see ourselves first and foremost as students of karate. We still train with the aim to grow and improve in our own journey.

Beyond being a student, I’m also a teacher (Sensei). So, while I rarely hear it, it’s not incorrect to suggest I am Sensei Robert, or even Robert Sensei. It might be worth noting the Japanese put titles after a person’s name while we in the West will place a title before.

As I founded GKR Karate and am the head of the style, the title you will regularly hear accompanying my name is Kancho. In simple terms, Kancho means ‘Head of style’. It’s also regularly translated as ‘Founder’, although a more accurate word for founder is Kaiso.

Sen-sei (pronounced Sen-say)

The term Sensei, or teacher, is a not unique to martial arts. In Japan, any teacher is generally referred to as sensei, whether it’s a school-teacher, karate teacher, tennis coach etc. It’s comprised of two Japanese characters (known as kanji) which suggest ‘Before’ and ‘Born’.

This doesn’t mean one has to have literally been born before. Many teachers are younger than their students. It merely suggests one is passing on knowledge because they have more experience, wisdom and/or knowledge in that particular field and are qualified to teach.

So, while your instructors may introduce themselves to you with their first name, it is a courtesy to refer to them with the title of Sensei. Many of our classes will have more than one instructor and while one may be the main instructor for the class, it’s a courtesy to refer to all instructors as Sensei.

Sen-pai (pronounced Sem-pie)

The first Japanese kanji, ‘Sen’ is the same for both Sen-pai and Sen-sei. However, we pronounce Sen-pai as Sem-pai. This occurs when we have the letter ‘N’ preceding the letter ‘P’.

Perhaps you enjoy Japanese food and have eaten Tempura? It’s actually Ten-pura. Or maybe you enjoy the karate kata, Empi? It’s actually En-pi.

This is due to the way our mouths form sounds. When we sound the letter ‘N’, our lips remain apart. Yet when we sound the letters ‘M’ and ‘P’ our lips come together. You’re likely making these sounds right now to check if that’s true.

As such, when an ‘N’ precedes a ‘P’ we must close our lips to form the ‘P’ sound. In doing so, the letter ‘N’ starts to sound like an ‘M’.

To keep things easier, when Sen-pai is written in English its often spelled as Sempai to avoid confusion. The same way most Japanese restaurants will use the spelling Tempura. I will continue to use it as Sempai from here on in to help remind you of its pronunciation (even though saying it as Senpai is certainly correct).

GKR Instructors will often ask a student in the class who has exemplary technique to assist. Perhaps they will simply stand out the front to demonstrate the techniques while the instructor moves around to correct students. Or perhaps they may be asked to supervise and assist a group of students in the class. If a student is assisting the instructor in your class, it is a courtesy to refer to these students as Sempai instead of simply using their name.

Shihan (pronounced She-harn)

This is a title many of you will be familiar with as GKR Karate has used this term for over 20years now.

Shi-han is comprised of two Kanji. The first, ‘Shi’ means a ‘Head-teacher or Master’. The second, ‘Han’ could be translated as ‘Model’ (like a role model or example). Its frequently translated as ‘Expert teacher’.

Shihan (like the term, Sensei) is also commonly used in Japanese culture outside of the martial arts. The title suggests you are a master teacher who can assist other teachers. It also suggestive of initiative and the ability to lead.

Japanese martial arts have no specific criteria for the qualification of a Shihan title. Some styles introduce it to top instructors at 4th Dan Black belt while others wait till 5th or 6th Dan. Some even require a certain age-criteria to be met before bestowing such a title. In GKR Karate, I have not created any specific criteria but the majority of those who hold the title are 6th dan black belts, and all are responsible for leading other instructors.

At present in GKR I have given the Shihan title to:

• Gavin Samin, GKR’s Assistant Chief Instructor
• Anthony Ryan, GKR’s International Director of Coaching
• Daniel Tregenza, Senior instructor of Adelaide Region 9
• Alex Pereda, Zone Instructor of NSW
• Bob McCracken, Senior Instructor of the United Kingdom
• Antonie De Bruin, Senior Instructor of New Zealand
• Peter Durrant, Zone Instructor of NSW
• Jan Lopez, International Senior Instructor for GKR’s Online Academy

Introducing the entire Shogo system of Japanese Martial Arts into GKR Karate

When karate solely existed in Okinawa it was vastly different to karate as we know it today. There were no Gi’s (uniforms), or belt grades or even organised curriculums.

It wasn’t until karate reached mainland Japan that the governing body of Japanese Martial Arts (the Dai Nippon Butokukai) insisted it introduce aspects of other Japanese martial arts (like Judo and Kendo).

This meant those Okinawa instructors who wanted to teach in mainland Japan had to introduce Gi’s and the Shogo system.

The Shogo (titles and ranks) System was a system to measure progress and development, and it was predicated on three main areas:

1. Measuring a martial artist’s technical proficiency and experience
2. Measuring a martial artist’s teaching proficiency and experience
3. Measuring a martial artist’s character development, philosophy and conduct

1. The system for measuring a martial artist’s technical proficiency and experience involved introducing the Shogo of Kyu and Dan grades (the belt system)

2. The system for measuring a martial artist’s teaching proficiency and experience involved introducing the Shogo of Sempai, Sensei and Shihan. There are actually others, but I have decided not to implement these.

3. The system for measuring a martial artist’s character development, philosophy and conduct involved introducing the Shogo of Renshi (pronounced Ren-she), Kyoshi (pronounced Key-oshe) and Hanshi (pronounced Hun-she)

I only decided to introduce the third Shogo system around 7 years ago. Despite that, these terms have been seldom heard in our dojos. That however is about to change; another reason for writing this letter.

A general rule throughout the martial arts world was Renshi shogo could be (but did not have to be) awarded to someone who had achieved Roku-dan (6th dan). The Kyoshi shogo could be awarded to someone who had achieved Shichi-dan (7th dan) and Hanshi (the highest shogo) could be awarded to anyone 8th dan or above.

You will notice that Ren-shi, Kyo-shi and Han-shi all end with the same Kanji, ‘Shi’. This Kanji could be translated as ‘Gentleman’ (although it obviously does not have to be a male), or warrior (in terms of mental fortitude) or even scholar.

The Kanji for Ren-shi could be translated as: ‘Ren’ (Polished) ‘Shi’ (Gentleman, Warrior or scholar).

The Kanji for Kyo-shi could be translated as: ‘Kyo’ (Professor) ‘Shi’ (Gentleman, Warrior or scholar).

The Kanji for Han-shi could be translated as: ‘Han’ (Model or example) ‘Shi’ (Gentleman, Warrior or scholar).

You may be wondering if the terms Shi-han and Han-shi are simply the same two Kanji but placed in reverse order? This is not the case. While the Kanji, ‘Han’ is identical in both (meaning model or example), the Kanji for ‘Shi’ in Shihan is different to the other three shogo. It translates more accurately as teacher (as opposed to gentleman, warrior or scholar).

I feel it’s important to note that being a high-dan black belt does not guarantee someone has exemplary character. In actuality, there a many people on this earth who’ve never trained in karate and still have impeccable character. In martial arts, the shogo of Renshi, Kyoshi and Hanshi are discussing the character that one develops over decades of concerted training.

Up until last month, GKR had several people who were identified as Shihan. While they were referred to as Shihan, the 6th dans had also been awarded with the character based shogo. Let me use New Zealand’s Senior instructor, Antonie de Bruin as an example:

• Roku-dan (6th dan black belt): This shogo is an illustration of Antonie’s technical proficiency, knowledge, dedication and experience as a student. This is indicative of his personal journey in the dojo.
• Shihan: This shogo is an illustration of Antonie’s expert teaching ability and his great leadership as a teacher of teachers. This is indicative of how helps others with their journey in the dojo.
• Renshi: This is an illustration of Antonie’s character, philosophy and conduct as not only a student and instructor, but also a human being. This is indicative of his personal journey beyond the dojo and indicative of how he helps others with their journey beyond the dojo.

While Antonie was has been referred to as Shihan (his teaching shogo) many were unaware he had also been awarded a certificate for Renshi. Despite GKR housing a number of Renshi-Shihans, we simply used the term Shihan to keep things short.

As I stated earlier, I have been pondering changing the way our top leaders are referred to and as from now, I would prefer the following:

When in a formal setting, such as bowing into or out of class, if an instructor has more than one title that has been bestowed upon them, then both are mentioned. For example, “Kyoshi-Shihan” or “Renshi-Shihan”.

Outside of a formal setting, such as addressing them during class, students need not mention both (the same as we have been doing for many years). However, from now on I would prefer that students no longer use the Shihan shogo and instead use the Renshi or Kyoshi shogo.

Why these changes?

Knowing that these titles are more related to character and conduct I think it sets a strong reminder for every student that developing ourselves as human beings (karate-DO) is equally important (if not more) than just developing our physical body or self-defence skills (karate-JUTSU). * ‘Do’ translating as ‘Path’ or ‘The way of’ and Jutsu (not to be confused with Jitsu) translating as ‘Technique’ or ‘Method’.

To quote the father of modern karate, Gichen Funakoshi, “The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the perfection of the character of its participants”.

I am aware that most of you do not train with our senior most instructors, but you may find yourself attending a seminar they conduct and its good information to know.

And for those who do currently train with them, this may take a period of acclimation but no doubt it will become habit before long.

Moving forward

As GKR surpasses 40 years of age and heads strongly to our 50th Anniversary, no doubt many more of our most dedicated karate-ka will be looking at their Roku-dan grades (6th dan). This will also qualify them for a Renshi shogo, a title to illustrate their decades of character growth and to serve as a constant reminder to always endeavour to be a great role model for others, both in and out of the dojo.

Some of those who achieve 6th dan will also be leaders and teachers of teachers, and as such will also qualify for a Shihan shogo. This means as the years pass you will be hearing titles of Renshi or Shihan, or Kyoshi or even Hanshi more-and-more. This truly excites me as it only illustrates that what we have all created is so special that people are sticking around for many decades.

I will finish by saying that one does not need such distinguished titles to become an expert instructor or student of great character. Nor does one need a title to become a role model for others. These are things we should all aim for to not only make our own lives better but also the lives of everyone around us.

Yours in the spirit of GKR Karate
Robert Sullivan

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The post Titles and Rankings with GKR Karate appeared first on GKR Karate.

Kata tells you “NO” all day long. It mocks you over and over, telling you “you’re an idiot”. It seems simple; “straighten the back leg as you land in stance”, “keep the hips square, the wrist straight, just move that little faster, stay the same height, elbow stays in…” and so on.

As elementary as it sounds, arduous is the task of having the body carry out these specific actions. We may make the same errors repeatedly or never be quite happy with our speed, snap, fluidity or flexibility. Finding ourselves being mocked by our kata time and time again can be frustrating. Beyond this, we practice hard, becoming accustomed to burning legs and rips in our feet. Does this stop us? No. We persist and soon our feet have rips within rips.

All this work and what is our reward? Our Kata continues to mock us, our instructors harbour a myriad of constructive criticisms, and after giving our all in tournaments, the judge’s score says, “You’ve got a long way to go”.

Is it not surprising that some karate-ka take a disliking to kata, heavily favouring kumite? Kumite, by comparison, does not mock. By-and-large, a block is a block and a punch is a punch. Upon scoring on our opponent, our stance may be slightly off or technique slightly flawed; yet we still feel vindication due to our technique getting in. Some might argue, is this not what matters most?

If kata mocks us all, beginner and master alike, why then do some adore it while others fear it? The answer lies in the way we perceive its mockery; the way in which we perceive our journey of karate.

A Path To Follow 

For practically every technique in kata, we are provided with clear explanation and detail: The position and angle of our feet, legs, knees, hips, shoulders, arms, hands etc. Within a brief period, we become aware of the perfect execution and upon establishing this picture in our mind’s eye, we set about turning our perfect mental picture into a physical reality. From here, whether we become a kata lover or loather largely depends on our perception.

Perfection Is Impossible

The goal of kata is perfection and while we see this in our mind, the downside is that perfection is impossible. We can always be better technically – faster, stronger, more fluent – making perfection a pipedream.

Let’s examine the first side-kick technique in kata, Kanku-dai.

Demonstration of the side kick in Kanku-Dai

• The foot must come up to knee then extend out (not below the knee, not above).
• Next it must travel in a straight line (not curve up) to the point of contact where the foot must be shaped correctly (big toe up, blade pointing out).
• Meanwhile, the returning hand must pull tightly back on the floating ribs (not too high or low) and the other arm parallel to the kicking leg.
• After kicking, the foot must come back into a straight line (not collapse down) before moving into a back leaning stance (weight two thirds back, feet perpendicular, knees bent, hands)…

One could write an essay on this one count alone; this is a highly summarised version. And I was only covering one count in the Kata.

Any deviation from this (in any of the areas) and we have made a mistake. In a tournament, a judge might take off 0.1. Now try doing that at explosive speed, where you are pushing your limits. And then the fact you may have to do it in a tournament, in front of everyone, or a grading where your performance is determining whether you grade or not. Ouch!

For Some, Frustration Builds

Are we sadists? What person aims for perfection knowing it to be impossible? What person starts on a journey that can never be finished?

Despite perfection being a pipedream, our instructors still push us toward it and we are always judged in comparison to it. So as years pass and we progress consistently, each session we are still told, “No”. This constant reminder that we are not perfect, and constant focus on kata’s mockery leads to frustration and is the underlying factor behind kata loathers.

In addition, this mockery can cause havoc on the self-esteem with many regularly talking their ability down, “I’m no good at kata”, “I will never be good at kata”.

Perception Is Reality 

Cue the kata lover. Still far from perfect, still constantly mocked, still pursuing a pipedream, yet sporting a different perspective. These are people who embrace that perfection is unattainable, and find joy and satisfaction by chipping away at their flaws and improving inch by inch.

There is an old adage, ‘Our perception creates our reality’. Take two students who are both told that five or six things need work. One student focuses on the fact that they are still flawed, which leads to frustration and a ‘why bother’ attitude. The other finds joy in making a small number of errors. Think back to school, many of us were delighted to achieve 80% in an exam. Similarly, 5-6 errors in a kata with over 35 moves means about 80% was good. But we don’t focus on this; we focus on the parts we got wrong.

You might argue this is because it is the same test every time. True but it’s a test where 100% is impossible – especially when you’re pushing your limits. This second student also finds the 5-6 points as constructive feedback – even if they have heard it before – in their quest for improvement.

The keyword here is ‘improvement’. Kata lovers focus on this word while those who become frustrated focus on unattainable perfection.

Perfection Is Nothing More Than Enticement 

So while kata mocks without prejudice, those who focus on this and take it personally, those who become increasingly frustrated with their inability to make a physical reality of their mental picture will be those who are worn down by kata. Alternatively, those who perceive kata to be a journey, a destination that cannot be reached but one that simply exists to entice you to continuously work on your technique and make small incremental improvements will be those who enjoy it and flourish.

So don’t be bogged down by an impossible mission of perfection. Why would you even want to be perfect, what then would you have to work on?

By Sensei Nik Jones

Further Reading:

• Expert Tips for Perseverance 
• 10 Signs You May be a Perfectionist
• What is Perfection

The post Kata: Our Perception Of Perfection appeared first on GKR Karate.

Have you heard the expression, “dance like no one is watching”? The idea behind this phrase is to express yourself without fear of opinion or judgement, to live with a true sense of freedom.

I’ve often thought of karate in a similar sense, whether it is performing kata, trying out new things in kumite, or even competing in a tournament. Many students avoid things they don’t feel they’re good at through fear of judgement. There is also the flip side to this argument, to ‘train like everyone is watching’, with a sense of being watched or evaluated, where the objective is to either impress or improve.

Both these concepts serve a purpose in every student’s training. For example, everybody has their ‘favourite’ spot to stand in class. Many students shy away from the front lines, preferring the back line so they can feel comfortable, hidden away.

Karate is a tough thing to do. It’s an arena of constant assessments and things to improve. The lists are never-ending and the pursuit for perfection infinite. We all work hard for that one little improvement that allows the next grade, making something a little easier to do, one section of a kata to feel smoother, to be that microsecond quicker in kumite etc. It’s a crazy, yet insanely rewarding path we walk.

It is with this in mind I say, “train like everyone is watching.” Let’s face it, no one wants to look silly doing anything in life, and karate can definitely make us all seem very ‘human’ at times. However, embracing that fear can actually allow us to shine.

Training on autopilot

You see, people are so very talented when it comes to operating on autopilot. We can cook, clean, train, read, talk, even drive a car with our mind elsewhere. And as talented as our autopilot is, it also holds us back from progress because it divides our focus.

Most people would agree to have trained on autopilot. But let me ask you, does your mind wander as often during a grading? Unlikely! This is because you know people are watching, that your actions are being assessed, so you force your mind to stay in the game to avoid silly errors. This ongoing focus keeps us mistake free and we pass our grading (touch wood).

Very often, however, a student spends an extra few months on their current grade all because of a few poor habits. And the question begs, what brought about these poor habits? Training on autopilot! We all know the value of focus yet struggle to keep it during class because we’re so akin to using our autopilot. But when we’re being watched, it becomes natural to keep our mind on the job, so why not use this to your advantage?

All eyes on me

If you line up at your next class with the attitude of “I’m constantly being watched”, it will help keep the ‘autopilot’ off and maintain your focus in the moment. Training like this will force you to do your best all the time. And let’s be honest, isn’t that what we truly seek, to be the best WE can be?

An unexpected benefit of this this is that other students will notice and lift their intensity and focus. Beyond this, your Instructors will also start noticing all the great things you do in class.

It’s a fearless way of training that always brings out your best. Our best is what we want. Let’s face it if you had a blank cheque, then walked into the car dealer and they gave you the option, standard model, or top of the range model, which would you take? The top of the range of course! The best you is the fearless you, the one that says “look at me, I want to get better.” To find this person, train like everyone is watching.

Related articles:

• Performing Your Best Kata When it Counts
• Expert Tips for Perseverance
• Your autopilot mode is real at New Scientist

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Climbing Back Up the Mountain

Have you ever missed a month of training due to illness? Missed two months because you were flat out at work? Missed three months with a back injury, or six months due to pregnancy? If not, it’s likely you will at some point. Karate is not a competitive seasonal sport but a lifetime journey. In short, it’s about longevity and anything of this nature is going to have ups and downs. Life can distract us and at times one area of life can demand our full attention. This is why it’s perfectly understandable that students sometimes miss a period of training. Of course, being organized to get to at least 2 classes per week is ideal; it keeps our goals on track and maintains balance in our lives, but occasionally it’s beyond our control and were forced onto the sidelines.

The Universe Is Speaking 

Some throw in the towel when forced onto the sideline. As much as they enjoy training, they feel as though the universe is bullying them. Work, injuries, illness etc, they’ve been chosen to have every case of bad luck. The universe is speaking and they begin to think “give up”. The universe, however, does not victimize people. We’re all plagued with negatives from time-to-time and we simply need to ride them out. We’re all entitled to have a hobby, stress-release, and enjoyment, and so if life is preventing these, it’s more likely the universe is telling you to get better organised; to take better care of your health; warm up properly to prevent injuries; visit a physio for treatment or avoid kicking for a while. It’s telling you to speak to your boss about delegating some of your workloads or to look for another job. The universe is speaking, but it’s certainly not telling you to give up.

The Dreaded Beginning 

Beyond feeling that fate is against them, there are other reasons why students quit after a break. They feel their fitness, flexibility, and technique slipping away and dread the idea of beginning again. Sliding down a mountain and having to climb back up to where you once proved too much of a deterrent for some. Others do make it back but some focus too much on starting over again; on how rusty or how sore they are. Some even feel extra frustration because others have since graded ahead of them. Soon they also decide it’s not worthwhile trying to climb a second time and drop out.

The Second Climb

As discussed earlier, karate is about longevity and having its ups and downs. We all have periods where we slide backward after a break, but we get back in, climb back up and continue to progress higher than we ever were before. We can almost count on a future setback at some point, in which case we need to ride it out again, get back in, climb back up and progress even higher still. It’s like a jagged line with ups and downs, but each down is higher up than the previous.

Second time round you will get your flexibility back quicker, you will shed the weight quicker and you will get your fitness back much quicker.

The good news about climbing a mountain the second time is it’s that much easier. The first climb requires you to learn the route – the most time-consuming part. The second time around you may feel sore, rusty and lack flexibility but you don’t have to learn the route; merely remember it. Not only will you get your technique back sooner, a second time around you will get your flexibility back quicker, shed the weight quickly and get your fitness back much quicker. And it shouldn’t matter that others have graded ahead of you because karate is not a race!

Blessing In Disguise

Did you ever think that coming back from a break could be a blessing in disguise? While we progress most though consistent training, we can also hit roadblocks by developing bad physical habits that prove hard to break. Time off may cause us to slide back, but they also allow our bodies to start afresh upon return. No longer with conditioned physical responses, we accept change more easily. Furthermore, because our physical body always moves towards the images our mind projects, we also stagnate due to poor mental habits. Much the same way as where we struggle for hours to write an essay or speech, then come back a day or two later and quickly see 10 ways we could improve it, a period on the sideline allows our mind to switch off. Coming back, we’re able to see things with new eyes, and these new mental images allow our body to move more effectively.

By Sensei John Blighton

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Goal Setting

I’d like to share some thoughts on the benefits of setting and working towards achieving goals and rewards.

To some people this may be something they have never really thought about, and it may be completely foreign to them, it may even sound like some American rah-rah motivational thing. However to others it might be the way you live anyway. One thing is for sure; many of us desire a happier more successful life.

Our goals may be for example:

• To have better more fulfilling friendships.
• To achieve success in karate eg grading, tournament results and more.
• Whether you are employed or have your own business it might be career advancement and/or earning more money.

If by pressing a magic button our goals would come true, we’d all be doing it and living in a more satisfied state. I suspect that more people would set goals and rewards if the cost and sacrifice was zero.  The fact is, as much as the idea of reaching our goals appeals to us as we visualise it, we’re smart enough to know there is work, sacrifice, change and much more to be worked through and to be demanded of us to earn and reach our goals.  I’m not saying the journey in reaching the goal has to be unpleasant and miserable, although occasionally it might be the case. The ‘pot of gold at the end of the rainbow’ must justify the process to get there.

Several ways to keep you motivated and on track to achieve a goal is to:

• Make a strong decision that the goal is worth the work and change.
• You must truly believe that it is achievable.
• You must constantly be reinforcing your determination to persist and not give up, because during the process of working towards the goal there will no doubt be ‘flat spots’ that will make you question your resolve.  Ask yourself “how badly do I want it?”
• It must be your ‘hot button’ we’ve all got one, once identified and focused on, it can keep you on track.
• A truly motivating goal will cause you to energise and do the extra things required to achieve it.
• Its important to remember that if you focus on the sacrifice required or the thought of losing and you will lack the discipline. It is said in life, we live either with discipline, or we live with regret.

Because the excitement of visualising the goal materialising becomes so important that you:

• You go the extra mile.
• You start early and finish late.
• You talk to more people.
• You talk with greater persuasiveness and conviction.
• You reflect greater self confidence when dealing with people.
• You act like a person on a mission, because you are.
• If there’s physical discomfort you tolerate it more. Karate goals are a good example.

When you achieve a goal through the so called ‘sweat of your brow’ there is a great deal of satisfaction, this builds ‘character muscle’. You develop the habit of being known to yourself and others as a doer and not a talker. Your word and your decisions become honourable. The latter is how I like to think I have lived my life since about 1972.

I have set goals in several areas of my life:

• Personally: For my own karate training and journey.
• Professionally: With my leadership of the club and essentially in running GKR Karate. I have set goals in terms of building GKR as an organisation.
• Emotionally: Passing on and teaching others what I have learnt. Plus the personal satisfaction I get in seeing many thousands of GKR students and instructors enjoy a better life proves to me the power of goal setting.

I hope this information helps you towards achieving success with the goals that you set yourself and wish you all the best in your journey.

Yours in the spirit of GKR Karate-do

Robert Sullivan, Kancho

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