GKR Karate

On behalf of everyone here at GKR Karate, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe, healthy and Happy New Year.

Enjoy the well earned break and we look forward to seeing you back in the dojo in 2023! 🥋

As we now find ourselves well into the festive season, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our students, instructors, and their families a very Merry Christmas!

Given the difficulties that surrounded the previous two years, it’s been exciting to resume many of our regular karate events and training schedules over the last 12 months. From GKR’s perspective, 2022 saw us return to our regular tournament circuits in each region, and State Titles were held all around Australia for the first time since 2019. In addition to this, both the UK and New Zealand held highly successful National Titles with Australia resuming its ‘Nationals’ events from 2023. Black Belt camps were able to resume for our senior grades, and record numbers of students attended gradings this past year, highlighting what a successful year of progress it has been for many of our members.

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

Best wishes,
Kancho Robert Sullivan

GKR Karate UK National Championships 2022 | GKR Karate

Congratulations to all competitors and officials who were a part of the 2022 GKR Karate UK National Championships!

Click the link below to access results and photos from the day, along with a message from the Tournament Director - Sensei Ryan Marvin.

If you have any photos from the day, please share them in the comments below or on Instagram with the hashtags and to have them added to our album!

GKR Karate UK National Championships 2022 | GKR Karate Congratulations to all who graded in July! Click through to see photos from GKR Karate dojos across the globe.

Photos from GKR Karate's post

Photos from GKR Karate Region 1 Sydney, Australia's post

Please join us in wishing Happy Birthday to GKR Karate's founder and Chief Instructor, Kancho Robert Sullivan. We hope you have a wonderful day! 👊🎂

A quick message for all of our Australian students to confirm that unless otherwise advised, our classes will still be open as normal today for those who wish to train.

We appreciate that the day has been declared a public holiday to acknowledge the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and understand if students decide not to train under the circumstances.

If you are choosing to formally observe the official day of mourning, then we extend you our warm wishes.

Attention UK Students and Families

Everyone here at GKR Karate UK was saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, may she rest in peace.

We intend to give our instructors the opportunity to pay their respects to Her Majesty and will honour the bank holiday on Monday 19th September 2022 by closing all classes for that day.

All classes will resume as normal from Tuesday 20th September and a huge thank you for your understanding in this time of National mourning.

Whilst the news has no doubt been circulating around social media already, I’d like to formally recognize and CONGRATULATE my good friend and long-time karate colleague Sensei Bob McCracken – who was bestowed with the honorable title of ‘SHIHAN’ by Kancho Sullivan at our Black Belt Camp in the UK over the weekend.

Shihan Bob has been our most prominent and longstanding sensei in the UK for the past 20+ years and has occupied the role of Senior Instructor and National Director for much of this time.

His new title is thoroughly well deserved and reinforces what an integral member of our karate leadership team he is. CONGRATULATIONS SHIHAN BOB!!!!

Challenges are fundamental to our growth and improvement. 👊

Despite the intense heat in the UK and the freezing cold in Australia and New Zealand, our dojos have been hives of activity throughout July, with gradings, tournaments, seminars, and other special events.

Congratulations to everyone who has taken the next step in their karate journey over the past month and achieved their next grade!

We love seeing our students with their new belts and big smiles, so we encourage you to share your photos in the comments. 👇🥋

Sandra Sanchez - Gold Medal Winner in Karate Kata @ TWG2022 in BHM

In the last Kata of her career, Sandra Sánchez took home the gold medal in Women's Kata at The World Games! Sánchez beat Japanese competitor Hikaru Ono in the final with her favorite kata, Chatanyara Kushanku. This was the Spanish karateka's 60th consecutive medal.

Sánchez has dominated women’s kata in recent years, winning 13 consecutive golds in her last 13 international appearances. She currently holds the unique distinction of being the current Olympic, World and European Champion.

The exclusion of karate from the Paris 2024 Games program makes Sandra the first and last Olympic champion in history in this martial art.

We wish Sandra all the best in her future endeavours! 👊

Sandra Sanchez - Gold Medal Winner in Karate Kata @ TWG2022 in BHM In the last Kata of her career, Sandra Sanchez won the gold medal to complete her collection. Congratulations to a great athlete!

Some to keep you motivated. 👊

Karate at the World Games | GKR Karate

Some of the world's best karateka will be competing at The World Games this weekend! Find out when and where you can watch the action. 👇

Karate at the World Games | GKR Karate The World Games will showcase some of the best karateka in both Kata and Kumite on the 8th & 9th of July 2022.

Photos from GKR Karate's post

We've had a big couple of months of gradings! Congratulations to everyone who graded throughout March & April. 👏

If you’ve graded recently, leave a photo in the comments. We love seeing photos of our students with their certificates and shiny new belts! 🤩

Congratulations to everyone who graded throughout January and February! It's inspiring to see our students hitting their goals - and then exceeding them. 👊

February was our biggest grading month ever with more than 3000 students across the globe reaching the next level in their karate journey! 👏

If you graded earlier in the year, we'd love to see a photo in the comments.

To celebrate International Women's Day, we interviewed some of GKR Karate's prominent female role models who told us what IWD means to them, how we can surrounding martial arts and how training with GKR has empowered them.

Read the full article here: www.gkrkarate.com/articles/international-womens-day-2022

GKR Karate Wordle

The last puzzle is now live - let us know how you go! 👇

The page will stay up just in case you've missed any from previous days. We hope you've had some fun with these! 😀

GKR Karate Wordle We're jumping on the Wordle bandwagon - with a GKR twist! Can you guess the karate-themed word in six attempts or less?

GKR Karate Wordle

The newest Wordle is now live! All previous days' are also available on the page.

Have you managed to solve all of the words so far? Let us know how you're going in the comments. 🤓👇

GKR Karate Wordle We're jumping on the Wordle bandwagon - with a GKR twist! Can you guess the karate-themed word in six attempts or less?

Some great photos from the GKR Karate Region 22 Christchurch, New Zealand Beach Day on the weekend! 🌊🥋

GKR Karate Wordle

Today's puzzle is now available...let us know how you go with this one! Don't forget to check back at the same time over the weekend for your new word. 😀

GKR Karate Wordle We're jumping on the Wordle bandwagon - with a GKR twist! Can you guess the karate-themed word in six attempts or less?

GKR Karate Wordle

We're jumping on the bandwagon - with a GKR twist! Each day until the 4th of March there will be a new karate-themed word for you to guess in six attempts or less. Are you up for the challenge? 🤔

(Tip - tap the 'Copy This Attempt' button and paste it in the comments below to share your results without spoilers.)

GKR Karate Wordle We're jumping on the Wordle bandwagon - with a GKR twist! Can you guess the karate-themed word in six attempts or less?

Thanks Sensei Mike from GKR Karate Region 26 Sheffield, United Kingdom for these words about training with your children.

Do you train with anyone else in your family? Let us know in the comments. Bonus points for family karate photos! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🥋

Your kids do Karate? – What about you?

If your children have been doing Karate for any length of time, you should hopefully have seen the benefits that it brings. Increased confidence, better listening and improved co-ordination and concentration are just a few of the positive aspects of training in Karate and that is without discussing the physical improvement such as fitness and balance. For many of you, karate may be something that your kids do, along with football, gymnastics, ballet or any number of other pastimes, but it really shouldn’t be, because it has a lot to offer parents (And all adults!).

Firstly, in what other activity do you get to train at the same class as your kids? It’s a fantastic opportunity to have a joint interest, to learn together and to spend time together. Maybe your child has already been doing karate a while. Even better! Let them teach you something for once. Get them to explain how to do first kata – I’m sure they’d enjoy knowing something that you don’t. And the best bit about training at the same class as your kids...you are going there anyway, so why not stay and train?

So, as adults, what else do we get out of Karate? The obvious stuff surrounds your fitness, which will improve. So will your balance, co-ordination and many other physical attributes. Many people also find themselves motivated to make improvements outside the dojo, such as improving eating behaviours, reducing drinking, or quitting smoking. All because you know it will lead to improvements in your Karate. That might seem a little unlikely now, but once you’ve got the Karate bug, it is surprising what you will do to progress.

So, that’s the physical stuff, but what about mental benefits? For some people, these can be even more significant than the physical ones. Life can be really tough and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. We have so many worries and distractions that it is sometimes impossible to switch our brains off. If this is you then Karate may be your saviour. When you train, you focus fully on what you are doing. You give everything to it, both mentally and physically and there is no space to worry about what you’ve got to do tomorrow, or next week or next year, because your only focus is your Karate. These breaks from the stresses of everyday life can be vital and can help with conditions such as depression and anxiety. Also, as an adult, when do we actual learn a new skill, or get to improve or achieve and make ourselves proud? Similarly, how often do we do something that makes us nervous, or pushes our boundaries? Yes, there are achievements and special moments in life - maybe you get a promotion at work, pass your driving test, or knock a few seconds off your best park run time - but achieving your next grade, or winning a medal at a tournament is something unique. Particularly when you know how much time and effort you’ve put in.

Maybe you’ve got some worries. You may not be as fit as you would like to be, or maybe you’ve never been very good at sport. Lots of people don’t enjoy traditional sporting activities because the focus is on competition and you worry about letting down your teammates or yourself. Yet here’s the thing about Karate. It isn’t a sport, it’s a martial art. You don’t have to compete with other people and no one is keeping score. You can’t ever let anyone down, because your only competition is with yourself, to be better than you were last lesson, or last week, or last year. You’re running your own race. But what if you do want to compete? Well, that’s covered too as there are regular regional and national tournaments, but it doesn’t have to be the only focus of your training.

Maybe your concerns are different. You might think you are too old or overweight, you might struggle to learn new things, or have disabilities or limitations, but there really is no ‘wrong’ body or mind for Karate. Yes, some may find it easier than others, but classes feature all ages, shapes and sizes and Karate is accessible to every one of them.

The truth is that until you try it, you will never know for sure whether it’s the right thing for you. Maybe you don’t enjoy it, and that’s fine, but maybe you’ll think that it’s great and like the rest of us, wonder why it took you so long to get started.

Sensei Mike Norton

Congratulations to our dedicated students and instructors who reached the next level in their karate journeys at the Black Belt gradings held around the world at the end of 2021. The determination and tenacity you have all displayed over your years with GKR is inspirational. 🖤

Here's a selection of photos from these gradings. If you took part, please feel free to share your photos in the comments.

To everyone progressing towards this point themselves, just remember - a black belt is a white belt who never quit! 🙌

December was another huge month for gradings! For the first time in nearly two years, almost all of our classes are back up and running again and it's been awesome to see everyone back in the dojo.

Congratulations to everyone who took the next step in their Karate journey at the end of last year. Stay tuned for more photos of some of our recently graded Black Belts! 🖤

If you graded recently, we'd love to see a photo in the comments 👀

It's been fantastic to see students enjoying end of year classes and events around the world! Here's a selection of photos from Beach Classes around Australia and New Zealand. 🏖 If you've attended one of our recent celebrations, we'd love to see your photos in the comments. 🤩

Congratulations to Ash for achieving his Blue Belt at the Gold Coast grading on Sunday! 💙

Ash has been training with us since June last year and loves every minute of it. His Mum told us that Ash has struggled with ASD and ADHD and his karate training has been a big help.

"Ash has struggled a lot but since having karate it has allowed him to let go of any mental struggles he is dealing with and focus on the positives."

A special mention goes out to Ash's family friend Sophie, who successfully graded to Green Belt. 💚 Keep up the amazing work Ash and Sophie! 👏

The South & West London Regional Tournament was held on Saturday 27th of November at Surrey Sport Park.

This was the first Tournament for the Region since classes reopened early this year, so the excitement in the air was tangible! It was especially wonderful to see lots of first time tournament competitors at this event. 🤩

Well done to all who competed, and congratulations to those of you who took home medals! 🏅

More photos from the day can be viewed on the GKR Karate Region 38 Guildford, United Kingdom Page.

Hi guys just to let you know that our last class before Xmas is on the 19th December….. hope to see everyone attending 🎅🏻 ho ho ho ….. first class in 2022 will be on the 9th of January. Thanks Sensei lennox.

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Time is running out!!! LIMITED opportunity -
ZERO lifetime joining fee
Nothing to pay until January 2022

Karate training open from 5 years upwards, fantastic family activity -

Karate training can help with
Improved Fitness
Improved Confidence
Improved Concentration
Self Defence and much, much more ...

Please contact me on 07815 676300 or visit at https://www.gkrkarate.com
Places are available in Marlow, Maidenhead Slough, Reading and surrounding areas. Spaces are expected to fill rapidly so please contact me as soon as you can. Deborah

Home | GKR Karate GKR Karate is a family club that is dedicated to fostering sound values and developing strong, humble, brave individuals and healthy communities.

Morning all looking forward to seeing you all soon 🥋🥋👊🏿

Morning all looking forward to seeing you all this morning

3rd kyu and above can train 🥋

Morning looking forward to seeing you guys soon🥋

So what you waiting for 🥋

This one is for 14's and above who are 3rd kyu (brown belts) or above.

As it hasn't been possible this year to put on the usual Black Belt weekend camp, GKR is providing the opportunity to train with our National Director of karate, Sensei Bob McCraken at 3 one day camps instead.

The one in our region is in Croydon on September 11th and provides 6 hours of advanced training for just £40pp.

To book or for more information, please ask me in class.

Timeline photos

“Hikite (引手): Here the meaning of hikite (pulling hand) is to grab the opponent’s arm and pull it, while twisting as much as possible, so that their posture is disrupted” – Gichin Funakoshi, Rentan Goshin Karate Jutsu, 1925. Photo: Gichin Funakoshi using hikite to open up a path for a strike and disrupt posture.

Well done today everyone worked on kata mainly see you all soon enjoy the weather.