Capping off a fantastic 40th year of GKR Karate, the last few months saw us open a second round of Purple Belt orders, celebrate State and National Champions and some very special gradings. You can read all the latest GKR News here.

GKR News – December 2024

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.

Why GKR Karate?

GKR creates the right environment for our members to train in. Although we promote self defence and fitness, our style also fosters positive values, confidence, discipline, focus and well being. GKR teaches you not only how to punch and kick, it teaches you to be a better person.

We encourage students of all ages, from all walks of life to join our club and be part of the supportive ‘family’ that is GKR Karate.

Self Defence

Synonymous with martial arts, self defence and inner self confidence are one of the key takeaways from regular training. From the age of 5 GKR teaches basic self defence and extraction moves, continuing right through to our senior grades.
Weight Loss

Karate is a great way to lose or maintain a healthy weight, with most classes consisting of aerobic, stretching and toning activities. For those who may not have exercised in some time, GKR provides a supportive environment where students can train at their own pace and physical ability. Our classes are a mixture of men, women and children of all ages.
Focus

Many parents are keen to see their children develop greater focus and discipline through their martial arts training, and GKR’s classes provide the perfect environment. Instructors teach in a respectful and supportive atmosphere through karate inspired games, activities and drills.

Family

GKR promotes a family environment, encouraging kids, parents and relatives to all train in the same class. Staying a few karate grades behind your children, will encourage them to continue a regular training program.
Respect

As a traditional Japanese martial arts, karate promotes respect to our instructors, our club, each other and most importantly ourselves. This is a key part of your learnings as a student of GKR karate.
Friendships

Although karate is considered a solo sport, it is still the foundation for many life long friendships. Classes include games and partner work where children and adults alike take the opportunity to learn about and bond with their fellow class mates.

Have a question or require further information? Contact us today.

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