Kancho Robert Sullivan is the Founder and Chief Instructor of Go-Kan-Ryu Karate (GKR). Robert, a 7th Dan Black Belt, has been training in and teaching karate since 1964.

It was in 1984, with 20 years experience, that he founded Go-Kan-Ryu Karate in Adelaide, South Australia.

Born in 1947, Robert spent most of his early life growing up in Gosford, New South Wales. At the age of 17, his fascination for Karate led him to begin training in the Japanese style of Goju-Kai. Over the next decade he spent most of his time studying 2 of the most prominent Japanese styles of Karate, Goju and Shotokan. He spent time in Malaysia, Japan and the USA learning and teaching karate.

He returned home to Australia from America in December 1971 to marry and begin his family. Over the next 13 years Robert gained experience working and starting a number of businesses, but he eventually found himself turning his focus back to his passion for teaching karate. In 1984 he started Go-Kan-Ryu karate. His original aim was to build a small karate club, but he soon realised that teaching Karate was something that would become his life long vocation.

Today Robert Lives in Sydney Australia with his wife Donna and two Children, Lee and Toni. He also has 2 older children, Matt and Laura.

A few year ago had these knock on my door, so i went up to the top of my road to watch two yellow belts teaching for a fiver a throw every move they made shouting and that was just the warm ups.
I had a club just around the corner and meet their head instructor, i told him people around where i live dont like the knocking on the door and walking into their houses.
I told him theses people may get very angry and the next thing the police was ringing me up say he had made a complaint that i had threatened him, told the police the all story and they said i dont know what he wants us to do about it.

So why have i put Australia in red and underlined it, WELL The Founder and Chief Instructor of Go-Kan-Ryu Karate (GKR) Mr Robert Sullivan is from Australia and .... i dont know why i do this i must have too much time on my hands (i need to get out more) and ... if you move the words around i think this man is taking the piss READY! ....
Go-Kan-Ryu Karate (GKR) is Kan-Go-Ryu Karate

anyone had these knocking on your door selling karate

We had a thread a while back about these door-to-door GKR types.Oddly enough the words "shit" and "con" came up a few times

the GKR have been doing this doorstep selling for years
their general standard isnt that good and their 'rules' are appalling

change GOKANRYU a bit and you get KANGORYU Kangoroo

I have had a few people leave the GKR and join my association in the past few years .... their stories are depressing and dont show the GKRin a good light

I had a guy come round and offer me their 'karate and self defence' classes.
Non-contact of course. Except when I said I'd trained with contact in the past, the guy decided that sometimes there is some contact, if you know what I mean'.

I think that conversation ended with me saying something like 'incompetence is not the same thing as hardcore'.

Met one of their guys at a county fair once too. Incomprehensible demo, loads of kiddies doing... something or other. I was treated to a lecture on how if you've trained any length of time you should be able to take a kick (in your strong rigid stance, as opposed to evading it or whatever). But condescending I thought... and clearly this guy hasn't ever been kicked properly.

I considered offering but... meh.

Guy told me he made £30 a year, but the karate was kept separate from the business side.
Which is a bit like a sofa factory owner saying he keeps his furniture making separate from the business. Nonsense.

I left them to it.

I actually applied for a job with them about 15 years back. I was a YT in a carpet factory and sick to death. I went to some blokes house for the interview, which struck me as odd to begin with. He then proceeded to show me numerous brochures about the good life which struck me as VERY odd. I mean honestly it was dinners out and big cars and a load of crap, I really didn't know where to put myself, it seemed almost as if he was selling the job to me.

Then it was basically.... you go door to door through the day and train every night until you're a black belt and can start your own clu and get aid commission or something.

Then he told me I wouldn't be allowed to do other martial arts so I told him no thanks.

And I've had them at the door a couple of times, though not at my current address cos it looks more like a back door lol. my mother sent them on their way telling them both her sons were black belts

I meant 30K a year, obviously (!) and I was also told their regional boss makes 120K.

This was apparently supposed to impress me with their martial abilities. Because, you know, your salary is determined by how well you can fight, right?

Idiots.

doing a job half arse for twice what I'm on.... muppets lol

I'm in Australia and have seen them in point fighting tournaments and performing katas........All very clean and nice and by the textbook but wouldn't last 30 seconds in a violent no rules street altercation.