Reviews of GKR Karate - Hoppers Crossing Prime

Karate is a way of life, the milestones are what you feel inside. Not pretty belts that are really just lollipops for the ego. Times past, a belt became blackened by years of sweat – that is what it meant. Instructors today are pressured to give belts – but the real progress is internal. It is seen in how crisp and firm the movements are. Some people get all the way to ‘black belt’ being what I call cardboard cutouts – doing the moves without intent or understanding. Each time I relocated – dojos of different styles expected me to start from white belt always. So a belt to me – means little – I have ‘beaten?’ cardboard cut-outs who then wondered what their belt meant. It means you know the moves – the deeper benefit comes from years of focused training.

Doing movements in a class, synchronised with others is a powerful experience – there is no loss at all in a big class. There are many instructors and helpers – you have only to look to your right to see people with better technique than your own. So parents – please don’t look for lollipop belts, 3 good moves done properly – can save a life. With 12 years of training, I treasure my relatively brief time at GKR Hoppers Crossing. Every belt is real, and senior belts – become generous, devoted and conscientious instructors – that is the real proof of any dojo.