Sensei Gavin Samin will be taking up the position of Vice President of the GKR and assistant to Shihan in January. We in the southern zone will miss his classes but know the club has got an excellent asset and leader.

I've never met Sensei Gavin before, but he appears to be legendary and stuff. Everyone I talk to says he's god-like. Maybe an exageration, but I don't know.

Enjoyed all classes I have done with him. An excellent mix of high intensity workout and skill development. Sad to see him go.

Just for interest sake - what IS the structure of the club?
Does anyone know?

My Guess would be as follows

Kancho (Head/Ceo)
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Shihan (2nd In charge/Possible titled President)
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Sensei Gavin (Vice President)
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Zone Directors (Such as Bob McCraken, Joe Estrada, Jason Wright)
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Regional Sensies (Such as Kenneth Tun, Grant West, Bill Fergusan)

Thanks OZ

I believe the structure will work out like thus:

- Kancho (founder/chief instructor)

- Shihan (Master Instructor/Assistant to Kancho)

- International Vice President (Sensei Gavin Samin/Assistant to Shihan/looks after Zone Directors)

- Zone Director (Sensei's Bob McCracken, Joe Estrada, Jason Wright etc., look after Regional Managers)

- Regional Manager (look after a team of SDC's and TC's)

...and so on...

yeah oz

you forgot us poor buggers



Branch instructors........

Congratulations to Sensei "Whoever he may be" Gavin!

Sensei Gavin, one of the fastest still with excellant technique martial artists i have ever seen or trained with, will miss all the fantastic classes that he runs whenever he vistits, am sure will learnalot from sensei Mark who has taken over his role as zone director.

Does anyone know when Sensei Mark is coming over?
The last class was something way out of the ordinary and an excellent experience. It was great to do some illegal techniques legally

I left out branch instructors intentially as I was trying to concentrate on the administrative/PAID/Political hierachy within GKR.

Lets face it. A GKR Branch instructor is no more than a dogs body for an RM and a tool which the RM exploits to make as much money as possible.
You have RM's earning 150K+ and branch instructors getting a MAX $500 a year.
From GKR's perspective I wouldnt be surprised if branch instructors are looked at the same way many business look at a photcopier

Now having said all that I am currently considering re-entering the ranks of sensei-hood. (go figure )

I feel that's an unfair comment to make...

You forget that without the branch instructors, it's impossible for an RM to build and sustain a region, and therefore, spread the word of Kancho. Branch Instructors are just as important, without them GKR would not be such the great Martial Art that it is, would it?

An RM earns more money than a branch instructor because he does more work, and has a heck of a lot more responsibilites so surely that's fair isn't it?

If an RM was in the work purely for the money, I'm sure they wouldn't be an RM for long. My Sensei (Sensei Daniel Taylor, RM of Region 27 Leicester Titans) is passionate about his Karate, loves his students, cares for his instructors, and genuinely wants to be the best. Because of those admirable qualities, he makes a hell of a lot more money. You see, money is the result of his actions, not the initial cause.

Everyone, from the beginning white belt, all the way up to Shihan and Kancho, is important in GKR. Without them, you wouldn't be benefiting from style would you?

I could not have put it better IAN


KIM

Okay I will admit I may have been a little harsh with my comments. However I am speaking from the experience of having been a Branch Instructor under 4 different RM's

Out of those 4 RM's I would say only 1 of them was similiar to your RM Ian.

The other thing to consider is as an SDC you are further up the pecking order. The SDC brings in more money for an RM than a Branch Instructor.
Once again from 3-4 years experience within GKR I would argue that most RM's value their SDC's more highly than a lowly Branch Instructor

Ian I am also curious as to who the Zone Director is for the Liester Titans. If it is Bob McCracken then I know why your RM is as he is as I have been a Branch Instructor under Bob McCracken when he was a RM

(Smileys are working for me now!) :thumbwink:



If you've had 4 different RM's in your 3-4 years of GKR experience, then it's clear to me at least that those RM's cared more about the money than their instructors, and that's why they're not there (assuming of course that they were gotten rid of).



The Central Zone Director of the UK is Sensei Bob McCracken, yes he looks after all the RM's in the Midlands. Sensei Bob is an inspirational guy, and fortunately some of his traits have rubbed off onto my Sensei. :thumbgrin:

I have a lot of respect for Sensei Bob.
It was he who actually gave me my B&W . :thumbgrin:

i know of three RM's in the area

Bob McCracken who happened to be slightly before my time but I've heard a lot of good things about him...

Kenneth Tunne - who was the instructor to 'promote' me to assistant branch instructor (who has not been "gotten rid off" he has just moved to the neighbouring region - one that i'm considering training in regularly given the time BECAUSE of the RM)

Grant West - the present RM that promoted me to Branch Instructor and has also done a lot of good things for the club and my karate.

Im not saying any one of these RM's is better (as i was sad to see Sensei Ken leave) only different. They all have things to work on as they are all only human. They may be in it for the money, it appears to be their JOB, but if that was their primary reason they would not have made it this far or for this long.
I have a lot of respect for anyone in an RM position. It must be a tough job.

I have also trained under R12 RM Bill Ferguson and former R13 RM Sensei Nigel
again, very different instructors

i say if anyone thinks they can do a better job, how about giving it a go??? if not, give those that are "giving it a go" a break

I have alot of respect for all RM i would not like their jobs and they worked to get where they are

KIM

OOOhhhhhh I just have to insert my 5c worth here sorry (and Im not disparaging Sensei Bob either !)

Regarding Sensei Daniel Taylor - he's always been a caring person, long before he became RM of UK R27 Titans. How do I know ? He started his GKR life as one of my students Sensei Daniel is a natural "good guy", very warm and approachable, and extremely fair. UK R27 you've got a winner!! And where did Sensei Daniel start ? Sydney, Australia Region 27 The Titans (yep he used our name to honour his beginnings and original RM Glen Strike) !!!!!!!

By the way, next time you see Sensei Daniel, remind him (NICELY!) that he owes me an email please ? LOL And tell him I send a big hug.

There goes that favouritism again Sensett . bet he has never sent u poetry?
Nigel(walking on thin ground) :thumbwink:

Favouritism Nigel ????????????????? How DARE you suggest it !!!!!! ROFL However you are correct - he has never sent me poetry ..... but he's given me lots of hugs ROFL


By the way ... anyone interested in learning where the name "The Titans" came from can visit http://www.angelfire.com/home/lalorparkdojo/r27.htm for the inside story. (non-shameless plugging hehehe )

Favouritism Nigel ????????????????? How DARE you suggest it !!!!!! ROFL However you are correct - he has never sent me poetry ..... but he's given me lots of hugs ROFL
Nigel says

Rosies are red, violets are blue,
i wished i lived nearer u

awwwwwwww ((((((( Nigel ))))))))


and if you DID live closer to me, I'd have you training in no time hehehehe

It sounds like love

It might sound like love, or it could just be indigestion.

It could be anything