Shihan Stacey Karetsian
Shihan Stacey Karetsian, 5th Dan Black Belt, is the Assistant Chief Instructor and Executive Vice President for GKR Karate International. He has been with GKR since 1991. Stacey oversees all of GKR’s karate, management and operations worldwide, and is responsible for maintaining GKR’s growth and development internationally. Stacey started his martial arts training as a 12 year old in Whyalla, South Australia. His parents enrolled Stacey and his 2 younger brothers into the local Shotokan Club (Japan Karate Association), and for the next few years they all trained and reached their black belts. In 1989 Stacey moved to Adelaide to further his university studies. He kept up his training, but due to living 400 km’s away from his home club, he could only train during holidays and times he’d visit his family in Whyalla. His passion for karate could not be avoided however and within a couple of years he started searching for a style in Adelaide to train with. He answered an advert in the local paper and spoke to a man by the name of Robert Sullivan. Kancho Robert Sullivan was in the process of appointing people to be trained to fill senior teaching/management roles in his organisation as he prepared to expand GKR nationally. Stacey was accepted and began training and working part time whilst still completing his Civil Engineering degree at the University of South Australia. Within a few short months Stacey was not only training but teaching 4 days a week. He became totally obsessed with the future career prospect in ‘Karate Management’. What impressed Stacey the most was Robert Sullivan’s humility, vision and style of leadership that was being emulated in GKR. Within 12 months Stacey was introduced to a whole new philosophy of personal / character development, leadership and ambition. Taking his passion for karate and turning it into his career was now his main objective. However first he had to complete his commitment to his study, a commitment that he had not only made to himself, but to his family. In 1993 Stacey completed his degree and moved to Sydney, New South Wales. Over the next 2 years Stacey excelled and was promoted to Senior Instructor / Zone Director of the Australian Northern Zone, encompassing New South Wales, Canberra and Queensland. In 2000, Kancho Robert Sullivan appointed Stacey as GKR’s Assistant Chief Instructor and Executive Vice President. On the 15th July 2000, Kancho Robert Sullivan bestowed upon Stacey the title of Shihan (meaning Master Instructor). Stacey lives in Sydney with wife Vicky and 3 children Nicolas, Elissa and Alexander. To contact Shihan Stacey Karetsian, email: shihan@gkrkarate.com Files Please Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader may be required to view the files listed above. |
