Rob Copeland began training in karate in 1979 at the age of 19 under Sensei Selwyn Gould, at The Rising Sun School of Karate, in the docks area of Cardiff. Shotokan Karate training in those days, particularly at The Rising Sun, was tough to say the least and Rob remembers being on the receiving end of many 'hidings'. He nevertheless enjoyed the training immensely and trained at The Rising Sun until Sensei Gould's departure.
The club was taken over in 1980 by Wales' senior Shotokan Karate Instructor Sensei Mike O'Brien then a 4th Dan.
Rob was then a purple belt (5th Kyu), he then began training with Sensei O'Brien at The Welsh Institute of Sport and was graded to black belt in 1982.
He was a natural Kumite competitor and first found competition success in 1982 when he came third in The Welsh Championships, being beaten at that stage by Steven Wellington (later to become Welsh coach for many years). Two years later he went one better reaching the final, beating the late, great, Roberto 'Swede' Maestrangeli in the semi-final before again losing to Steven, this time in the final. The following year 1985, Rob was welsh champion for the first time, beating Spiro Micallef the final. Over the following years, Rob was plagued by knee injuries with cartilage problems in 1986, causing him to miss the Welsh Championships, (he attended the 1987 Championships, beating Kickboxing legend Denzil Lawrence in the Semi-final, before underestimating, and therefore losing to Martin Payter in the final!) and tearing the cruciate ligament of his left knee in the final of the 1988 K.U.W. Championships against Paul Watson, (an injury he still carries!) and between 1988 and 1993 was only able to take part in the Welsh Championships on one occasion: in 1990 where he again reached the final only to lose to Clifton Brown. Rob took a break from karate for several months to let his injuries 'settle down' and was rewarded when he won the Welsh Championship's at his next appearance in 1993 and again in 1994 beating Andrew Kelliher and Clifton Brown respectively in the finals. He was denied the chance of the hat-trick when due to work commitments (he was a train driver for almost thirty years!) he turned up literally minutes too late to compete in the 1995 Championships. The title going to Nigel Taylor. He first represented Wales at The 1983 Grand Slam in Port Talbot. The other members of that team were Steve 'Mopsy' Jones, Cedric Wellington, Paul Byrd, and Andy Morgan with Steve Wellington and Roberto 'Swede' Maesrangeli injured members of the squad. That line-up are undoubtedly Welsh Karate legends! Rob was the only shotokan competitor in that team which he maintains was the best Welsh team he was ever in and in his opinion, the best Welsh team he has yet to see! The team was managed by Sensei Mike O'Brien and coached by Sensei Ritchie Noblett. He first captained The Welsh Karate Federation team in 1986. He was a regular member of the team for many years (Due to politics 'on and off' ) attending Three European Championships: Paris '84, Oslo '85 and Madrid 86 (the only Welsh fighter to attend all three) and four Grand Slams. Rob dominated The senior Individual Kumite event in the K.U.W. for fifteen years, winning K.U.W. National Championships on eight occasions and The K.U.W. Shield six times being beaten only five times in that organisation in fifteen years! The 'offenders' being Adam Kinsella '86, Paul Watson '88, Paul Fry '92, Andrew O'Brien '94 and Martin Payter in 1997. As well as changing with the times, competing mainly in 'all-style' (WKF) events he has been extremely successful in Shotokan 'Ippon Shobu' events, with three wins at SEKU'S Portsmouth Open tournament (from four attempts).
He has also been successful at The FBSKU Internationals; Gichin Funakoshi World Shotokan Championships. After winning bronzes in '93 and '95 he won the Individual Championships three times with wins in 1997, 1998 and 2000. He was also captain of the K.U.W. winning team in 1993 and to his great pride, and certainly a highlight of his competition career: leading his own Vale team of Billy Seagrim, Mark Payter, Kee Wong and Phil Manfield, all with the exception of Phil, taught by Rob, to victory in 2000. He was awarded The Vale of Glamorgan Sports Personality of the year award in 1998. The Karate Union of Wales awarded Rob his 5th Dan in 1999. In October 2000 Rob left The Karate Union of Wales and set up The Vale of Glamorgan Karate Organisation which has gone from strength to strength and has become one of Wales' most successful Karate organisations boasting several Welsh Internationals and Welsh and British Champions. At the head of his own Association Rob led his squad by example:
In 2000 Rob competed three times;
British Karate Federation Championships 2nd place.
S.E.K.U. Portsmouth Open champion
The 8th Gichin Funakoshi World Shotokan Invitational Championships champion.
In 2001 he competed four times:
North Wales Open champion.
S.E.K.U. Portsmouth Open champion.
Welsh Open 2nd place.
The 9th Gichin Funakoshi World Shotokan Championships. 3rd place. In April 2002 Rob was appointed Assistant Welsh National Coach, (a post he resigned from in July 2003) and a week later and seventeen years after his first win, won The Welsh title for the fourth time! More pride for him however, was to be found in The fact that his title was one of EIGHT that 'The Vale' won at the 2002 Championships, more than any other Association, placing The V.G.K.O. for the first time at The summit of Welsh Karate. He was once again captain of The Welsh team at The 2002 British Championships Home International event. Unfortunately near the end of his match during Wales V Scotland and winning his match 5-1 he sustained a broken foot. An injury that kept him out of a Gi for five months. On July 5th 2003, eight months after he last competed, Rob made another comeback. He achieved 3rd place at The 10K Karate Clash Prelim, being beaten by Jory Chather in the semi, beating Darren Haynes in the third place match and was the only Welshman to make the top three, so earning a place amongst '32 elite Karate Champions' to compete for 'The Richest prize in Traditional Karate history' at London's Mermaid Theatre. On September 20th 2003 at THE 10K KARATE CLASH Rob was beaten by the only other Welshman present; British Under 21 Champion and European medallist David Godfrey, who was invited to compete when Rob's original opponent Craig Burke withdrew due to injury. Rob competed alongside Billy Seagrim (European Under 21 silver medallist) and Gareth Reynolds (British and Commonwealth champion in 2005) who weren't born when Rob was first an International; in the Mens Team event at The 2004 Welsh Championships, helping Vale Karate win the Mens team event for the first time, a twenty-five year old ambition fulfilled!
Rob competed for the last time at the Central England Open in June 2006 winning the Mens Masters Kumite event! In March of 2007; Rob became a full-time professional karate instructor. He now teaches karate in after-school sessions in schools all over Cardiff and the Vale as well as being extremely busy with the Vale's evening and weekend classes, and the ongoing development of Vale Karate. He and Cathy see it a part of their job to promote Karate and bring the benefits of karate to as many people as possible. In November 2008; Rob was awarded the prestigious 'Coach of the Year' title by The Welsh Sports Council in recognition of his work with Children with Special Needs. Rob saw eight years work on development come to fruition when four Vale Karate students were selected to represent Wales at the 2009 European Karate Championships in Paris. Three of these young champions began their Karate with Rob when they were young children and whose rise though the ranks from beginner to Welsh Internationals are testimony to the development structure that Vale Karate has in place. The four went on to also represent Wales at the 2009 World Championships in Morocco and the 2010 European Championships in Turkey. In July 2010, at a surprise 50th Birthday Party held in his honour, Rob was stunned to be presented with a Diploma marking his promotion to 6th Dan, presented to him by The Welsh Bushi-Kai Chairman Nigel Taylor and signed by Rob's Senior Graded students and a number of legends of Welsh Karate. After ten years of Independence and more than thirty years of karate, Rob's hunger and ambition for Vale Karate is stronger than ever and he looks forward to the future with great hope, optimism and belief that Vale Karate will go on to even greater achievements! |
