Karate Canucks Conversation 035 - Sensei Conroy Copeland (Recorded December 23, 2025)

Sensei Conroy Copeland began his martial arts journey in his early teens after receiving a mail-order self-defence program that he had seen at the back of a magazine. A few years later in 1972, at the age of 15, he was hooked on the martial arts after attending a karate class at a high school gym in his hometown of Windsor, Ontario. He started training in Goju-Ryu Karate under Sensei Larry Smee, eventually becoming a student of Sensei Don Warrener from 1975 to the early 1990s. He then became a student of Sensei Teruo Chinen – a relationship that lasted until his death in 2015. By 1978, Sensei Copeland started teaching karate at the Oakwood Community Centre and later that same year, he established Copeland’s Martial Arts & Fitness Centre which is still running today – offering instruction in Karate, Aikido, Kickboxing, Self-Defence and fitness training. And for the past 20+ years, he has hosted the Windsor Open Karate Championships which draws hundreds of competitors each year from across North America. Currently he holds a Sichi Dan (7th Degree Black Belt) in Goju Ryu- Karate, as well as a Sho-Dan (1st Degree Black Belt) in Aikido under Sensei James Jeannette. Over the years he has trained with several renowned martial arts masters including Sensei Richard Kim, Sensei Morio Higaonna, and Professor Wally Jay, acquiring a range of valuable knowledge that he shares with his students. A longtime kata, kumite and weapons competitor, he has seen great success at local, regional, national and international tournaments., winning several first-place finishes around the globe. This includes winning six gold medals at the Canadian Open Championships, including in kata (1989), in kumite (1990, 1993, 1996 & 2000), and in weapons (1991). At the World Karate Organization (WKO) Championships, he has earned gold (1996, 2002), silver (1998), and bronze (2000) all in kumite. And, in 2004 (at age 47) he earned a silver medal in kumite at the Ozawa Cup in Las Vegas. Over the years he has lent his talents to coaching up and coming Karate competitors and the provincial and national levels. And several of his students have also had successful competitive careers And, on top of all this, he has couple Hall of Fame inductions to his credit, namely: the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame – both in 2023. https://www.copelandsmartialarts.com/