Bradley Koopmans
Inducted into the A.M.A.H.O.F.(Inc)
for 2003 INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR – CHU ZHEN
DAO
Inducted into the W.K.U.H.O.F. for 2003
INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR - CHU ZHEN DAO
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Sensei Koopmans first started training in Martial
Arts in the style of Goju Kai - Traditional Style of
Karate in the suburb of Lawnton - Brisbane, approximately
March 1986. His personal history up to that point (16yrs
old) had been fairly difficult and at times a victim
of continual violence from street kids. In his life
he never believed in defending himself even in self
defence, yet the fear of violence controlled his life
too much.
The Dojo he chose was very far from where he lived,
on purpose, so that those who would seek to harm
him could not know that he was trying to improve himself
and take advantage of this fact. He trained twice
a
day for 1.5 hours per lesson, 4 days a week for quite
sometime, and then due to costs of travelling forced
him to delay continuing, however, he realised that
through this new found knowledge
he could believe in himself again and take back control
of his life.
In the later half of 1986 he left home,
and lived in Fortitude Valley. In the Valley Police
Youth Club,
he found that Goju Kai had a Dojo, so he rejoined
under
the same style and trained in their rapid Black
Belt training course. In early 1997 he joined the Australian
Defence Force Reserve in the 2/14th Armoured Regiment,
and this forced him to stop training in Karate
for
awhile.
In November 1988 (18yrs old), he attended
a class for Zen Do Kai - Irezumi Family, in Lindum
Brisbane,
run
by Sensei Neil Foster and Dai Sensei Peter Davidson.
The following day he joined ZDK and trained with
them for the following 13 years.
Sensei Koopmans official
rank in Zen Do Kai is Nidan-Ho Dai-Sempai (Probationary
2nd Dan, Senior
Instructor)
and through natural times the ZDK Families
came and went. He belonged to Chris Charcharlis’s
Family - Terminators, and his direct Sensei
was Sensei Terry
Daley.
In 1990-1991 he travelled to Japan, as a representative
with Apex (charity group) and whilst there
he was invited to trained with Shotokan Karate
in
Tsukui
- north from
Tokyo, and was given recognition for his Black
Belt status from the Godan who ran the school.
unfortunately he was not able to train further due
to a serious
accident one week after returning home to
Australia that nearly
ended his life. He broke both legs and shattered
his right heal into many pieces in an industrial
accident,
and the next twelve months to two years are
a blur for him. He remembers continuing training
with
ZDK (even from a wheelchair) but more than
that
is difficult
for him, being forced to concentrate on learning
to walk again did not allow him to continue
his links with his Japanese friends and he
has very
few photo’s
in evidence.
From approximately 1991-1992, he started
to train at the Australian Academy of Martial
Arts under
Sifu Allan
Stewart, his training incorporated the Kung
Fu styles of Wing Chun, Farn Harn Do and
Jeet
Khun
Do as well
as bringing in specialty trainers for Knife,
Stick and Trapping/Grappling training.
The
training was personal one-on-one for the Kung Fu
side, and group training for
the specialty
Instructors,
and he trained there two to three times
a week for 1-2 hour lessons for two years,
with his
head Instructors.
To learn different approaches
and different techniques was something that remains
with
him to this day,
the importance of blending knowledge
and to improve skills
through other people’s experiences
is the way of becoming the best you can
be.
In 1991 he travelled to New Zealand
and met and trained with (then) Sempai
Brian
Twomey
and later
Shihan
Rob Tierney in the Zen Do Kai system
in Tauranga. Since
then he has travelled many times to New
Zealand to train with Renshi Brian, and
hopes that
in some way
he has been able to assist in the learning
of his students as much as he has grown
as an Instructor
and Student
within the Martial Arts learning.
At the same time of his ZDK and Kung
Fu training, Bob Jones Corporation decided
to introduce
Mauy Thai throughout
it’s structure (1992), and encouraged
students to learn a more basic yet effective
form of defence,
given his desire to learn and mix, he
started training heavily with them, their
classes followed on straight
after Karate lessons, so this was also
convenient albeit very painful to start
with !!
In the BJC Mauy Thai system, his official
rank is Black Singlet (Instructor) with
Red Endorsement
(Senior
Instructor).
Renshi Brian Twomey and Sensei
Koopmans training became very mixed, they trained
together
as much as possible,
and discussed different views on the
best fighting techniques that could
enhance their teachings.
They blended all of their backgrounds
-
Kung Fu, Karate
(Traditional and Freestyle), Mauy Thai,
Kick Boxing (he competed for 7 years),
Women’s Self Defence,
Streetwise fighting and Weapons into
one complete new Style called Chu Zhen
Dao, which was created by Renshi
Brian Twomey.
He is very proud to be
part of this exciting mix of different
experiences, and to continually learn
new things
from the students.
They
encourage experienced fighters as well
as families to share in this knowledge
without
the fear
of injuries or scorn. He bases decisions
on what
is fair to all
parties and to have a good committee
of their own that are forward thinking
people
who
are also students
of
the style, therefore the direction
of the style will always remain in
the hands
of
the practitioners.
Renshi Brian has graded Sensei Koopmans
to the rank of 3rd Dan Black Belt -
Full Sensei
in the
style
of Chu Zhen Dao on 20th of March 2001.
This is his highest
official rank
It is his hope that with
his induction into AMAHOF, he would be able to show
people through
his own
experiences, that no matter who you
are now, you will always be
able to improve yourself, your life
and help others do the same. To do
this without
thought
of pure
financial gain or physical dominance
over other people, and
to give ones-self’s time and
effort purely to teach and learn,
this is the real purpose of
Martial Arts,
not just
a Fighting
Style, but a Way of Life!
Sensei Koopmans has trained under
the following Instructors:
- Renshi Brian Twomey, Chief Instructor
Chu Zhen Dao
- Sempai Raymond Trinidad
- Chu Zhen Dao Tashi Ken Flemming
- Zen Do Kai, Cyclops
Family
- Dai Sempai Ian Hynard
- Zen Do Kai
- Sifu Allan Stewart
- Aust Academy of Martial Arts
- Shihan Robert Tierney
- Zen Do Kai, New Zealand
- Kyoshi Sama San Malcolm Anderson
- BJC Qld
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