My eldest son, Matthew Coope, started Karate with Sensei Lee Goold at the Hermitage Leisure Centre when he was five because I didn’t want him to be bullied, as I was, at school.  He was a blackbelt by the age of 10 and from purple belt onwards, he never looked back! I joined him in the class when he got his brown belt and quickly became obsessed. My youngest son, David Coope, joined us when he was 4 years old and received his blackbelt three days after his 9th Birthday. Matthew became WIKF British, and European champion also coming second at BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) three times. David became English and British All Styles Champion on numerous occasions as well as WIKF and Wadokai European Champion, winning BUCS 4 times and representing British Universities and Colleges at the European and World Championships. I started Simon Coope Karate School in April 2004 at Loughborough Leisure Centre and became a full time professional instructor. Since then, we have had over 200 people achieve their blackbelts and numerous English and British National champions. Five people have represented England in the Olympic recognised National team including two disabled members. While we have had a lot of competition success, the main focus of the club is on teaching Traditional Wado Ryu karate (one of the four recognised styles of proper karate) to the highest standard. The club has many contacts around the world and students are welcome to train in Japan and various different countries with the world’s very best instructors. 

– Sensei Simon Coope, founder of SCKS