Meet Brian

Brian Copeland has been teaching martial arts, self-defense, combatives, kettlebell training, and has been a personal trainer in the Aurora, Denver area for several years and has a wide body of experience and education in nutrition, motivation, pain relief, athletics and combatives.

Brian is a Progressive Fighting Systems Certified Instructor under the legendary Paul Vunak and teaches the same systems that Paul Vunak has taught to countless military and law enforcement agencies including the famous Navy SEAL Team Six.

As a PFS Certified Instructor, Brian is certified to teach Paul's Navy SEAL program (Rapid Assault Tactics) and his Law Enforcement program (Force Continuum) as well as Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do.

The majority of Brian's students are everyday men and women who are concerned about their ability to defend themselves. Business people who travel a lot, women who want to know how to defend themselves against a male assailant, etc. Brian also trains security personnel, bail bondsmen, Law Enforcement and Corrections Officers.

Brian's background includes training in Mixed Martial Arts with coach Clarence Thatch, western boxing, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, full-contact Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Sambo and Krav Maga just to name a few. In all Brian has over 2 decades of Martial Arts experience.

Paul and Brian training in Mission Viejo, CA - 2008

"I am heavily influenced by Bruce Lee's concepts. To Bruce, there was no perfect style. It was always the individual that was more important than the system or style. When it comes to my students, if I have an athletic superstar and they can throw head kicks with ease, great! But if a middle aged woman can bite and eye gouge, even better! Use what works for you, discard the rest."

Brian's goal is to share Bruce Lee's art and give law abiding folks a realistic system of Self-Defense that will empower them to live their lives without fear.

PFS Instructors Left to Right:
Officer Sang Kim, John D'Amato, Paul Vunak, Brian Copeland, Jorge Escribano, Officer Sean Kennedy, Brian Olson

Brian is always studying other systems, looking for anything useful that can be added without taking away from realistic combat. He frequently reads and learns from Tony Blauer, Tim Larkin, Eric Cobb and others. He also studies human neurophysiology and the relevance of behavior, OODA loops, Hick's Law, flinch and startle reflexes, the limbic system and more.

Keeping my combative handgun skills sharp

Training with Law Enforcement on various drills and scenarios.

Brian is also the owner of Copeland's Core Fitness, a Kettlebell and Z-Health fitness training studio in Aurora, CO. In addition to Martial Arts and Self-Defense, Brian is also an RKC Certified Kettlebell Instructor through Pavel Tsatsouline, a Z-Health Level 4 Exercise Therapy Specialist and fitness and combatives author. Brian offers private and group training classes in kettlebell training, see more at his kettlebell training site.

Qualifications & Professional Education & Experience:

• Progressive Fighting Systems Certified Instructor trained by Master Paul Vunak
• Rapid Assault Tactics Certified Instructor
• Force Continuum for Law Enforcement Certified Instructor
• Jeet Kune Do Certified Instructor
• Advanced Combatives Handgun Course - Training Advisory Services
• RKC Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor
• Z-Health Level 4 Exercise Therapy Specialist
• Z-Health Movement Reeducation Specialist
• Z-Health Movement Integration Specialist
• Z-Health Movement Performance Specialist
• Assistant Instructor, Russian Kettlebell Certification Course for new Kettlebell Instructors - October 2007 & June 2009
• Assistant Instructor for Master RKC Andrea DuCane - Kettlebell Workshops May 07, Aug 07, May 08
• Assistant Instructor for Mike Mahler - Kettlebell Seminar - Fall 2006
• Own and operate Colorado's first kettlebell training studio since 2006
• Sports Nutrition Advisor Certification
• Personal Fitness Trainer Certification
• CPR Certified Instructor

Achievements:

• Completed US Secret Service Snatch Test in under 10 minutes (200 reps with a 53 lb kettlebell)
• RKC and TSC-style snatch test - 115 reps in under 5 minutes with a 53 lb kettlebell
• Quartered 82 poker cards (a full deck and a half plus 4)
• Winner Denver Kettlebell Competition 32 kg (70 lb) division, - Spring 2005
• Bulldog Tamer (Using a 90 lb kettlebell, a strict 1-arm military press, a strict tactical pull up and a 1-leg squat or pistol)
• Aurora Police Department Shooting Qualifications

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