Karate: Robb is spreading the martial arts gospel

Published on Friday 10 December 2010 13:36

KARATE champion Calum Robb is reflecting on a sensational 2010 and hopes his successes will help more youngsters from Edinburgh and the Lothians take up the sport.

The 25-year-old from Haddington has won 15 titles this year to add to the ten he won in 2009 and the numerous others he has lifted since he began competing back in 1999.

He also had one of his career highlights in recent months when he retained his crown as World 'Wado-Kai' Karate Champion - his preferred style of karate - in the +84kg category at the World 'Wado' Karate Championships in Nagoya, Japan, with his mother looking on.

Robb said: "I just love the sport and it has become a massive part of my life over the years. It may not be a sport that grabs the headlines or gives competitors great wealth, but it is a brilliant sport to take up and I am delighted to have won so many titles and competed in so many great countries."

He entered the karate world when he was seven because he got bored having to watch his elder brother Ewan taking part when he accompanied his mum to pick him up from training at the Meadowbank Karate Club in Edinburgh.

So he took up the sport and it has sparked an 18-year love affair which sees him train around ten hours a week on top of his studies - he is a PhD student in comparative immunology at Heriot-Watt University - and work closely with Hamish Adam, who is an eighth Dan and a Scottish karate legend, at Meadowbank.

It has been worth it though as he has now won medals at every major event on the World Karate calendar and is reigning champion in the Scottish & British 'All Styles' Karate Championships, the Scottish & British University Championships, the European 'Wado-Kai' Championships and World 'Wado-Kai' Championships.

"It has taken a lot of dedication and sacrifice to get to where I am today and I couldn't have done it without the support of my parents. They have helped me throughout and without them I simply would not have been able to compete everywhere that I have.

"Hamish has also been brilliant with me because he has been there and done that himself. The best fighters always make the best coaches. He knows what it takes to win and instils a real determination within all of his pupils.

"I have had many highlights, but winning in Japan in August when mum was there as well as competing in Tokyo and taking a bronze medal at the World 'All styles' Karate Championships on another occasion are right up there for me. The sport is so huge over there and I was proud to represent Scotland."

Along with coach Adam and the other enthusiastic volunteers and senior competitors who compete out of Meadowbank Robb is keen to raise karate's profile in Scotland.

He said: "Hamish and others are very good at going into schools and giving taster sessions in karate and it is a pretty big participation sport.

"We want to see this continuing and hopefully in the future the up and comers will get more financial support from the powers that be to help them compete on a more level playing field with athletes from other countries."

As for the future for Robb himself 2011 is going to be busy working on his PhD, but he still plans to compete and go to the Commonwealth karate championships in Australia.

And further down the line he remains optimistic that the sport may be selected for the 2016 Olympics having missed out on 2012 in London.

"I couldn't have done it without the support of my parents. They have helped me throughout"

calum robb