David Couper is a three-weapon Maitre d'Armes.
He has been fencing since he was at school where he was taught by Prof. John Fethers, the then Scottish National Coach. He continued fencing at St Andrew's University, where he gained a fencing Blue.
Maître Couper completed a 'stage' at the Institut National du Sport in Paris (now INSEP) and started teaching fencing over forty years ago under the plastron of Prof. PJ Duffy ADFD, AAI, AAF.
In 1991 he became a Level 5 Maître d'Armes in all three weapons and is a member of the Irish Academy of Arms of which he is currently President.
David is a member of the International Academy of Arms, the umbrella body for Academies worldwide.
He is also a member of the US Fencing Coaches Association.
David has been an Inner Game coach since 1982. He has also coached the Inner Game of Tennis at the Fitwilliam Lawn Tennis Club in Dublin and has coached the Inner Game of Business at major Irish companies.
In 2013, he successfully completed the British Disabled Fencing Association's Coaches Course and is the only qualified wheelchair fencing coach in Ireland.
In 2014, David successfully completed the F.I.E Diploma for Maître d’Armes en Sabre in Budapest.
He has also completed the 2019 ZFW International Coaching Course with Ziemek Wojciechowski.
David was Maître Assistant at Salle d'Armes Duffy, Sandymount where he specialised in Épée master classes and, for many years, was Master at Arms to the University of Dublin, Trinity College. He is currently Fencing Master to St Conleth's College.
He was the founding Vice President of the Modern Pentathlon Association of Ireland and was the original MPAI fencing coach.