Summercamp 2025 – review and grading results

What a truly incredible summercamp we’ve had this year. With some fresh new faces, returning Rapid Arnis veterans, and a record-breaking 6 Blackbelt graduates (all from our modular program in Bristol), 2025 has been both a celebration of years of hard work, and an exciting glimpse of things to come.

This year in particular has produced some exceptional talent, with senior students demonstrating such a high standard of technical ability, sparring and coaching, it was impossible for the panel to refuse anyone their grade. Indeed, the panel were in firm agreement that this was one of the strongest gradings they had seen, with many standing out and exceeding expectations.

Perhaps the most exciting news is the addition of a new Sr Instructor to the Rapid Arnis family. For the uninitiated, the difference between a Blackbelt and a Sr Instructor (aka. Red belt) is that whilst a Blackbelt is qualified to independently deliver the Rapid Arnis core syllabus, a Sr Instructor is trusted to develop new programs and enhance the core syllabus for the rest of the organisation. Sr Instructors also serve on the panel, assessing Blackbelt candidates and shaping the ecosystem for future practitioners. It is a grade that requires the highest amount of sacrifice, responsibility and the unanimous approval of the panel to obtain.

With that in mind, we would like to offer a huge congratulations to Karen Fowler for achieving her Sr Instructor grade in Rapid Arnis. On behalf of your senior peers: Welcome aboard!

Gradings results for 2025:-

Kam Dhiman – 4th degree Sr Instructor

Tom McGrath – 2nd degree Sr Instructor

Karen Fowler – Sr Instructor

Adrian Boyd - Black

Derrick Harriott – Black

Rob Jones - Black

Mark Kay – Black

Peter Pokoradi - Black

Clement Rispal – Black

Ionut Raau “John” Tatarau – Brown 1

Robert Donnelly – Brown 1

Austeja “Teja” Stasiulyte – Brown 1

Ruby Graham – Blue 2

Megan Ponomarenko – Blue 2

Kyle McKeever – Blue 2

Irene Dimon – Blue 1

William Cronin Fleming – Blue 1

Sharyn Delaney – Blue 1

Thanks also to Dan Gregory and Aleks Kushlov for attending and supporting the event

Instructors:-

Pat O’Malley

Andrew Janson

Paul Murray

Kam Dhiman

James Dismore

Paul Starrs

Tom McGrath