How she rapidly excelled in Arnis.
"Multi- British, European and World Champion"
It all began when Rebecca went to the Bristol Novice Stick fighting Championships September 1999 (Organised by WEKAF GB) and won 3 gold medals.These were for Open age Forms/Anyo, Under 16 single stick and Under 16 Double stick. Then in November 1999 she entered her first WEKAF British Open stick fighting championships in Luton. There she proved to be one of the top competitors in the Forms/Anyo category. Once again it was in an Open Category: Louise Beale won Gold, Rebecca Kane and Thomas Roussel from France drew for Silver, and had to repeat their performance in order for a clear result to be made. Thomas narrowly beat Rebecca, taking the Silver, and she was left with the Bronze. This, she has said, was one of the most memorable competitions as she thought that Thomas Roussel was one of the best forms competitors that day and felt it a great privilege to have initially drawn with him for Silver.
She then went on to compete at the WEKAF British Championships in Yorkshire in April 2000. She amazed everyone there by entering a record of five categories and getting Gold in each and every one. These Golds were in Open Forms/Anyo, Under 16 single stick, Under 16 Double stick, Women’s single stick and Women’s Double Stick. She also received Best Female fighter award. Not bad for a 15 year old one might say!! She had beaten Tuhon Pat O’Malley’s record of winning 4 Gold medals in one National competition. On the back of this performance and that from the prior British Open Championships she was selected to represent WEKAF GB in the 2000 World Championships in Cebu. Here she was awarded 2 silver medals for the two categories she entered. Form/Anyo and Single Stick. What an achievement so far for someone who had been practicing the art for just 14 months! She then went on to win more medals at the WEKAF British Open Championships in Luton in November 2000. She won Gold in Under 16 Double Stick, Silver in Open Forms/Anyo, under 16 single stick and Bronze in Women’s Double stick.
In March 2001 she achieved 1st Degree Black Belt in Traditional Karate which was awarded by the Dragon Karate Do in wakefield. At the WEKAF British Championships in April of the same year she entered only two categories. She won Gold in Women’s Double Stick and was awarded Silver for Women’s single stick. She once again Qualified for the WEKAF GB team representing them at the 2001 European Championships in Bristol, England. Here she won Gold for the team synchronised Forms/Anyo, Gold for Women’s single stick and Silver in the Individual Open Forms/Anyo.
In 2000 until the beginning of 2007 she trained and graded to Guro level withTuhon Pat O’Malley and his wife and fellow Instructor Lucy O’Malley.
Martial arts are not the only activity Ms. Kane participates in. From the age of 6 she started Irish Dancing and had proved herself a champion dancer with over 100 trophies and over 600 medals at the last count for dancing competitions alone. She took a break from competing and practice of her Irish dancing after the Europeans in 2001.
It wasn't until January 2003 that she went back to participate regularly in martial arts and it was not until November 2004 that she went back to her Dancing. She competed at the November 2003 WEKAF British Championships and was awarded Silver in the Women’s Double Stick, and Bronze in Women’s Single Stick and Open Forms/Anyo.
In May 2004 she finally decided to grade for her Black belt in Rapid Arnis. In September 2004 she started University studying BA Hons English and History (a joint pathways degree). Due to A - Level examinations (prior to starting at university) taking place at the same times as WEKAF tournaments she was unable to attend more at this time.
She achieved her 1st Degree Black Belt and Full Instructor qualificatio
n in Rapid Arnis in May 2005. It was at this grading that she was nicknamed the pocket dynamite due to her quick and explosive responses to single and multiple attackers. She was able to play in the WEKAF circuit in 2005 at the November British Championships in Luton. She won Gold in Women’s Forms/Anyo and was awarded Silvers in Women’s Single and Double Stick.
In December 2005 she competed at the North West Regional Irish Dance Championships and Qualified for the World Irish Dance Championships to take place at Belfast Waterfront Hall April 2006. She achieved this just a day before flying out to Manila for the 1st World Invitational Championships (for padded stick, Very limited armour). Here she amazed the room with her Anyo (a combination of Irish Dance and FMA ...see the video to see a clip of this) everybody there witnessed a great applause from the crowd. She was awarded Silver for her Form/Anyo although the judging made it very close between herself and the Vietnamese champion. In the Fighting category she had some fantastic fights and gained another silver medal. It was very unfortunate for her that the final was given to the other player by split decision on the decisive point, as she had displayed excellent Arnis. Whilst in the Philippines she trained with GM Rodel Dagooc of Arnis Association International Inc and Modern Arnis, Ronaldo Baxafra of Modern Arnis and Doce Generales and with Gm Tony Diegos group.
In April 2006 Rebecca competed amongst some of the top competitors in the world for the Doce Pares World Championships. She won the Single Stick Anyo with her Irish Dance martial arts mix form which was nicknamed Rapid Arish. She won Gold in her own fighting weight lightweight category and then went on to win the champion of champions event, defeating already 3 times WEKAF world champion Lucy O’Malley after long and hard battle that went to four rounds. Rebecca’s student Paul Izod also entered this competition and won a silver medal in the men’s Anyo category.
In June 2006 both Rebecca and Paul competed at the British Padded Stick Championships which was a qualifier for the 2006 World Arnis Alliance World Championships held in December in Manila. Rebecca won Gold’s in the forms category once again with her Irish dance martial arts mix and also the single stick open weight event against a 4 times heavy weight world champion. She got a silver medal in the Double stick event against the same. Paul Izod won Silver in the men’s open weight fighting category and got a Bronze in the men’s forms category.
In November 2006 Rebecca qualified once again for the World Irish Dance Championships to be held in Glasgow Easter week 2007.
Both Rebecca and Paul competed at the 2006 World Kali Arnis Championships in December held in the Manila Philippines. Paul unfortunately had to pull out after his first fight due to injury. Rebecca tried out a new form espada y daga (sword and dagger or stick and dagger) and Won Gold for it and was the first European to get a gold in any forms event in this competition’s organisation. She also won Gold in the women’s extra lightweight fighting category and got a silver in the women’s half-lightweight division. Whilst on this training trip Rebecca continued training again with Master Rodel Dagooc of Modern Arnis, Master Jon Escudero of Lightning Scientific Arnis (Thankyou to Jon for designing the Kane Academy shirt logo amongst other things) and Gm Yuli Romo and Maestro Muloy Romo, (Thankyou so much to master Muloy for the Dagger that helped win the espada y daga anyo.)
As of September 2007 Rebecca has stepped down from being an Instructor with Rapid Arnis Association due to health and other personal and club commitments taking priority.
In February 2008 she was awarded a 4th Degree Black Belt in Kickboxing for all the hard work she has put in over the years with empty hand martial arts by Grand Master Selahattin Biyikli President of the World All Styles Kickboxing Organisation (WASKO) and also the WK1 Professional Kickboxing league.
To add to her string of achievements Rebecca also represented England at the Clash of the Titans in 1999 in a team Karate match vs. Wales. She has been part of Yorkshire Submission Fighting championships 2001 amongst many other competitions over the years and has also helped with various demonstrations including at the Seni Show (Birmingham). She also takes part regularly in fundraising and charity events such as the race for life (a charity run for cancer).