Robert Fitton
Hanshi  
Fitton's Kempo Karate Modern Arnis Centre
Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo
Manchurian Kempo
Modern Arnis

Rafael Reston Hanshi : Combat Judo Karate Arnis
Australian Representative appointed by Rafael Reston Hanshi
Judo Karate (Kempo) Masters Association 
Balibago, Angeles City, Clark Airbase, Philippines

Grandmaster Robert Fitton Hanshi

Australian Martial Arts Pioneer

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Grandmaster Robert Fitton Hanshi is recognised as one of the pioneering figures of Australian martial arts, particularly within the Northern Territory and the development of Filipino Martial Arts and Kempo systems throughout Australia and Papua New Guinea.

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Early Training and Philippine Lineage

Shihan Fitton travelled extensively throughout the Philippines, where he became a direct student of the renowned Filipino martial arts leader and founder of Manchurian Comjuka Kempo, Grandmaster Rafael Reston Hanshi of Angeles City, Pampanga.

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Under Grandmaster Reston’s guidance, he studied:

* Manchurian Comjuka Kempo

* Combat Judo Karate Arnis

* Filipino weaponry and self-defence systems

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Due to his dedication and technical proficiency, Grandmaster Reston authorised Shihan Fitton to conduct student gradings in Australia on behalf of the Judo Karate Masters Association of the Philippines, helping establish a direct Filipino lineage within Australia.

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Robert Fitton Hanshi was the first instructor to ever teach Arnis Kali Eskrima in Australia.

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Robert Fitton trained in Modern Arnis under the guidance of Grandmaster Roland Dantes and Grandmaster Rodillo (Rodel) Dagooc.

These two masters trained in Modern Arnis under its founder Professor Remy Amador Presas.

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Fitton’s Kempo Karate Modern Arnis Centre

During the 1970s and 1980s, Hanshi Fitton established Fitton’s Kempo Karate Modern Arnis Centre in Jingili, Darwin.

The school became one of the earliest centres in Northern Australia to teach a combined curriculum of:

* Kempo Karate

* Combat Judo Karate

* Modern Arnis

* Kali and Eskrima

* Practical Self Defence

Many Northern Territory martial artists trace part of their lineage back to this influential dojo.

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Expansion into Taekwondo

Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, Hanshi Fitton continued his contribution to martial arts education through the instruction of:

* Chung Do Kwan Taekwondo

* Self Defence Programs

* Youth Martial Arts Development

Classes were conducted at:

* St John’s College, Darwin

* Charles Darwin University

* Various Northern Territory community venues

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Papua New Guinea Influence

Hanshi Fitton’s influence extended beyond Australia into Papua New Guinea.

Among his notable students was:

Jamuga “Black Python” Stone

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Widely regarded as a pioneer of martial arts in Papua New Guinea, Jamuga Stone trained under Shihan Fitton and was introduced to international competition through Australian tournament circuits.

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In 1988, Hanshi Fitton assisted Stone in competing in Sydney, helping establish PNG’s presence within the international martial arts community.

This mentorship would later contribute to the growth of organised martial arts throughout Papua New Guinea.

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Legacy

Grandmaster Robert Fitton’s legacy can be seen through generations of instructors and students throughout:

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* Australia

* Papua New Guinea

* The Philippines

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His work helped preserve and spread the teachings of Grandmaster Rafael Reston’s Manchurian Comjuka Kempo and Combat Judo Karate systems while introducing countless students to Filipino Martial Arts.

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His contribution remains an important chapter in the history of martial arts in Northern Australia and the South Pacific region.

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Lineage

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Grandmaster Rafael Reston Hanshi (Philippines)

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Grandmaster Robert Fitton Shihan (Australia)

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Craig Radcliffe Shihan and succeeding generations of instructors and students

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 “The true measure of an instructor is not the number of belts produced, but the quality of character developed.”