Filip, a Year 13 student at Sheldon School in Chippenham, has recently won a Jujitsu gold medal in the Pro Sport Grappling Somerset Open in Weston Super Mare, as well as two golds and a silver at the UMAC Wiltshire BJJ Championships in Swindon.
In January, Filip will be heading to Belgium to compete for the Great British Jujitsu Youth Team.
“Fighting people for the medals was never my objective,” explained Filip. “It is the thrill, the adrenaline rush, the experience and the feeling of a challenge that is the best feeling a martial artist can have. Even if I lose, I still leave with a smile on my face if it was a challenging fight.
“The medals from Swindon did not disappoint me as all three opponents gave a great challenge for seven matches. For the medal in Weston- super-Mare, the fights were less challenging, but it did give me some more experience with different types of strategies.”
Filip explained that he has been training for the past 12 years, which a main focus on classic jiujitsu alongside a recent return to Brazilian Jujitsu following a five-year gap due to Covid and having no-one to train at his size. Over the last seven months, Filip has added in weight and body weight training.
“Both jujitsu types are grappling focused, with the difference being that the classical rule set is stricter, which forces the fighter to strike, throw and ground fight to win, by gaining a point in each stage,” explained Filip. “Brazilian jujitsu, meanwhile, focuses more on ground fighting and some standing parts.”
Eugene Spiers, Head of Sheldon Sixth Form, said of Filip’s success, “Filip is an excellent student and a great role model to his peers and younger students. He shows great dedication to his sport and to training, and manages to combine this with his academic commitments too. He is a great representation of our school values to Be Brave and Be the Best You.”