About Us | Kali Academy STL

Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to build a community by empowering our students to thrive, gain mental and physical strength to overcome obstacles, and inspire others. We do this through learning the history and attributes associated with Filipino Martial Arts, and continuing the legacies that inspire our training methods. This is Kali Academy of St. Louis.

Our Instructors

History & Lineage

Balintawak Arnis

The WOTBAG St. Louis group is innovative, and constantly seeking ways to improve its methods and evolve. While being the purest chapter of the WOTBAG Balintawak system in the United States, our St. Louis group claims multiple lines of direct lineage back to Cebu, Philippines. Chief Instructor, Mike Suskin, and Senior Instructor Eric Jimenez, have trained under Master Ritche Gumahin for a combined 15+ years. In turn, Master Ritche has trained under Master Eugene Nepangue for nearly 20 years. All current practitioners in the St. Louis chapter have had direct training and influence under the Grand Masters from the Velez family in Cebu, Eddie and Monie Velez, who provide personal oversight as advisors to our Chapter and its instructors.

Cadell Tanikala de Serrada Eskrima – Angel Cabales Lineage

While we simply call this method of training Serrada, it is highly deceptive to think that this system is derived from merely one source of lineage. Kali Academy is fortunate to have several certified instructors under Master Chuck Cadell, including Erol Weber, Chris Allen, and Ricky Legaspi. Guro Cadell brings a long and varied martial arts background, but one that particularly specializes in Filipino Martial Arts under the lineages of such masters as Angel Cabales, Raymond Tabosa, Ted Lucay Lucay, and Dan Inosanto.

The Cabales Serrada Eskrima system was the first Filipino martial art publicly taught to Americans, and was introduced by Angel Cabales in Stockton, California in 1966. Serrada utilizes the art of stickfighting as well as Espada y Daga (sword and dagger) techniques. This method is usually practiced at close range (also known as corto); and the word Serrada literally means “to close” in Spanish, and Escrima or Eskrima means to skirmish.

Guro Cadell’s approach to the Filipino Martial Arts is truly comprehensive in that he begins with an orientation of personal defensive tactics, which breaks down the basic attributes needed to learn the arts, as well as protect oneself in the real world. As a certified top instructor for the Illinois Department of Corrections, Guro Cadell serves as trainer to hundreds of new recruits and seasoned corrections officers every year. His approach brings time and application tested methods that are designed for efficiency and effectiveness.