Dante Mapanao’s love for martial arts began during his childhood in Long Beach, but as a young Filipino American it took him years to find a place to learn Kali, a fighting style indigenous to the Philippines.
“I found out that Filipinos have their own art, their own Indigenous art called Kali, but the problem was it was very difficult, and in a lot of ways it’s still difficult to find a place to train Kali for Filipinos,” Mapanao said.
Mapanao has been training in Filipino martial arts for about 20 years and founded Kali Kollective in Long Beach in June 2021, which holds bi-weekly classes at Mission Muay Thai’s studio near Somerset Park.
Bent at the knees and intricately moving their feet, with either a stick in each hand, a single blade or empty-handed, his students practice different strikes and blocks as they move across the padded floors.
“It took me a long time to learn it and train it because it’s so hard to find,” Mapanao said. “So one of the goals that I set out training in it is to, at some point, give it back to the community so it’s easy. Back in Long Beach where I grew up, I didn’t want other Filipinos and that next generation to have that difficult of a time to train the art from the motherland.”
Mapanao became interested in martial arts when a friend introduced him to Jeet Kune Do, a martial arts philosophy developed by Bruce Lee. But his attempts to convince his parents to pay for karate or taekwondo classes were unsuccessful.
“They just wanted me to study, go into the medical field, like a lot of Filipino families, and I kind of rebelled against that,” Mapanao said.
In college, he began looking for ways to connect with his heritage and started researching indigenous fighting styles of the Philippines.
“I had a struggle with my identity,” Mapanao said. “I, for some reason, didn’t really fit into Filipino groups. I tried going into the Filipino club at UC Irvine and I just didn’t fit.”
While surfing the web, Mapanao came across a post on Facebook advertising Kali classes at a church. Before he could start learning, he had to undergo an interview so the instructors could ascertain whether he was the “right kind of person” to practice Kali.
“Back then, traditionally, you’d always get interviewed before you even got to be a martial artist,” Mapanao said. “But it became very particular with Filipino martial arts because you’re learning how to use a blade. You can’t just train anybody because you’re going to train them to use a blade and kill somebody.”
While anyone can participate in Kali Kollective’s lessons, Mapanao has his students go through a three-month probationary period before they are officially part of the school. Students train using two short sticks that work as stand-ins for blades.
“We won’t officially rank you or ever make you an instructor until we feel like you are a good fit, you are a good person, a good representation for the school,” Mapanao said.
Long Beach has a unique connection to Kali as the first city it was introduced to in the United States. Grand master Ben Largusa performed the first known demonstration of Kali on U.S. soil during the International Karate Championship held in Long Beach in 1964.
Mapanao shared that the origins of Kali can be hard to trace due the impact various waves of colonization had on the history of the Philippines.
“A lot of history was lost. So depending on who you’re talking to, you could get a different history,” Mapanao said.
During the colonization of the Philippines by Spain, Spanish authorities outlawed the practice of Kali. The indigenous martial arts style only survived generations of colonization because Filipinos continued to practice and teach it in secret.
“The more I do it, the more I look into the history of it, and in doing so I find out more about the Philippines, the culture, and where I came from. I think that’s a big part of it—that’s why it makes me feel so connected,” Mapanao said.
This sentiment was shared by 45-year-old Kali Kollective instructor Francisco Taruc, who has been training in the art since he was 16.
“Not only has it helped me feel connected with the homeland, which I’ve never been to, but it’s very practical and fun,” said Taruc.
The public is invited to Kali Kollective’s first-anniversary celebration on June 11 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., which will include vendors, martial arts demonstrations and food in the parking lot near their classroom.
“I want to make sure that people like me, Filipinos, or whoever is interested in learning—the art of Kali is available to them,” Mapanao said.
Kali Kollective holds lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at 4102 Orange Ave., Unit 115. Those interested in taking classes can sign up at kalikollectivefma.com.
