It’s fair to say that iKali is a hybrid form of pekiti tirsia kali, a fighting art that originated in the Philippines. It is, however, more accurate to say that iKali is Apolo Ladra’s interpretation and subsequent fine-tuning of pekiti tirsia kali. For that reason, I went directly to Ladra, Black Belt’s 2018 Weapons Instructor of the Year, to further my understanding of the system and, by extension, your understanding of it.
BE FIRST
Certainly, the public is attracted to iKali. More than 40,000 students practice the art at least part time in some 450 schools around the world. Much of its appeal stems from the core principles Ladra devised for training: simplicity, dynamic action, sound defensive strategies and fun.
You might think that final factor — fun — is out of place in the martial arts. It’s not, and that reveals a key strategy of iKali.
“Fighting is fun if you’re doing
