Janel Barlongo is a second generation Filipina whose love for the martial arts started in 2004. In her freshman year at college, she joined the Filipino American Student Association at Cal State Northridge, and was introduced to the Southeast Asian Martial Arts. During a workshop for Filipino American History Month, Guro Dan Inosanto presented the historical contributions of Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) to the United States and gave a mini seminar for all attendees to try the art of Kali. From that moment forward, Janel’s quest for more knowledge on her heritage set her on a path to seek instructors who could not only teach FMA, but also enrich her on the culture and origins of the art.
ABOUT
As a Los Angeles native, she was fortunate to have been exposed to a variety of teachers and training methods in Jeet Kun Do (JKD), Kali, and Silat. With so many styles and teaching methodologies, the foundation of Infin8te Arts is rooted in Silat Buka Lingkaran and Pekiti Tirsia Kali.
Janel is currently the U.S. representative for Silat Buka Lingkaran and is under the guidance of Guru Alvin Guinanao as well as Tuhon Apolo Ladra for his iKALI program. Past instructors and influences are Sifu Cass Magda, Guro Doug Marcaida, Guro Ed Wong, Guro Ray Cole, and Tuhon Ray Dionaldo.
