Our curriculum

Kali is the foundation of training at Detroit Kali Silat. The academy draws on three distinct Filipino lineages: Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, Kali De Leon, and San Miguel Escrima. You may also see Filipino martial arts referred to as Arnis or Escrima.

Silat Kuntau Tekpi is a Malaysian tradition from Kedah. The school’s curriculum traces the lineage it teaches through Panglima Taib, his daughter Siti Aminah, her son known as Pak Guru, and Cikgu Sani. The journal explains the Kedah origins and how the system was passed on.

The academy’s Indonesian curriculum includes Cimande Macan Guling and Terumbu Gajah Putih. Macan Guling, or Rolling Tiger, is a school of Cimande associated with Serang, West Java. The Cimande article compares several oral accounts of the art’s origins.

Guro Jeff studied with teachers in Nigeria and Benin. His writing describes Gidigbo and Jakadi within Yoruba martial culture and recalls how practice varied from place to place, from festival demonstrations to sporting events.

Senaman Tua is a Malay movement and conditioning tradition closely connected to Silat. The academy teaches it as a way to study breathing, mobility, and how the body moves during practice.

The school’s archive records Barako Batangueño, a tradition from Batangas passed on by Manong Leon “Tito Jun” Saludo, as a private lineage. It also includes Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje Jr.’s historical note on Malayu Sibat.