Filipino Martial Arts Community Classes with Bagani Kali

Filipino Martial Arts Community Classes with Bagani Kali introduces participants to Filipino Martial Arts, also known as Kali-Arnis-Escrima. Classes cover steps, strikes, and blocks, along with weapon-based fighting that includes sticks, knives, bladed weapons, and various improvised weapons, as well as empty hand or unarmed techniques that use the same principles and training methods as the weapon work.

• Ages: 5–18 years old
• Schedule: One-day classes on Saturday, January 18, 2025, with a 1-hour Kids/Teens class and a 1.5-hour Adults class
• Price: $15–$25 kids; $20–$30 Teens & Adults; These classes are free and open to the public, with sliding scale donations greatly appreciated.

The program is led by Guro Ryan “Bagani” Cordero and is presented by Bagani Kali Combatives, Lakad PDX, and the Filipino Bayanihan Center. In 2020, a group of Portland-based youth, parents, caregivers, nurses, community leaders, activists, and small business owners began work that led to the Filipino Bayanihan Center, which offers culturally relevant programs and health services and connects families to grassroots organizations and advocates. The Filipino Bayanihan Center states that it aims to provide basic resources and a community gathering place accessible for Filipino workers, new migrants, and Filipinos in the diaspora seeking community, empowerment, and connection, and that its work is grounded in a community organizing framework. The Center also describes additional programs such as a youth-led after-school Youth Program and Summer KAmp for middle and high school students in partnership with Kabataan Alliance Oregon, and a Community Based Health Program that includes a Kalusugan pantry, health outreach, and education. The organizers note that these Filipino Martial Arts Community Classes with Bagani Kali are the last class of this series, with more planned in the future.

Last updated April 14, 2026.