About the California Kali Association

California Kali Association is a group dedicated to the preservation of the Filipino martial arts. They meet every Saturday in the park in North Hollywood. The group is led by Nick Papadakis, who began his martial arts studies in 1980 at the age of 10. He enrolled in a Shotokon/Kung Fu school in order to receive a free pair of "Rubber Chucks." Ever since then he was hooked.

Since that illustrious beginning, he has gone on to receive two blackbelts, one in Shotokon karate and one in Japanese Jiu Jitsu under Curt Doyle in Houston Texas. However, he was immediately drawn to Kali ever since his first viewing of the art in 1981. He is now Los Angeles representative for Pekiti Tirsia under the Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje. Nick is the L.A. rep for the Texas Kali Association and an instructor under its founder Erwin Ballarta. Nick's Dog Brother name is Pappy Dog. The Dog Brothers are a group known for their Real Contact stickfighting bouts. He is a Lakan Guro in Dog Brother's martial arts under Marc Denny. Nick also trains under Guro Dan Inosanto at the Inosanto Academy