Meet Janel Barlongo | Kali and Silat Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janel Barlongo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janel, what do you attribute your success to?
I’ve found that the most important thing that has contributed to my success is reminding myself that at the end of the day, it’s not about me! Helping my students and seminar participants accomplish their goals, in whatever capacity that may be, is top priority. Sometimes we find that marital arts can be too rigid and it takes a non-conventional approach to helping a student understand a concept or movement pattern. Some students are more hands on than others, some more auditory learners, and others just need repetition. I’ve found that meeting a student where they are and allowing them to explore freely within a guideline has helped elevate them faster, rather than forcing them into doing the same set of drills until they “get it”.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
If the world is filled with endless possibilities, then why limit yourself? Navigating the martial arts realm, especially Filipino Martial Arts, wasn’t the easiest when I started. There weren’t a lot of instructors teaching publicly and the ones teaching private groups were not that accessible as you had to be vetted to train with them. While we’ve gotten better throughout the years, there is still the mentality among many instructors that training with another teacher shows disloyalty as they feel that they themselves have the complete system or answers. Some of this sentiment can be attributed to the old school way of thinking and not wanting to show the other teacher their “secret”. But there are no secrets! As the late Bruce Lee would say, “A punch is just a punch.” Our bodies can only move so many ways, and the expression of that is what you choose to call it. I left a school that had that mentality and actually swore off all martial arts, until I crossed paths with my two current instructors with the recommendation of some friends.

In today’s world in which we have the information at our fingertips and resources readily available, unlike previous generations, I vowed as an instructor, that no one should be denied the ability to question why the art is taught a certain way, and to continue encouraging them to train and touch hands with as many different disciples as possible. My brand, Infin8te Arts, was created to allow students the freedom to find the intersecting principals and concepts within all marital arts, and helping them define who they are as an artist. Teaching Kali and Silat at UCLA has nonetheless been a beautiful synchronicity as students have access to more than 43 different opportunities to train in various marital arts programs. I’m honored and grateful to have been selected to be a part of the martial arts staff, as well and my students and seminar hosts who have entrusted me with sharing the arts with them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite eats, drinks, and places to visit:

Eat: Larsen’s Steakhouse, Woodland Hills – Great Happy hour, pianist, and hearty food

Drink: Rendition Room, Studio City – Well crafted cocktails in a speakeasy setting

Visit: Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts, Marina Del Rey – The mecca of Martial Arts History and chance to see Guro Dan Inosanto in action teaching

Hang out: Topanga Social, Canoga Park – Thursdays are the place to hang with Magic and Cocktails and live entertainment

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My journey and love for teaching the martial arts comes from my two instructors, Tuhon Apolo Ladra of iKALI / World Kali Association and Alvin Guinanao of Silat Buka Lingkaran. My teachers are constantly helping me refine my own voice as an instructor and how to best pass on the arts to students. While it was never a goal of mine to step into the instructor role, both teachers encouraged the path as male instructors still outnumber females, especially with Filipino and Indonesian Martial Arts.

As a first-generation Filipina growing up in the San Fernando Valley, I didn’t know much about my culture until college. I joined the Filipino American Student Association at Cal State Northridge and was encouraged to do research on notable martial artists for Filipino American History Month. Of course, Guro Dan Inosanto was the name that flooded my search engine so I reached out to the Inosanto Academy to see if Guro Dan would be interested in doing a workshop. We were so fortunate to have Guro Dan teach us about Filipino American History by immersing us in the art with a mini seminar. It was that moment that my love for the Southeast Asian Martial arts began.

Tuhon Apolo continues to cultivate and refine what it means for me to be a Filipina American through his teachings and how best to teach the Filipino Martial Arts in a digestible manner.

Website: https://Www.infin8tearts.com

Instagram: J.a.barlongo

Facebook: Jbarlongo

Image Credits
Dante Mapanao
Angel Amado
Kelly Tamayo
Edgar Moncada