Lee-Landia: The Question of Kali
Paleo Treats owner Lee Selman responds to some of the most commonly asked questions she gets. A former camel keeper, she's used to working with strong, stubborn, and intelligent animals; you're just her type.
What motivated you to learn Kali (Filipino Martial Art)?
My friend Suzanne Luna! She has been practicing it for years and is a teacher at Dan Inosanto’s Academy of Martial Arts in LA. (Dan Inosanto was a teacher and student of Bruce Lee.)
Suzanne is a badass, I can’t say enough amazing things about her. Suzanne and her husband introduced me to my teacher Roy Harris here in San Diego, and I fell in love with the art. I can’t imagine not doing it.
Kali is a street fighting style using both empty hands and weapons (knife, stick, sword and other items you may encounter in a street fight). The Filipinos learned out of necessity and self preservation how to fight invaders (and neighbors) in a rapid and devastating fashion.
Kali shuts people down pretty quickly, you don’t want to be sparring with someone who pulls a knife on you. It’s pretty brutal, and has given me a lot of confidence. :) Nothing lights me up more than new techniques for exploiting weaknesses on the human body if needed. Eyes, throat, joints (shoulder, elbow, and knee) and groin. It is also a good workout, with a lot of foot work and movement involved. You have to be able to be fast.
The more I learn, the more I don’t know, it is constantly going back to kindergarten. I work with a small, private group under Roy Harris’s tutelage.
Boy was I nervous when I first stepped in with them! They all have a background in some sort of MMA and I had never studied any of it. The guys are pretty tough and huge too.
The day I was supposed to go to my first class I woke up and had a dozen excuses in my head not to go: I had a sore throat, the traffic was horrible etc. Despite being a little intimidated, I made myself go, and am so glad I did.
The guys were welcoming and kind. After a few months of class they even took me to my first MMA fight! We have grown to be a tight unit and we all feel very blessed to be Roy Harris’s students.
My biggest take away is be brave, try something new, step onto the mat. You never know what you will fall in love with! ~ LEE <3
Hi Lee
That’s awesome. I wanted to tell you that I STARTED roller derby at age 43!
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