About the Instructor - Guru Mike Casto

Guru Mike started training in martial arts in 1978 and trained in Tae Kwon Do as a child then in Okinawan Goju-Ryu. Since February 1995 he has been training in Sikal and heavily focused on the Filipino and Indonesian martial arts. He has a deep understanding of the realities of weapon usage and defense and he specializes in joint locks and balance disruption and has used his training in the "real world" to protect himself and others either as a "good samaritan" or while working as a security professional.

Martial Arts Ranks/Achievements

• 2nd Level Instructor (Guru Dua / Lakan Dalawa) in Sikal
• Member of the Sikal Council - the governing body of the Sikal organization
• 2nd Degree Black Belt and Certified Instructor in Shen Chuan
• 6th Degree Black Belt (Master) in Cacoy Doce Pares
• Inducted into the Doce Pares Hall of Fame for
  "Exemplary Dedication to Doce Pares"

Guru Mike has trained intensively under Guru Ken in the system of Sikal since February 1995 and earned his full instructorship in Sikal in September 1999. He still regularly visits Guru Ken to continue his training in Sikal.

While Sikal is his core, Guru Mike also draws from Shen Chuan, Cacoy Doce Pares and Kuntao Silat de Thouars. He is a student of Professor Joe R. Lansdale, founder of Shen Chuan (a system which focuses on self defense and specializes in fluid striking, balance disruption and joint locks). He is personally ranked in Cacoy Doce Pares by Grandmaster Cacoy Canete and studied with Willem "Uncle Bill" de Thouars, founder of Kuntao Silat de Thouars, for 8 years.