Social Gelo with Angelo - Social Gelo -

In this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I sit down with Angie, Alice, Dollie, Girlie, April, and Amy — the daughters of Shizu Allen Abad — to talk about legacy, lineage, and the living history of the Abad Method. We discuss who Shizu Allen Abad was as a martial artist, a father, and a leader, and how his work contributed to the Kajukenbo community. The conversation covers the Abad Method’s rol...

People confuse martial arts, self-defense, and combat sports like they all lead to the same result. They don’t. And if you train without knowing the difference, you might think you’re preparing for one thing… while actually getting ready for something completely different. On this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I break down the real distinctions between these three categories and explain wher...

Most martial arts instructors think waivers protect them. They don’t. In this episode, I sit down with Anthony Miele — a Kajukenbo black belt and practicing attorney — and Timothy Bruce to talk about the real legal issues instructors face when running a martial arts program. We cover waivers, injuries, kids classes, parents, legal risk, policies, documentation, common mistakes, and how instructors...

In this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I sit down with Claude Lawson — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Kajukenbo black belt, and long-time martial arts practitioner — to break down one of the most controversial debates in modern martial arts: 👉 Did Sambo become the system Kajukenbo always wanted to be? We dive into: The historical roots of Sambo and Kajukenbo Why both systems were designed f...

In this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I sit down with Ilona Halbuna — daughter of Senior Grand Master Joe Halbuna — to talk about her father’s incredible legacy in Kajukenbo and how he helped bring the art from Hawai‘i to the mainland United States. We dive into: • The history of the Halbuna lineage • SGM Joe Halbuna’s role in spreading Kajukenbo • Family memories and training stories • The...

In this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I sit down with Taybren Lee — a judo black belt, BJJ black belt, grappling coach, and JJIF-affiliated instructor with deep experience in both traditional and modern Jiu-Jitsu — to break down how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has changed over the decades. What started as a conversation about why it took me 18 years to get my brown belt turned into a deep dive into...

In this episode, I sit down with two East Coast Kajukenbo black belts, Andy Hansen and Tom Campbell, and we break down how their martial arts backgrounds connect back into the Kajukenbo family tree. Both of these guys come from the lineages that trace through Karazenpo, Shaolin Kempo, Fred Villari, and the United Studios of Self-Defense (USSD) era. They explain how Kajukenbo made its way from the...

In this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I sit down with Lazarus Hunter, Claude Lawson, and Miki Lopez — all seasoned coaches in boxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and traditional martial arts — to break down one simple question: Why is competing important? We get into: 🥋 Why competition helps you grow in karate, jiu-jitsu, and striking arts 💪 How to keep competing as you get older without burning...

Old-School Karate vs. New-School Karate I sit down with two martial artists from a different era—guys who started in the late ’70s/early ’80s—while I’m a 2000s kid. We cross-check stories and training notes to see what actually changed. We dig into karate and especially taekwondo: were they really “better back in the day,” or is that nostalgia? We talk contact level, training methods, competition...

In this episode, I sit down with Jason Groff, the head of the Ordonez Kajukenbo Organization, to talk about one of the most overlooked figures in Kajukenbo history — Uncle Frank Ordonez. Jason opens up about Uncle Frank’s life, his deep connection to the art, and how his influence went far beyond what most history books or Kajukenbo historians give him credit for. We discuss the roots of the Ordon...

🎙️ Why Your Kajukenbo / Kenpo Needs Jiu-Jitsu In this week’s episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I sit down with Tom Theofanopoulos and Ron Baker to talk about why every Kajukenbo or Kenpo practitioner needs to understand Jiu-Jitsu. We break down a hard truth — a lot of people in Kajukenbo claim their system “already has Jiu-Jitsu,” but when you look closely, they really don’t. We explain why that...

Don’t miss this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo. I sit down with William Person from Team USA, a former Olympic bobsledder, who shares his firsthand experiences and expertise on the dangers of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). We talk about how brain trauma can sneak up on you, why helmets don’t always protect you, and how repeated impacts — from bobsledding, martial arts, and combat sports to mi...

In this episode, I sit down with martial artists from different backgrounds — Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, Kenpo, and Combat arts — to talk about where martial arts used to be, and where it is now. We break down how each part of the Kajukenbo acronym connects to what’s happening in the martial arts world today — how some arts are seen as “old school,” how modern applications have changed, and why that shift...

In this episode of Social Gello with Angelo, I sit down with Joseph Bautista, a true generational Kajukenbo practitioner who comes from a long line of martial artists. Joseph’s background is unique—he’s worked with KSDI, the Gaylord Association, and has trained with several other Kajukenbo branches. We talk about what it means to grow up “in between” different Kajukenbo families and how that persp...

Here we go again, another episode about Kajukenbo. I know, it feels like beating a dead horse at this point, but sometimes the horse just won’t stay down. Call it the sequel nobody asked for, but you’re getting it anyway. In this episode, I sit down with two different generations — Will Deutschendorf and Anthony Miele — and we talk about how Kajukenbo has its issues. The big one? It’s not really d...

Most people who train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu aren’t chasing a professional career — they’re recreational athletes who love the art, want to challenge themselves, and sometimes dream about representing their country. That’s where the JJIF (Ju-Jitsu International Federation) comes in. In this episode, I sit down with JJIF coaches and athletes to talk about: 🥋 JJIF Divisions – from Contact Jiu-Jitsu to...

In this episode of Social Gelo with Angelo, I sit down with martial artist and author Weston Simonis to talk about his new book The Blue Belt — a curriculum that blends Danzan Ryu, Kajukenbo, Jiu-Jitsu, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We dive deep into: The roots of Jiu-Jitsu at Kodokan and how it split into Japanese, Brazilian, and American branches. Why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu communities can be harsh towa...

In this episode of Social Gelo Podcast, I sit down with Kajukenbo Grandmaster David Ducay, head of the Kajukenbo Eskrima Division. We talk about his martial arts journey, how Filipino Martial Arts shaped his Kajukenbo, and the untold history connecting Arnis, Eskrima, and European fencing from the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. GM Ducay also shares how he teaches, how Kajukenbo instructo...

Before the Algorithm – Training for the art, not the clout. I sit down with Claude Lawson (BJJ black belt, Kajukenbo black belt) to talk about how martial arts has changed. We break down: -Training for self-defense vs training for clout -Why people chase belts for social media -The harsh reality of making money in martial arts -Is influencer culture ruining the art? 👉 Watch, drop your thoughts in...

🔥 In this episode of Social Gello with Angelo, I sit down with Lazarus Hunter — a Taekwondo black belt from Seattle and a Kajukenbo brown belt — to talk about something most martial artists don’t want to admit… traumatic brain injuries (TBI). 🧠🥋 At only 20 years old, Lazarus has already suffered multiple TBIs. In this conversation, he shares: 💥 What it’s like living and training with brain tra...

In this episode of Social Gello with Angelo, I sit down with T. Lee and Sarah Stanton from the U.S. JJO-JJIF, Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Union — the organizers pushing Jiu-Jitsu toward the Olympic stage. We break down: 🥋 What the U.S. JJO-JJIF and Pan American Jiu-Jitsu Union actually do 🌏 The road to the World Games in China 🥇 How they’re working to get Jiu-Jitsu into the Olympics ⚔️ The differenc...

In this episode of Social Gello with Angelo, I sit down with Mike Bidwell — the man behind the BJJ Over 40 Facebook page. At 56 years old, Mike’s still out there training, teaching, and representing for the over-40 crew. We talk about why he started BJJ Over 40, how his martial arts journey began in Taekwondo and Kenpo, and how it eventually led him to MMA, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a life dedicate...

In this episode of the Training Over 40 series on Social Gello with Angelo, I talk with Ron Baker, a Kajukenbo black belt and coach in his 60s, about how much martial arts — and life — have changed. We go deep on: What it means to be a coach over 40 in the social media era The disconnect between old-school instructors and new-school fighters How MMA changed the game and why that matters for coache...

Welcome to the first episode of our new Training Over 40 series! I sat down with Carlos Del Valle, a multi-discipline black belt and Gracie Barra Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, and Claude Lawson, a black belt in both Kajukenbo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, to talk about what it really takes to train as a martial artist past your 40s and 50s. Both of these guys are in their 50s, and they still train ha...

This week on the Social Gelo Podcast, I sat down with Grandmaster Ron Esteller, one of Kajukenbo’s most respected voices, to talk about the complex and controversial topic of gatekeeping in martial arts. As a Kajukenbo black belt, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, and MMA coach, I’ve seen both sides of this issue — from lineage loyalty to student betrayal. In this episode, we break down: 🔒 What gat...