ADIDAS x Survival Arts

In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Survival Arts Academy was featured in a 2022 adidas LA campaign.

Repost adidas LA:

The Academy of Survival Arts was founded and established in Bacolod City, Philippines to protect women, children and families from sexual assault violence. They call it, Kali, the indigenous fighting arts of the Philippines.

Originated in 1897 and introduced to the United States in 1973, Kali was brought by 3-time Hall of Fame awardee, Weapons Master Instructor, Grand Tuhon. He has shared this knowledge in over 25 countries, making his contributions unsurpassable.

“A lot of people are familiar with other martial arts, but not so familiar with Kali," said Jamie Yancovitz, founder of Survival Arts Academy. “It’s really important for us to bring the knowledge back to our communities and say, 'Hey, you should be proud that this comes from our ancestors.'”

adidas LA is sharing the knowledge of survival through Survival Arts to protect womxn, girls and families from all forms of violence, taught by someone who is Filipino through a sense of community.

“Most martial arts spaces are dominated by men. That’s where the idea for Survival Arts really came into play. Breaking the mold of men to dominate the fighting arts and bringing it back into the hands of women.”

Gratitude to our warrior community, ancestors, descendants and all our kapwa who have always supported us and made this work possible. Special thanks to our squad for coming together for this shoot! Special thanks to adidas for uplifting our community work. ⚔️✨