Knowledge Passed Forward
Florida Kali Silat was founded by Adam Finnemore, founder and head instructor, whose martial arts journey has been shaped by decades of study and by the teachers who guided him along the way.
That journey continues through the instruction of Guro Mike Fitzgerald, Tuhon Mike Williams, Guro May Williams, Guro John Savage, and Guro Mike Koerner — teachers whose knowledge and generosity shaped the way FKS trains today.
Florida Kali Silat exists to pass that knowledge forward: practical skills, awareness, adaptability, confidence, and composure.
The purpose of training is to prepare students for real-world situations — not to perform, but to be capable when it counts.
Because when something matters enough to protect,
preparation matters.
About Florida Kali Silat
Florida Kali Silat was created to offer training in traditional Filipino and Indonesian martial arts with a clear, practical purpose — self-protection.
The training is built on practical principles rather than collections of technique: movement, awareness, and adaptability that hold up when circumstances change.
Students train with weapons and empty hands, across different ranges, learning to adjust as distance, timing, and conditions shift.
The emphasis is on building a strong foundation — one that supports continued learning and growth over the long term.
Training
Florida Kali Silat trains in traditional systems of Filipino and Indonesian martial arts. Each system is taught with respect for its origins and with attention to the functional skills it develops — weapons and empty hands, movement, timing, and structure.
Harimau Pasaman Minangkabau Pencak Silat
A traditional Indonesian system of Pencak Silat rooted in the fighting methods and movement principles of West Sumatra.
Dekiti Tirsia Siradas Kali
A traditional Filipino martial art with a strong emphasis on edged and impact weapons, empty-hand skills, movement, and timing.
Training includes striking, positioning, manipulation of balance, takedowns, and close-range methods, expressed through the system's distinctive movement.
Kuntao-Silat Dethouars
A Southeast Asian martial tradition bringing together elements of Kuntao and Silat into an integrated approach to combat.
Emphasis is placed on efficient movement, structure, and positioning, with close-range fighting, striking, controlling, and transitions.
About the Instructor
A Foundation in Martial Arts
Adam's martial arts foundation began in American Kenpo Jūjutsu under Guro Mike Fitzgerald, who introduced him to the study that would shape the rest of his life.
A Lifetime of Learning
From that foundation his study expanded into the Filipino Martial Arts, Pencak Silat, Kuntao Silat, and Japanese Jūjutsu — a course of learning that has continued for decades.
Teachers & Influences
Adam has trained under Guro Mike Fitzgerald, Tuhon Mike Williams, Guro May Williams, Guro John Savage, and Guro Mike Koerner.
His learning has also been shaped by Grandmaster Edward Lebe, Tuhon Jerson "Nene" Tortal, Grandmaster Sabas Gubaton, and Bapak Willem DeThouars, and through his involvement with the Martial Arts Research Institute.
Training & Experience
Adam has been fortunate to travel with the Martial Arts Research Institute and their training groups to Southeast Asia to train at the source of these arts, and is honored to serve as the MARI Tribal Leader for the state of Florida.
He is authorized to teach the systems represented by Florida Kali Silat.
Teaching Today
Today Adam teaches through Florida Kali Silat, passing on what he has been given — with the same emphasis on tradition, capability, awareness, and adaptability that his own teachers instilled in him.
The Learning Never Stops—And Neither Should the Willingness to Pass It Forward.
Train With FKS
Moments From the Mat
