April 12th & 13th, 2025
Saturday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm & Sunday, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm
The Holiday Inn, Saratoga Springs NY
Join us for two days of hands-on instructional workshops in striking, grappling, & weapons arts. There's also a Saturday Night Banquet with the Instructional Staff!
Martial Artists of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome to participate.
The Saratoga Martial Arts Festival has been the Capital Region's Premier Martial Arts Gathering for over 20 years!
Festival Updates
1.17.2024: Registration is LIVE!
Register NOW!
1.13.2024: Two More Instructors! Registration is coming this week.
We're in the process of updating our registration portal. Ticketing will be online in the next few days. In the meantime, here are two more instructors!:
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Chris LaCava (Hapkido and Stockton Multi-Style Escrima)
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Greg Pichardo (Jeet Kune Do, Buka Jalan Silat, and Kali)
1.1.2024: More Instructors! Registration is coming soon.
Happy New Years! We've added a number of new instructor bios to the page:
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Gerry DiSanto (Brazilian Jui Jitsu, Japanese Jiu Jitsu, & Goju Ryu Karate)
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Tony DiSarro (Kosho Ryu Kempo, Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu, & Serrada Escrima)
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Isaiah Hagan (Lui Seoung Royal Kung Fu & Wu Long Shen Kuntao Silat)
11.7.2024: Festival Dates, First 4 Instructors, & Poster
The 2025 Festival will be on April 12 & 13th in Saratoga Springs at the Holiday Inn. Our first four instructors are:
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Dean Franco (Atienza, Sayoc, & Avernir Kail, & Piper Knife)
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Tim Hartman (Presas Arnis, Kombatan, & Modern Arnis)
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Dave Kalish (Hattatsu-Ryu Karate & Shingitai Jujitsu)
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Dominick Violante (Kempo, Aikido, & White Crane Kung Fu)
Registration starts in January! Download the announcement poster today!
Meet some of the 2025 Instructors
We will be adding more instructors as we get closer to SMAF
Filipino Arts
Dean Franco
Dean started his martial arts training in Tae Kwon Do, advancing to second degree Black Belt. His interests turned to Jeet Kune Do where he studied under Chris Smith and earned an Associate Instructorship from . More recently, he has concentrated on Filipino martial arts, and is credentialed in Atienza Kali, Sayoc Kali, Abenir Kalis and Battlefield Kali. He's also a Piper Instructor in Piper Knife under Lloyd De Jongh and the founder of the FMA Discussion YouTube channel and podcast.
Filipino & Japanese Arts
Tony DiSarro
Tony has been a practitioner of the martial arts for 40 years, and is a senior representative of Hanshi Bruce Juchnik in both Kosho Ryu Kempo and Serrada Escrima, as well as Roy Goldberg Shihan in Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu. His mission in the martial arts is to expose practitioners to the similarities in all martial arts, using the underlying principles and concepts that are universal in all systems.
Chinese & Indonesian Arts
Isaiah Hagan
Sifu Isaiah Hagan was born and raised in Rochester NY. He started his training in the traditional arts 32 years ago at the age of 9 and has spent time in a wide variety of practices including Ishin Ryu Karate, Tae Keon Do, Tatsu Do Jujitsu, Hapkido, Kumdo, Marcaida Kali, Lui Seoung Royal Kung Fu and Wu Long Shen Kuntao Silat.
Isaiah met his teacher Master Michael Barr almost a decade ago and has been on a journey of personal growth and development with him ever since. He is Master Barr's apprentice and inheritor of his lineage. He is truly blessed to have found and been accepted by his teacher and offers his eternal thanks.
Currently, Isaiah teaches advanced classes out of Canandaigua Martial Arts, assists Master Barr in teaching monthly immersive seminars split between Fairport Kung Fu and Canandaigua Martial Arts, and takes private students at his home to all who are interested.
Japanese Arts
Dave Kalish
David Kalish teaches and trains at Fighting Spirit Karate in New Paltz, NY. He has been involved in the martial arts for over 30 years ever since being mesmerized by the artistry of Bruce Lee.
David trained in various styles under many instructors before finding his home at Fighting Spirit Karate. He has black belts in Karate and Jujitsu and went undefeated in regional competition for almost two decades.
He constantly seeks new instructors, seminars, and festivals to expand his never-ending thirst for martial knowledge. Dave is married to world champion Katie Murphy, whom he met at the Super Summer Seminars martial arts camp. They are one couple you DON'T want to mess with!
Japanese & Chinese Arts
Dominick Violante
Master Dominick Violante began Martial Arts training in 1977. He was inducted into the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame in July 2003, and the USA Hall of Fame in 2004. He is a Master Level Practitioner 8th Dan Black Belt of Kempo Karate and is ranked 4th Dan Black Belt in Aikido. In addition, he holds a black sash in White Crane/Long Fist Kung-Fu.
Master Violante was an instructor for the Massachusetts Criminal Justice System instructing state, local and Auxiliary Police Officers for more than 15 years. He also became the first non-police officer to be certified in the R.A.D. (Rape Aggressive Defense) Program. Master Violante had a seat on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Reserve Police Federation as the advisor for defensive tactics. He has developed numerous self defense programs recognized by the Massachusetts Board of Education.
Brazilian & Japanese Arts
Gerry DiSanto
Gerry DiSanto is the owner of and chief instructor at the Defensive Arts Training Centre in St. Catharines, Ontario. He holds a wide variety of ranks in various martial arts and is a certified teacher, allowing him the ability to meet each student’s individual needs. Along with his skills in boxing, kickboxing, grappling, and weaponry, Gerry DiSanto has been training in martial arts for several decades and is a renowned martial arts instructor in the Niagara Region.
Gerry's ranks include
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3rd Degree Black Belt in BJJ under Helio Soneca
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4th Degree Black Belt in Japanese Jiu-Jitsu
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2nd Degree Black Belt in Goju Ryu Karate
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Arnis, Muay Thai and Boxing Practitioner
His competition experience includes
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2010 NAGA Black Belt Champion
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2009 IBJJF Louisville, Kentucky Superfight winner
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2008 IBJJF Louisville, Kentucky Gold Medal
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2007 Canadian NAGA Champion (Ascension Tournament)
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2004 Canadian Abu Dhabi Champion
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2004 North American Abu Dhabi Competitor
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2004 Evolution Grappling Champion
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2003 OUA Freestyle Wrestling Silver Medalist
Filipino Arts
Tim Hartman
Grand Master “Datu Tim” Hartman started his formal martial training in Modern Arnis. After his first year of training, Hartman became a direct student of the late Grand Master Remy A. Presas (The Prof). Before GM Presas passed, he promoted Hartman to “Datu” and the highest active ranked American.
In 1998 Hartman started training Kombatan under the Prof’s younger brother, Ernesto Presas. In 2007, while Hartman was in the Philippines, GM Ernesto promoted Hartman to a 9th degree black belt and Grand Master of the family system.
Hartman continues his education. He is trained and certified in: Modern Arnis, Kombatan, Balintawak Eskrima and Bando. Recently the Datu tested and received black belts in both Kuntaw and Sikaran.
He has taught throughout the US, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, England, Puerto Rico, Poland, Barbados, Venezuela, Chile, Italy, Iceland, Portugal, Finland and in Arnis’ birth place, the Philippines. Though his dedication to the arts, Hartman has become one of the world’s leading instructors of Filipino Martial Arts.
Chinese and Indonesian Arts
Chris LaCava
Chris has trained in the martial arts, coming up on 40 years. He has traveled around the world to train in martial arts as well as acupuncture. Chris earned his 4th degree black belt in Hapkido and 1st degree in Kuhapdo under Grand Master Lim, Hyun-su in Daegu South Korea, Certified Force Necessary Advanced Knife Instructor under Hock Hockheim, and is a graduate, as well as an Instructor, of Stockton Multi-Style Escrima. Chris is also a Licensed Acupuncturist and an EMT.
Chinese and Indonesian Arts
Greg Pichardo
Greg Pichardo has been training in the martial arts for over 50 years and teaching in the New York tri-state area since the 1990s in the arts of Jeet Kune Do, Buka Jalan Silat, and Kali. Greg has a direct lineage to the legendary Bruce Lee in the art of JKD and is now recognized as one of the leading authorities in this art. He is also the only full instructor in the art of Buka Jalan Pentjak Silat on the East Coast.
Greg is an official trainer for the U.S. Navy SEALs and has assisted them in the preparation for their covert operations. Greg continues to have the honor and privilege in training groups such as the NYPD, ATF, FBI, U.S. Marines, Air Marshals, and Homeland Security team, as well as the ordinary people who love Martial Arts. Always looking to give back to the Martial Arts, he has traveled extensively throughout the country, sharing his vast knowledge in the various disciplines in the form of workshops and seminars.