HoustonMartialArtsAcademy Your Best Self = Self Defense + Self Discovery + Self Confidence
© Houston Martial Arts Media 2025
About

Our Philosophy and Instructors

The Houston Martial Arts Academy ("HMAA") specializes in real life self-defense training. We are dedicated to developing our members' confidence and ability to defend any type of attack at any range. We also make sure to have fun while we are training so that we actually enjoy practicing the techniques, drills and concepts from the martial arts we offer.

Joseph L. Galleon

Joseph is an Instructor at HMAA. He has been training in martial arts since he was a child, for over 75 years. His first introduction to the martial arts was at the age of 6 through his father, who passed down their family system of Escrmia to Joe and his brothers. His father was training parters with Florendo Visitacion and GM Hipolito. He is a Guro/Full Instructor in Giron® Arnis Escrima System and an Affiliate of Bahala Na® Martial Arts Association. He holds a 4th degree Black Belt in Chung Do Kwan with North American Tae Kwon Do - CDK and a 2nd degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. Manong Joe is also a Guro in his Visayan family system of Galleon Clan Escrima and the head representative in America. An avid historian and researcher, Joseph is a wealth of information on South East Asian history and culture. Joesph co-founded the Houston Stick Fighting Association in 2016.

Jason Evans

Jason is the owner and Head Instructor of HMAA. Jason is a Guro/Full Instructor of Giron® Arnis Escrima and an Affiliate of Bahala Na® Martial Arts Association. He is also an Instructor in Galleon Clan Escrima under Guro Joseph Galleon. He is a 3rd degree Black Belt and Instructor of Chung Do Kwan with North American Tae Kwon Do - CDK. Jason is also the Director of the Houston Stick Fighting Association and Published the HSFA Insider newsletter. Growing up, Jason learned self-defense, situational awareness and fire arms instruction under his Father, who served in Law Enforcement for over 20 years+. Jason continually studies martial arts and is constantly learning from senior practitioners to further develop and refine his approach to self-defense, health, and combatives.

Andy Erich

Andy started training in martial arts in 1984. He trained in Uechi-Ryu Karate Do, eventually reaching the rank of 4th-degree black belt. Since then he has trained and taught in numerous other martial arts, including Aikido, Muay Thai, and Western Boxing. Looking to learn more of a weapons-based art, he tried Giron® Arnis Escrima at a seminar in 2008 in Houston, TX, and has been training ever since. Giron® Arnis Escrima has a rare blend of “family-style” training, mixed with formal techniques and discipline of a proven martial art. Andy graduated from the system in 2016, and he was recently promoted to Guro. He currently teaches at HMAA in Houston, where he continues to learn, enjoy, and share the art.

Kai Lewis

Coach Kai has been practicing the art of Pencak Silat Panglipur since 2012. Kai was able to study privately and become accepted as a direct student to Kang Cecep during his first visit to the United States, thanks to the efforts of the original Panglipur USA student, Kang Nicholas Portillo. Kai is the only Level 2 Coach in Panglipur Galih Martial Arts System under Kang Cecep in the United States and is head of Panglipur USA organization. Over a period of years he has spent months in Garut, Indonesia at Kang Cecep’s home. It was there at the Padepokan Kasundan where he refined his skills, mindset and body. Kai’s interests are in the traditional methods and modern integration of martial arts, meditation, and movement. He makes regular trips to Southeast Asia to further immerse himself in the culture, philosophy. healing arts and continue to update his combat science. Kai currently teaches Silat, Yoga and Tai Chi to students at Rice University as an adjunct professor and Silat with Houston Martial Arts Academy. “Kang” is a familial Sundanese term used in the Panglipur system meaning “Older Brother”.
© Houston Martial Arts Media 2025
About

Our Philosophy and

Instructors

The Houston Martial Arts Academy ("HMAA") specializes in real life self- defense training. We are dedicated to developing our members' confidence and ability to defend any type of attack at any range. We also make sure to have fun while we are training so that we actually enjoy practicing the techniques, drills and concepts from the martial arts we offer.
HoustonMartialArtsAcademy Your Best Self = Self Defense + Self Discovery + Self Confidence

Joseph L. Galleon

Joseph is an Instructor at HMAA. He has been training in martial arts since he was a child, for over 75 years. His first introduction to the martial arts was at the age of 6 through his father, who passed down their family system of Escrmia to Joe and his brothers. His father was training parters with Florendo Visitacion and GM Hipolito. He is a Guro/Full Instructor in Giron® Arnis Escrima System and an Affiliate of Bahala Na® Martial Arts Association. He holds a 4th degree Black Belt in Chung Do Kwan with North American Tae Kwon Do - CDK and a 2nd degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. Manong Joe is also a Guro in his Visayan family system of Galleon Clan Escrima and the head representative in America. An avid historian and researcher, Joseph is a wealth of information on South East Asian history and culture. Joesph co-founded the Houston Stick Fighting Association in 2016.

Jason Evans

Jason is the owner and Head Instructor of HMAA. Jason is a Guro/Full Instructor of Giron® Arnis Escrima and an Affiliate of Bahala Na® Martial Arts Association. He is also an Instructor in Galleon Clan Escrima under Guro Joseph Galleon. He is a 3rd degree Black Belt and Instructor of Chung Do Kwan with North American Tae Kwon Do - CDK. Jason is also the Director of the Houston Stick Fighting Association and Published the HSFA Insider newsletter. Growing up, Jason learned self-defense, situational awareness and fire arms instruction under his Father, who served in Law Enforcement for over 20 years+. Jason continually studies martial arts and is constantly learning from senior practitioners to further develop and refine his approach to self-defense, health, and combatives.

Andy Erich

Andy started training in martial arts in 1984. He trained in Uechi- Ryu Karate Do, eventually reaching the rank of 4th-degree black belt. Since then he has trained and taught in numerous other martial arts, including Aikido, Muay Thai, and Western Boxing. Looking to learn more of a weapons-based art, he tried Giron® Arnis Escrima at a seminar in 2008 in Houston, TX, and has been training ever since. Giron® Arnis Escrima has a rare blend of “family-style” training, mixed with formal techniques and discipline of a proven martial art. Andy graduated from the system in 2016, and he was recently promoted to Guro. He currently teaches at HMAA in Houston, where he continues to learn, enjoy, and share the art.

Kai Lewis

Coach Kai has been practicing the art of Pencak Silat Panglipur since 2012. Kai was able to study privately and become accepted as a direct student to Kang Cecep during his first visit to the United States, thanks to the efforts of the original Panglipur USA student, Kang Nicholas Portillo. Kai is the only Level 2 Coach in Panglipur Galih Martial Arts System under Kang Cecep in the United States and is head of Panglipur USA organization. Over a period of years he has spent months in Garut, Indonesia at Kang Cecep’s home. It was there at the Padepokan Kasundan where he refined his skills, mindset and body. Kai’s interests are in the traditional methods and modern integration of martial arts, meditation, and movement. He makes regular trips to Southeast Asia to further immerse himself in the culture, philosophy. healing arts and continue to update his combat science. Kai currently teaches Silat, Yoga and Tai Chi to students at Rice University as an adjunct professor and Silat with Houston Martial Arts Academy. “Kang” is a familial Sundanese term used in the Panglipur system meaning “Older Brother”