Saturday, May 16th, 8am to 5pm
Sunday, May 17th, 8am to 1 pm
Holiday Inn, Saratoga Springs NY
Join us for two days of hands-on martial arts workshops covering striking, grappling, weapons, self defense, and more! There's also a Saturday Night Banquet with the Instructional Staff.
Martial Artists of all backgrounds, styles, and experience levels are welcome and encourage to take part in the festival
Jump to: Instructors | Lodging | Registration
The Saratoga Martial Arts Festival has been the Capital
Region's Premier Martial Arts Gathering for over 20 years!
Festival Updates
The 2026 Site And Ticketing Goes Live!
First three instructors announced:
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Teaching for the first time this year:
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🆕Ken Casamento
Kyokushin Karate & Krav Maga
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Returning Instructors:
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William Luciano
Pai Family Boxing & Eighteen Bronze Man Method -
May & Michael Williams
Filipino & Indonesian Martial Arts
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Meet the 2026 SMAF Instructors
We will be adding more instructors as we get closer to SMAF
Irish & Japanese Systems,
Weapons, Empty Hand, Self Defense
John Borter &
Trish Chiovari
John Borter and Trish Chiovari are ambassadors for the Irish martial arts and personal self defense.
John has been training in the martial arts for more than 35 years and holds blackbelt ranks in multiple systems with a high rank of 6th degree blackbelt. He is the founder of Modern Self-Defense Concepts and the creator of the ABC Women's Self-Defense program, a renowned program taught in 12 countries. He teaches martials arts, self-defense, knife, tomahawk, Kubotan, and Irish stick classes and seminars to hundreds of people a year. and has worked as a training consultant for law enforcement.
Trish Chiovari has been training in the martial arts for more than a decade. She is an instructor in Modern Self-Defense Concepts and the co-instructor of the ABC Women's Self-Defense program. She effectively utilizes both her experience in the martial arts as well as her training as a certified social worker to bring her unique and highly valuable insight to teaching women's self-defense and personal safety.
John and Trish were among the first instructors to be certified in the Doyle system in the US under Bernie Leddy, the Chieftain of the Doyle system. Both have been widely featured in articles, newscasts, and videos for their Irish stick fighting teaching.
American, Chinese, & Japanese Systems
Combat Sports, Kickboxing
Terry Dow
🔄Back after years away!🆕
Team Coach Terry Dow has 35 years of martial arts experience. He began his training with the basics of Kenpo Karate at the age of 9, and received his first black belt by the age of 15. He has earned Master rank under Legend Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, and has competed in two World championships in Karate and KickBoxing.
Terry was first introduced to undefeated World Kickboxing Champion, Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, at a seminar when he was only 19. He was immediately intrigued by this man, who used physiology and kinesiology to perfect swift movements capable of earning him championships. More importantly, Terry saw Bill overcome an injury in his right leg, and was inspired by his fighting spirit and refusal to submit to adversity.
Current Ranks include:
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7th Degree Black (Master) Superfoot Systems
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4th Degree Black Multi Cultural Art
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3rd Degree Black Chinese Kenpo Karate
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1st Degree Black Kosho Shorei Ryu Kenpo
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1st Degree Black Belt in Yoshitsune Combat Ju Jutsu
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Under Soke Michael Depasquale Jr.
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Coach “Team Dow” MMA and Kick Boxing
This will be coach Terry's first time teaching at SMAF in a DECADE!
Chinese Systems
Traditional Empty Hand & Weapons
William Luciano
🔄Back after years away!🆕
William Luciano is a senior-level instructor in both the Pai Family Martial Arts and the Eighteen Bronze Man Method of Chinese martial arts. Mr. Luciano is a lineage disciple and is licensed to teach both of these methods.
William is well versed in the techniques, martial theories and histories of a number of arts. In addition to the arts listed above, he has had extensive training in the arts of Hsing-I Ch’uan, Pa-Kua Chang, T’ai-Chi Ch’uan, Okinawan Kempo, and Southern Fukien Lohan (Shaolin kung fu).
Sifu Luciano has been a regular at SMAF for years, but it's his first time teaching in quite a while.
Filipino Systems
Impact & Bladed Weapons, Knife Design
Doug Marcaida
🔄Back after years away!🆕
Doug Marcaida is a martial artist, edged weapons specialist, and knife designer born in the Philippines, who calls Upstate New York home. Doug’s interest in martial arts began at the age of 8, but he did not begin formally training in the arts until he was 16. At age 25 he discovered his love for Filipino Martial Arts, and the rest is history.
A US military veteran, who served in the US Air Force for 8 years, and then pursued a career as a Respiratory Therapist for 20 years, all the while teaching and honing his skills as a Filipino martial artist.
In addition to developing his own style of Filipino Martial Arts, called Marcaida Kali, Doug has traveled all over the United States and the world, teaching first responders and military personnel the foundations of his beloved art. All of this life experience has led Doug to his core belief: It’s not about how many you hurt, it’s about how many you protect. This motto eventually evolved into Doug’s popular catchphrase “It will K.E.Al” ( Keep Everyone Alive).
Doug is now featured as a judge on the History Channel’s Forged in Fire and as well as Desafio Sobre Fuego: Latin America. He's a brand ambassador and knife designer for 5.11 Tactical and has collaborations with KBar Knives, Bastinelli Creations, Max Venom, Fox Knives, and Jason Knight Knives. Learn more at his website: dougmarcaida.com.
We are excited to have Doug back on our teaching staff again for the first time in a few years!
Japanese Systems
Striking, Joint Locking, & Grappling
Anthony Quatrochi
Shihan Quatrochi has been training in the martial arts since 1987, and has over 30 years as an instructor.
Being a student of many martial art systems and styles, it was not until he met his JuJitsu instructor that he realized that he had found the style for him.
Shihan Quatrochi's form, Kokoro Kai, is unique in its approach to Japanese JuJitsu.
The school does not teach one modality of the discipline but focuses on the Martial Movements of the complete Art.
Anthony Quatrochi's Martial Arts Institute is in Wappingers Falls, New York
Japanese & Israeli Systems
Coaching, Combat Sports, Self Defense
Ken Casamento
🆕 New SMAF Instructor 🆕
Ken Casamento has been training in martial arts for over 15 years, specializing in Kyokushin Karate at Fighting Spirit Karate. He holds a Black belt (Shodan) in Kyokushin Karate and Krav Maga.
Ken is an experienced Kyokushin instructor and a USA Boxing–certified coach working closely with world champion fighters and students to develop strong fundamentals, effective striking, and mental toughness. He takes pride in preparing students for Kyokushin competition while fostering discipline, confidence, and respect both inside and outside the dojo.
As a Krav Maga instructor, Ken focuses on practical self-defense, situational awareness, and realistic combat scenarios. His teaching emphasizes composure under pressure and developing the skills needed to respond effectively in real-world situations.
American, Chinese, and Filipino Systems
Empty Hands, Weapons, Nutrition & Fitness
Rolando Garcia
🆕 New SMAF Instructor 🆕
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Senior Full Instructor in Jeet Kune Do/Filipino Martial Arts under Sifu Armando
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Basulto/Former East Coast Regional Director for PFS/JKD under Paul Vunak
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O-Marobashi Kai rank in Shinkage Ryu Marobashikai Hyoho under Sensei Shioda Masami
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Purple Belt Brazilian Jiujitsu under Professor Marcos Duarte
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White Glove Boxe Francaise Savate under Moniteur Armando Basulto/Choisy Le Roi
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Senior Instructor Felicissimo Dizon Estocada (Doce Pares/Doblete/Mohara) under Rolando Garcia Sr.
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RKC Level 1 and 2 Kettlebell Coach under Pavel Tsatsouline
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Precision Nutrition 2 Coach Certified
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CK/FMS I and II Certified under Gray Cook/Brett Jones.
Filipino Systems
Impact & Bladed Weapons
June Gotico & Terry Joven
Maestro June Gotico and Guro Terry Joven have been regulars at SMAF for the last few years, brining the West Coast Stockton Multi-Style Escrima approach to those of us here in the East.
Maestro June graduated in 1991 in Leo Giron’s BahalaNa and promoted to Guro in 1993. He was one of the main instructors in GM Leo Giron’s Bahala Na Club No. 1 in the 1990’s and fought on the club’s famous Fight Team, competing full-contact tournaments throughout the West Coast and Hawaii. In the early 2000’s he started training in SLD (Serrada/Largo/Decuerdas) under Dentoy Revillar, Bobby Antuna and Dexter Labonog. In 2006, along with other long time martial artists, Maestro June founded Stockton Multi-Style Escrima Club, developing and showcasing the main styles that Stockton is famous for.
Guro Terry graduated in 2004 from the Giron Bahala Na System and was promoted to Guro in 2005. In addition to his experience with Bahala Na, Guro Terry has trained in Tenio Decuerdas Escrima, Renbukai and Go Shin Jitsu Kai. Along with Maestro June Gotico Guro Terry is one of the founding instructors of Bahala Na Multistyle, eventually becoming Stockton Multi-Style Escrima.
Learn more about Stockton Multi-Style Escrima at their website.
Japanese, Chinese, & Burmese Systems
Unarmed Self Defense, Martial Analysis & Theory
Steven Pearlman
Dr. Steve Pearlman is a highly respected author, instructor, and thought leader in the martial arts community. Training since 1983, Steve has studied a range of martial arts from around the world and is the author of The Book of Martial Power and the recently released On Martial Theory. He also started the Saratoga Martial Arts Festival and runs the online Martial Theory University.
Steve's expertise focuses on the hidden scientific, biomechanical, and psychological forces that drive combative effectiveness across stylistic and national boundaries. His approach focuses on the universal principles that connect all martial arts, emphasizing combative and anatomical insights that transcend individual styles.
He teaches his personal “family style” of martial arts to a small group of students at the Avon Kempo Aikido Academy in Connecticut. In addition to SMAF, Steve has taught at Martial Arts seminars and festivals across the north eastern US.
Southeast Asian Systems
Unarmed, Bladed, & Weapons Combat
May & Michael Williams
The Williams Family has a long history of martial and healing arts, dating back three generations. Michael and May Williams met while training in the Philippines. In 1996 they established the Martial Arts Research Institute in Salem, Massachusetts.
May Williams holds upper and teaching ranks in a variety of martial arts, including:
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Baringin Sakti Pencak Silat, Pendekar Muda
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Dekiti Tirsia Siradas Kali, Master Instructor
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Kyushinryu Kenpo Jujutsu, Sho Dan
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Oido De Caburata Arnis, Grandmaster
Michael Williams has an extensive history of training in martial arts. He holds upper and teaching ranks in a number of martial arts including:
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Kuntao Silat de Thouars, Chuan Shu Sifu
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Dekiti Tirsia Siradas Kali, Grandmaster
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Oido De Caburata Arnis, Grandmaster
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Modern Arnis, Lakan Isa (1st degree black belt)
The Williams Family has been traveling to and hosting martial arts camps in Southeast Asia with Grandmasters for over two decades.
Stay tuned to this page for more staff announcements!
Venue and Lodging
This year's festival will be held at the Holiday Inn located at 232 Broadway, Saratoga Springs. It's just down the street from the heart of downtown with plenty of restaurants and shops in walking distance.
Book now to get the $179/night special SMAF rate and save 50% over the normal room rate! No prepayment necessary and there are a limited number of rooms available.
Preregistration is open! Save up to $50!
Registering before the event helps us with planning and saves you money over registering at the door. There are a number of registration options, including:
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A full package, including big savings on admission, meals, and t-shirts (save $50)
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Registering for both days and a t-shirt (save $30)
For complete pricing, visit our registration page.