The Journey to CryptoKali
CryptoKali developed through more than two decades of training, teaching, collaboration, and personal discovery. What began as a journey through martial arts gradually evolved into a broader exploration of movement, awareness, pattern recognition, decision-making, and personal growth.
The dates below mark the major stages of that journey. Some represent specific milestones, while others reflect broader periods of continued development.
2001 — Formal Training Begins
Anthony Palmer began his formal martial arts training at Training Edge in Williamsville, New York, under Steve Spoth.
2002 — Filipino Martial Arts
Anthony began training in Filipino Martial Arts under Kuya Doug Marcaida, beginning a relationship that would lead to more than two decades of training, teaching, public instruction, and professional collaboration.
2001–2008 — The Foundational Years
These early years included training in Haganah, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, and Filipino Martial Arts. Together, these experiences established the physical and conceptual foundation for Anthony’s later development as an instructor.
Approximately 2011–2020 — Rochester Marcaida Kali
Anthony became a senior instructor and helped open and operate the Rochester Marcaida Kali school with Doug Marcaida’s blessing. His responsibilities included teaching classes, developing students, managing school operations, and helping maintain the Rochester training community.
Approximately 2013–2019 — Seminars and Public Instruction
Anthony taught and participated in seminars, workshops, demonstrations, and public training events. These included RIT Kali 101, MA.MAS, a veterans seminar in Toronto, and other instructional events in the United States and Canada.
Approximately 2014–2019 — Instructional and Collaborative Media
Anthony appeared in instructional videos, demonstrations, workshops, and collaborative projects, including Rochester Marcaida Kali videos and By the Edge. These experiences helped document his teaching, movement, and long-term collaboration with Doug Marcaida.
2018 — Forged in Fire, Season 5
During Doug Marcaida’s recovery from shoulder surgery, Anthony served as his “arm” for six episodes of the History Channel series Forged in Fire. He performed both kill tests and runner-up weapon tests, completing twelve televised tests during the season.
2020–2021 — Adapting During COVID
When in-person training was disrupted, Anthony transitioned to Zoom instruction, online lessons, and Patreon. This period created new ways to teach, connect with students, and continue developing his educational approach beyond the physical school.
2022–Present — Independent Teaching and Continued Development
Anthony continued teaching Filipino Martial Arts through private lessons, small groups, and individual instruction while further developing CryptoKali as an independent educational framework.
2024–Present — Formalizing CryptoKali
The ideas developed through years of training and teaching began taking a more complete form. CryptoKali grew into an awareness and performance philosophy centered on recognizing patterns, understanding context, making thoughtful decisions, and acting with purpose.
2026–Present — C.O.D.E., the Basic A System, and CryptoKali.org
The launch of CryptoKali.org brought the philosophy, teaching history, and evolving curriculum together in one place. Current development includes the C.O.D.E. Framework—Context, Observation, Decision, and Execution—and the continued organization of the Basic A system.
The journey is still unfolding. Each new discovery builds upon the same foundation: learning to see what is present, understand how its parts connect, and apply that understanding with purpose.
See the Pattern. Shape the Outcome.
Each stage of the journey contributed another piece to the CryptoKali framework.
More than two decades of training revealed a consistent truth: Technique matters, but the ability to recognize patterns, adapt to changing conditions, and act with purpose matters even more.
— From Training to Teaching
The early years established a foundation in movement, discipline, and practical application. Teaching later required Anthony to look beyond performing techniques and learn how to explain them—finding patterns, creating useful analogies, and helping different students connect unfamiliar movements to something they already understood.
— From Teaching to CryptoKali
Over time, those lessons developed into a broader educational philosophy. CryptoKali connects Filipino Martial Arts with awareness, decision-making, adaptability, and personal growth. Its purpose is not simply to teach people what to do, but to help them better understand what they see, why it matters, and how to respond with intention.
See the Pattern. Shape the Outcome.
The Timeline Continues.
CryptoKali remains an evolving body of work—grounded in experience, refined through teaching, and shaped by continued discovery.
The setting has changed—from formal schools and public seminars to private instruction and independent development—but the underlying pursuit has remained consistent: study the movement, understand the pattern, and make that understanding teachable.
CryptoKali is the result of accumulated experience rather than a single moment of invention. It grew through years of training, teaching, testing ideas, working with students, and observing how principles from martial arts can apply far beyond physical technique. The framework continues to evolve as those connections become clearer.
