Meet Our Team
Alvin began his training inthe martial arts at an early age, starting with Tae Kwon Do and Karate.
But once he discovered Pencak Silat back in 1995 he felt it had a lot to offer him and was hooked ever since.In 2003 he worked as one of the main Instructors at EastWest Studios in London's Hendon Central where he helped run this full time martial arts, dance and fitness academy.
His work at EWS soon created opportunities to conduct seminars throughout the UK and expanding further afield to Europe and the USA. By mid 2006, Alvin finally completed Pencak Silat training with his teacher bringing him into his own journey in Pencak Silat and other martial arts.
As you go through the journey of Silat your own flow and way will emerge.Like the Silat of old this was one of the ways that Silat systems were created and evolved. After years of trainin, Alvin has been granted permission to follow his own way and expression. The name he has given this expression is "Silat Buka Lingkaran" which translates "Silat Open Circle" describing the fluidity, velocity and connection of the movements, covering all ranges and angles.
Alvin now certifies instructors at their designated stage within the art, and continues to spearhead and create awareness of the developing and expanding Pencak Silat both nationally and internationally.
Chris is a fulltime martial arts coach and is training various Martial Arts Systems since his childhood.
His first teacher and main influence was his grandfather Johann Streit who taught him some WW2 Combatives Tactics, a German oldschool Grappling System and how to use a knife.
Meanwhile Chris is a very well rounded Martial Arts Teacher holding instructor ranks in Wing Chun, different Styles of FMA & Kali, Muay Thai & Muay Boran and Silat.
He also founded his own Kali (Streit-Kali) and Grappling System He is the Head Coach of DCS Fight Gym in Bamberg Germany where he teaches almost all arts that he has learned (except of Kung Fu).
Having survived a violent youth and working at the doors of some shady nightclubs for a few years Chris has a different, sometimes more realistic perspective on martial arts than the average martial arts Instructor.
Since having changed the sides he taught police & military forces and civilians about a lot of street tactical and psychological wisdom that might save you in real life encounters more often then style or technique.
Through the glases of his real life experience Chris is a lifetime (re)searcher for the truth (what works in reality).
After long years of search for a Silat Style that has a value in real world self-defense Chris got in contact with Alvin and was very impressed by his skills, explosiveness and the realistic impact of the SBL techniques. So Chris decided that he wanted to learn SBL in depth also because there was nothing comparable in Silat out there especially in groundfighting for self-defense.
Many years later Chris is the most experienced SBL instructor and practitioner in Germany and was chosen by Alvin as Germany representative to make the art more popular in the country.
Soon after he met Alvin, he discoved SBL and been hooked up ever since.
Currently he is leading the SBL trainings in Bratislava study group and as well assisting with other trainings.
He sees the main benefits of martial arts as a way to keep in shape and relax after work, it also gives an insight of all that can go wrong in a real scenario which in returns helps with perspective to whether it would be worth it.
In personal life he is an IT Architect, he enjoys cooking and eating as well. One of his hobbies is tabletop games and he is lucky enough to have found friends that he can enjoy this passion with.
Alvin travels extensively worldwide and due to his busy schedule has appointed Ash to represent SBL at seminars and establish schools worldwide.
Ash has been learning the art for over 19 years and teaching since 2011. He has an established school based in London called SBL London.
Ash is a passionate instructor who believes in leading by example. He’s had his fair share of fighting situations and uses this experience to prepare all his students to deal with violent conflict both physically as well as mentally.
He gets the best out of each of his students and pushes them to limits they think was not possible. In the fighting arts, this is essential in order to strengthen the mind, body and spirit.
Ash teaches a variety of students from beginners to advanced martial artists with backgrounds in Aikido, Wing Chun, Praying Mantis, Tae Kwon Do as well as fighters who compete in full contact tournaments.
My martial arts journey began at 7, where I joined the local judo club in Belfast.
I trained there til I was 14 when I decided to put most of my efforts into my hurling career.
In my 20's I started to pursue my interest in martial arts again. First, I started training Chow Gar Kung Fu in my early 20s and then Muay Thai with Frank McConville, who introduced me to Alvin Guinanao in 2002.
I've trained Silat Buka Lingkaran with Alvin ever since and have never looked back.
My martial arts journey began at 7, where I joined the local judo club in Belfast.
I trained there til I was 14 when I decided to put most of my efforts into my hurling career.
In my 20's I started to pursue my interest in martial arts again. First, I started training Chow Gar Kung Fu in my early 20s and then Muay Thai with Frank McConville, who introduced me to Alvin Guinanao in 2002.
I've trained Silat Buka Lingkaran with Alvin ever since and have never looked back.
A few years later, in 1991 he had his the first approach to Silat, thanks to his teacher who returned from a trip to Malaysia and showed him what he had practiced ... a few things, but enough to understand that this would be his path.
In 1999 he joined AKEA, the first Italian national association dedicated to these South East Asian disciplines and Jeet Kune Do, until he became technical director in 2013.
Professional martial arts and self defense teacher since 1995, Andrea Citarelli has always dedicated himself to the study of teaching and training. The list of titles and experiences acquired over many years of professionalism allows him to range from the strictly martial sector to that of personal defense, from sports to the organizational one, with a pragmatic and functional approach.
As AKEA Director, he chose Silat Buka Lingkaran as the art to spread in Italy and so, since 2015, he invite Alvin regularly for open seminars and Instructors classes.
In addition to being SBL Italy Representative, he holds prestigious positions at national and international level:
• AKEA Technical Director
• National Technical Director HARDENED TARGET Self Protection System under GM Thomas G. Sipin
• Italian Representative of PEKITI TIRSIA KALI under Tuhon Willam R. McGrath
• Co-founder and Italian Director of GLOBAL STICK AND BLADE ALLIANCE (G.S.B.A.)
I started training in martial arts around 1995 when I attended my first Karate class. Then I went on to study Mixed Combat Systems at the John McKean Academy, this is where I was first introduced to Silat. I then became a member of the Paisley Silat Club in 2013 (this is where I first discovered SBL).
I am currently the instructor for SBL Paisley after being granted my Phase 1 Instructorship in 2018 from chief instructor Alvin Guinanao.
Training and teaching SBL has had great benefits for me personally with fitness, mobility, mindset and I have made some life long friends along the way in fellow instructors and students. Outside of the school I am father of 3, football coach and work as an IT contractor.
The journey for me never ends I will always keep assessing where I need to grow in all aspects of life and work to develop myself in all my passions.
Coming Soon
I have been practicing martial arts seriously since 2005 not counting the early teenage years.
I started my journey with Muay Thai then after a few months I found the opportunity to start training in Kali,Silat and Jeet Kune Do,later Shooto and soon shifting my interest to Silat Buka Lingkaran.
To this day I keep practicing all these arts, and I never felt anything missing ever since. I started to go deeper in my education only for my benefit, but soon realized I love teaching. I have been working with students since 2010, and I could not find anything more fulfilling.
Since 2013, I extensively travel to abroad in order to learn from the best in the field, and build relations with the community.
I trained with the following teachers that have huge influence on my journey: Guro Dan Inosanto, Guro Bon Breen, Guro Daniel Lonero.
I am certified instructor in JKD and Kali under my first teacher Sifu Zoltán Juhász who I appreciate always for setting me on this route in my earlier years; certified for the “Advanced phase 2” in Shooto by Sensei Yori Nakamura; Associate Instructor of Minnesota Kali Group by Guro Rick Faye in JKD, Kali, Silat, Muay Thai and grappling arts; Instructor in Silat Buka Lingkaran by Guro Alvin Guinanao.
Other than martial arts I am very interested in how the human mind works, how to create permanent transformations and systems to support it, so I shifted to mental coaching and therapy too as a full time freelance dreamer.
Janel Barlongo is a first-generation Filipina and is a native to Southern California. Her martial arts career started her freshman year at California State University, Northridge in 2003.
In search for more knowledge about her heritage, Janel joined the Filipino American Student Association and while doing research on notable martial artist, she stumbled across Guro Dan Inosanto.
Janel reached out to the Inosanto Academy to see if Guro Dan would be interested in doing a workshop for the Filipino Club. Guro Dan generously donated his time and brought sticks for everyone to experience the art.
It was that moment that Janel’s journey and love for the Southeast Asian Martial arts began. The Magda Institute in Reseda, California was Ms. Barlongo’s first stop, where she learned a blended system of Jeet Kun Do (JKD), Muay Thai, Kali, and Silat.
After earning a Phase 2-2 rank, it was time for Janel to delve further into the arts and focus her training in Kali and Silat. Her training methods from Kali come from Pekiti Tirsia under Tuhon Apolo Ladra and Silat from Guro Alvin Guinanao.
Janel also holds Level 1 certifications in Modern Cimande under Guro Ed Wong and Chintown JKD under Steven Ressell. Janel continues to teach at the University of California, Los Angeles, private events, and seminars.
As a lifelong student of the arts, Ms. Barlongo focuses on the fluidity and adaptability of the movements and making sure students learn to embrace their inner strength, confidence, and patience. When not teaching, Janel can be found volunteering her time with animal rescue groups or running a luxury real estate firm in the West San Fernando Valley.
Surrounded by Martial Arts from a young age , Michael has a rich heritage and wealth of experience in the fighting systems. Training mainly in Eskrima and Boxing initially before transitioning, alongside his teachers, into Pencak Silat. This became the main focus of his training.
Although Silat remains his core system he still maintains proficiency and progression in Eskrima and Boxing while residing in Australia.
Martial Arts has allowed him to travel the world and meet many amazing martial artists all with a shared interest in knowledge and community.
Outside of teaching and training Michael performs professionally with an Indonesian dance company as well as choreographing fight sequences for both stage and film projects across Australia.
