MANILA, Philippines — “Kali was born in the Philippines!” proudly declared an American cast member of “Marvel Universe Live!” FILSTAR The event took place before the kick-off of the international tour at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last Friday.
“I'm in America practicing Filipino martial arts!” said American cast member Gigi Santos. FILSTAR I went on a behind-the-scenes tour of the show, produced by Feld Entertainment, the producers of the annual hit “Disney on Ice.”
“In our show, we mainly use Kali with props… but there are many places in the Philippines where you can learn Kali,” asserted Santos, who plays nemesis Nebula in the show.
“Kali mainly uses the stick, which is kind of the symbol of Filipino martial arts. The stick is basically a pointed weapon to attack any part of the body – the temple, close to the body, the elbow, or even the wrist or fingers if you want to attack them,” Santos explained, demonstrating some moves alongside fellow American cast member Sierra Pérez, who plays Nebula's sister Gamora.
“Kali is very flashy and very baggy!” Santos pointed out as he explained how the martial art can be used to disarm opponents. “With Kali, you can attack your opponent from long range, up close and personal.”
She said that instead of the traditional sticks, sharper objects similar to sticks are used as props for performing Kali in the show.
Besides Kali, Perez said his presentation also incorporates European swordsmanship and Japanese martial arts. The combination of all these different martial arts forms results in a choreography of fast slashing, cutting and defensive movements.
“What I love about her is that she's such a strong character, but also learning the importance of family and caring for the other characters,” Perez said of her character Gamora.
“I love that Nebula trains Kali!” Santos said of why she loves her Marvel character. “And I love that she's so aggressive and has so many different styles of training. When she gets on a mission, she hits the ground running!”
“Marvel Universe Live!” runs until June 16. Tickets are available for purchase starting at P300 at www.smtickets.com or at authorized SM Ticket outlets nationwide. — Photos and video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad Bernardo; video editing by Anjlica Andaya
