Pinoy Patriarch Project Michael Pana

In this solo episode I break down why Fitness is essential to becoming a better Pinoy Patriarch. I speak about a personal experience I had with a Pinoy father who was out of shape, and then I give my advice to get started on a fitness journey.

In this solo episode I discuss a true story that occurred yesterday as I was out with my family, and the lessons I’ve gleaned from it as a husband, father, and protector. I also explain why every Pinoy husband and father needs to have the capacity for violence.

Hello and welcome to the Pinoy Patriarch Project Podcast. I am your host Michael Pana. I am a husband, father of 3 boys, and full-time protector who is on the journey of learning what it means to be the leader of my home, my business, and my community. In this podcast I speak to Filipino and Filipino-American leaders who exhibit strength, honor, and courage who are leaders in their respective fields.

In this episode we sit down with Leo Manalo, a Tuhon (master level instructor) in Atienza Kali. He is also a married man with two daughters. He currently is a full-time martial art instructor through Atienza Kali teaches groups in the New York/New Jersey Tri-state area, and recently returned from teaching a seminar in Ireland.

I’ve known Tuhon Leo for over two decades, and in this interview we dig into his childhood as a Filipino immigrant, how his desire to be more masculine and tough brought him into the gang-life, and how training in martial arts led him to the Atienza family, ultimately resulting in his departure from gang-life and toward a more positive path. We also discuss topics such as as marriage and fatherhood, and how our Atienza training helped us in those areas of our lives.

I am a huge proponent of martial arts training as a means of finding brotherhood in our ever-divided world. This episode truly shows how the martial arts can be a positive avenue for any young Pinoy who is walking down a negative path. We aim to show how Atienza Kali helped Tuhon Leo become not only a skilled martial artist, but also a better husband, father, son, and friend.

Kevin Estela is a world-renowned Survival Instructor. He is the author of the best-selling book “101 Skills You Need to Survive in the Woods” and is currently the Director of Training for Fieldcraft Survival. He is the son to a Filipino father, one whom he has a deep relationship with to this day. In this episode we talk about his relationship with his Dad, growing up in a Filipino-Polish home, his background in Sayoc Kali, and how the average Pinoy can be better prepared in todays dangerous world.

In this episode I breakdown four common misconceptions regarding Pinoy masculinity, and then go into what it means to a Pinoy man in 2024.

In our first Pinoy Patriarch Project podcast interview we sit down with Carl Atienza of Atienza Kali. He is a Tuhon (Master Level Instructor) within the Sayoc Kali Council of Tuhons and is the leader of the Atienza Kali system. Mike Pana has trained under Tuhon Carl since his late teens, and credits Tuhon Carl for being the epitome of a Pinoy Patriarch. In this episode we discuss his rough upbringing with the martial arts and fighting on the street, as well as his relationship with his late father, his Filipino-American identity, and his wife Dianne.