Angel Cabales was born in the Fillipino province of Antique/Panay and learned his Escrima from the legendary Felicissimo Dizon. During their residence in Manila, Cabales had a number of death matches - fights without any protective equipment that often resulted in death or serious injury for one of the fighters, leading to him having the reputation of being one of the most dangerous martial artists of his time. After long years at see, Cabales settled down in Stockton, CA. At first, he hesistated to teach his martial arts to other students. At one of his friend's, Cadena de Mano master Max Sarmiento, urging, he opened the first Eskrima school to take non-Filipino students and is regarded as the Father of Escrima in the US.