On June 3, 1990, I traveled to Cabales' home to conduct an interview. Although I had spoken to Cabales many times about his style, I was always reluctant to ask him about his death matches. Cabales told me that escrima death matches were an integral part of the ancient warrior traditions of the Philippines. " To willfully test one's skills in an actual match to the death is the ultimate test of true skill and courage, " he noted. Cabales added, " Whenever you are engaged in mortal combat you must forget about all of the antics of your opponent. One must not worry about things like how big or strong or how great your opponent's reputation is. One must remain calm but as alert as possible and strike the enemy down with certainty, accuracy, and with power. "

Serrada Escrima is not only based upon technique, but also, on theories and concepts that were developed and refined through the years by Cabales himself. Cabales learned the rudimentary foundation of the Filipino art of escrima from his mentor Felicisimo Dizon. I began studying Serrada Escrima in 1984 in Stockton, California. With several years of genuine combat experience under my belt, I knew that after having witnessed Cabales in action he was indeed a genuine weapons master. Cabales said to me that his intentions were not to inflict upon me his style of martial arts, but rather to show me things that I could use to make my style of martial arts more better. Cabales also said, "Any student whose primary focus is to be a carbon copy of his teacher is doing themselves a great disservice. No one can be exactly like the teacher and still retain their own personal identity." In essence, the Cabales Serrada System of Escrima was designed as a method of self-transformation of the soul. In this hands-on learning system, Cabales called the highest level of attainment " presence of mind " or spontaneous intelligent reaction. When a person is seriously engaged in close-quarter combat, there is no time for thinking, feeling, choosing or judging what is occurring from moment to moment. Here's how Cabales described it:

Cabales insisted that to survive in any life or death encounter, you have to bypass all negative and positive conflictualities. Any type of conflictuality constricts the natural flow or " presence of mind." Freezing in the midst of a life or death encounter can be fatal. It is only in a natural state of mind that one can effectively defend himself against myriad of attacks. Cabales taught me that obtaining high levels of rank or degrees should never be the primary focus of a martial arts aspirant. Instead, a practitioner should focus upon the metaphysical ingredients that lie behind all of the external formulas for fighting. According to Angel, no level of rank could ever equate with the raw courage and skill that is latent within the hearts and minds of every human being. A real warrior works from a position of practicality, and begins the process of becoming a master craftsman by using whatever personality he has at the time. To Angel Cabales, befriending and assisting a person with the elevation of their mind was his greatest and highest achievement award in his life.The Cabales Serrada System of Escrima was designed for thinkers and for all those who are seeking a supreme martial arts lifestyle. The art of escrima as developed by Grandmaster Angel Cabales entails many aspects of the art of combat. " In order to make my art of Serrada Escrima serve the present time, we only have to assemble or reassemble my art into its fullest dimension scientifically, and then my students have to bring to life my art of escrima and then make it there own," Cabales suggested. Angel stated that his style of fighting could not fail him in any combative encounter. In Angel's mind his art could never fail him because he always thought in a positivistic way.

The Serrada System of Escrima as taught by Angel Cabales was very people oriented. Cabales was not only the first escrima master to open an escrima academy in America, he was also amongst one of the first Filipino masters to teach outside of his race. Finally, Angel Cabales believed in the eternal goodness of man. Even when the usurers were closing in on him, he still had faith in the Serrada Escrima system. After more than 21 years of practicing and promoting the Serrada Escrima System of martial arts; I still discover hidden clues that unearth some of the deepest secrets of the Angel Cabales Serrada System of Escrima. It's these energy-releasing secrets that continue to propel me upon an " Endless Journey " of self-discovery.