Makani Self-Defense Martial Arts was founded in October of 2022 with the mission of providing accessible, highly-effective, and community-based self-defense instruction while carrying on the knowledge of Kajukenbo and other martial art influences passed through our lineage. Our classes are small in nature with private lessons available to meet your personal and selected program goals.

Sifu Reece M. R. Cabanas technically began his martial arts journey at three years old, when his father, Kajukenbo Professor (8th degree) Rex V. Cabanas, put him in a karategi and taught him his first few strikes in the backyard. While all fun and games then, two years later at age five he would officially join Professor's classes at Canyonside Recreation Center in San Diego, CA. By age 13 he would earn his junior black belt, and later his solid black belt at the age of 15.

With over 22 years in the martial arts, nearly 13 have been spent teaching others self-defense and martial arts techniques through Kajukenbo, a hybrid martial art developed on the island of Oahu in the 1940s by five practitioners of various disciplines. While running his own school, he periodically volunteers as an assistant instructor to for his Sifu, Professor Rex V. Cabanas, and offers private lessons, all while working a day job! Being a mentor in other capacities such as music, archery, and various professional collegiate organizations in the past, personal development and growth is of significant importance to him. Therefore, Sifu Reece's teaching style incorporates learning techniques and lessons that aim to be applicable outside of the martial arts.

Keeping in line with the original intent of Kajukenbo, Sifu Reece does not teach for sport and competition, rather for self-defense and the defense of those one holds dear. He believes there is no one size fits all methodology to the martial arts, and is in constant pursuit of knowledge to expand his and his students self-defense repertoire. Just as it was for him, the expectation is for students to learn and earn their belt ranks. Above all, however, his ultimate goal is to equip students with the knowledge and training needed to get out of a dangerous situation (or recognize and avoid it altogether), while also fostering their own physical, mental, and spiritual growth along the way.