Ben Von Ende

Ben has been training in the martial arts for over thirty years, and spent the first decade studying wrestling, karate, kung fu, and western boxing. He started training in the Filipino Martial Arts/Kali, Thai Boxing, and Jeet Kune Do in 1999, and continued studying these arts in the Minnesota Kali Group method after moving to the Twin Cities in 2003. He joined MKG North when it opened and earned my level 1 instructor certificate from Sifu Peter Kwong in 2017. He is also an associate instructor in Kali/JKD under Guro Rick Faye with the Minnesota Kali Group International. He earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and train and compete in grappling/BJJ under Checkmat Twin Cities. In addition, he is a member of the Minnesota Silat Suffian Bela Diri study group and a Yang style Taiji practitioner. He currently is our BJJ program coordinator and teaches weekly classes.

Kasey Keckeisen

Kasey is an experienced Police Officer, SWAT team leader, and SWAT training coordinator. He is the United States Midwest Regional Director for the Edo Machi-Kata Taiho Jutsu organization, and the Minnesota State Director for One-On-One Control Tactics and Taiho Jutsu International. Recognized as a Shihan by the International Shinbudo Association, he also holds 6th degree black belts in Judo, Jujutsu, and Aikido, as well as a black belt in Taiho Jutsu. He is a catch wrestling and bareknuckle boxing enthusiast, and a terrific dancer.

Stacy Noyes

Stacy has been with the Minnesota Kali Group since 1988 and spent many of those years as Peter’s training partner.  Before he started, he spent 3 years active duty in the Army as a Military Police stationed in Germany.  After active duty, he spent 2 years in the National Guard as a Riot Control MP and later in the Army Reserves as a Prisoner of War MP.  He retired from the military in 1995. 

His love of martial arts led him to pursue an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, which he received his Bachelor of Science in 1997 from the University of Minnesota. While at the U, Stacy’s first experience in teaching was starting a Kali/JKD Club on campus. He later went on to open one of the first Minnesota Kali Group satellite schools in White Bear Lake.  While getting his degree, Stacy worked as a bouncer at many different venues such as Cowboys, Tropix, Sharks, Waterworks and Club Cancun. He would later become the head of security at Minneapolis Cafe and Bar Lurcat.  

With his degree in Kinesiology, Stacy also worked as a personal trainer at the YMCA and White Bear Racquet and Swim where he became an exercise rehabilitation specialist.  Stacy continues personal training today working with his clients in their home.  

Due to a car accident that ruptured two discs in his neck, Stacy was forced to close his school and change careers that was recommended by his doctors that if he continued with impact there would be a looming threat of re-rupturing the discs in his neck.  Stacy thus moved on to get his Masters degree in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and currently teaches special education in Minneapolis Public Schools.  In his free time, Stacy enjoys crafting, welding, leather and woodwork, learning to play guitar or any other new thing he can get his hands on.