The Instructors
Who We Are
Paul Cale
Founder & Chief Combatives Master Trainer, KEF–IC/ACP
Former Commando Sergeant Paul Cale has been involved with the Australian Army for 30 years, either as a soldier or a contracted instructor/SME, as he is today. For most of that time he was a member of the Special Forces (SF), serving in the 1st Commando Regiment and 4RAR Commando before he became a founding member of the 2nd Commando Regiment (2CDO) in 2009. As a Commando, he was deployed five times on combat tours to Afghanistan and Iraq, and at home served as a team leader in the Tactical Assault Group, Australia’s elite anti-terror unit comprised of Commandos (TAG-East) and SAS operators (TAG-West).
Paul’s personal hand-to-hand combat experiences in theatres of war, and those of his fellow Commandos, have guided his development of the Kinetic Fighting system. This evolution began when, as a sergeant with 2 CDO, Paul redeveloped the Close Quarter Fighting (CQF) course for Special Forces, and co-founded the 2 CDO Integrated Combat Centre (ICC). He later created the Infantry Integrated Combat (IIC) course used by the Australian Infantry Corps and is now the Army’s external subject-matter expert for the Army Combatives Program (ACP) across all levels. ACP Level 1 is compulsory for all Australian soldiers; the highest ACP qualification, Level 4, is CQF for Special Forces.
After retiring from 2 CDO, Paul co-founded the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Combat Centre, working as a coach and specialist consultant with Olympic combat sports athletes, as well as the cycling and water polo teams, over several years. Since 2017 he has also assisted soldiers to develop their unarmed combat skills beyond ACP courses, as Head Coach of the Australian Defence Force Martial Arts Association.
Paul has been involved in combat sports and martial arts since the early 1980s and holds black-belt ranks in eight different systems. These include Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), Kudo Daido Juku, Kyokushin karate and three aikido styles (Yoshinkan, Tomiki and Gyokushin Ryu), as well as the Olympic combat sports of judo and taekwondo. He holds a 7th Degree rank awarded by Hanshi Bryson Keenan (8th Degree Black-belt, Goju-ryu karate), one of his first instructors and also a former soldier who contributed to previous Army combatives systems.
+61 07 3256 2392
Benjamin Kelleher
Head Trainer & KEF–IC CT (Combatives Trainer)
Ben Kelleher is the head trainer at the Kinetic Combatives Centre (KCC) under Chief Combatives Master Trainer (CCMT) Paul Cale. As a Combatives Trainer (KEF–IC Brown Belt), Ben has taught the Army Combatives Program (ACP) to Australian and Indian soldiers, as well as the SAS in his country of origin, New Zealand. He is also the manager and head trainer at The Mill Gym Brisbane (next door to the KCC).
Recently retired as a fighter, Ben has had 80 professional bouts across three combat sports: boxing, kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). As a cruiserweight, his boxing titles included Australian champion (multiple times), Australasian champion and IBF international champion; in kickboxing, he won the Australian and South Pacific K1 titles. Always in search of a challenge, Ben also won an Australian MMA championship and has earned his Purple-belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ). He now competes in triathlon.
A proud representative of his Māori culture, Ben was the first KEF–IC instructor to perform the unique haka that was created for the Kinetic Fighting/Army Combatives Program instructor cadre by his iwi (tribe), the Ngati Whaatua.
Ben provides training in KEF–IC modules A–E and the Kinetic Combatives day-to-day program, as well as ACP (by appointment, for Defence personnel only).
+61 07 3256 2392
