HISTORY

PHOTO GALLERY

POINTMAN STORE

TECHNIQUES

MARS AFFILIATES

LETTERS

DAN INOSANTO

RON BALICKI

DIANA INOSANTO

STUDENT RANKING

VIDEOS

MARTIAL ARTS
RESEARCH SYSTEMS

Variety Magazine write up on "The Prodigy"

By DENNIS HARVEY

Mixing underworld crime meller meller and serial-killer horror, "The Prodigy" provides no real surprises premise-wise. But tyro tyro helmer William Kaufman more than compensates for sometimes murky tale's familiar genre elements with punchy ultra violence, vivid atmosphere and a first-rate tech sheen on a smalltime budget. Major collaborators on Texas-shot indie are sure to start fielding West Coast offers, while pic itself reps a small but smart pickup for rental and cable companies.

Truman (Ben Affleck Ben Affleck-looking co-scenarist Holt Boggs) is a mob enforcer first seen posing as a cop in an attempt to shut down a rival syndicate's operations. The tense standoff turns into a bloodbath with the mysterious, sudden appearance of a heavily disguised and armored third party dubbed "Claude Rains" because he's feared in felonious circles as a sadistic, "invisible" hit man.

Only Truman appears to survive the melee, but Claude -- who Truman left for dead -- also lives and goes on to slaughter some of Truman's boss' posse, kidnapping a most unfortunate nephew for prolonged torture.

Truman's enraged boss assigns Truman to find Claude, a pursuit that Claude perversely encourages while staying just one deadly step ahead, laying waste to hero's intimates and fellow wise guys.

Among the imperiled are hothead sidekick Pat (Matt Beckham), tough-girl Internet jockey Ash (Diana Lee Inosanto) and hulking strongman King (Lawrence Varnado), not to mention the inevitable bland love interest (whiny-voiced Mirelly Taylor as Nicki).

Pedestrian dialogue, routine character conceptions and some fuzzy plot points leave pic a bit flat whenever it's not delivering pure creeps or combustive thrills. Fortunately, that's seldom -- even given the fairly long runtime. (Midsection could be tightened a whit or two.) Aided by excellent lensing, editorial and design contribs, Kaufman creates taut suspense and dynamic action set pieces.

Special kudos are due fight choreographer Ron Balicki for visceral combat that looks punishing rather than cartoonish.

The few really tired devices -- the gang's forced pop-culture banter, killer's mystical mumbo-jumbo in messages left at his crime scenes --make it clear how indebted pic is to the basic templates forged by "Reservoir Dogs" and "Se7en." But style and enthusiasm lift it past simple imitation, with a cracking, bloody good B-flick the result.

Diana and I made the cover of MASUCCESS magazine.  We are the first non school owners to make the cover.

the Principles of a Complete Fighter

Checkout my stunt photos from "Star Trek Enterprise."

Bio on Ron Balicki

The basis for Ron's work in the martial arts comes from his 20 years under Sifu Dan Inosanto. Ron taught at the Inosanto Academy from 1993-98, and acted as manager for three years (1993-5).

JEET KUNE DO: Ron holds the rank of Full Instructor in Jun Fan Gung Fu (Jeet Kune Do), However, Ron's experience in the martial arts goes much further.

FILIPINO KALI:  Ron holds a Full Instructorship in Filipino Kali under Guro Dan Inosanto.  Ron has also trained under Filipino martial arts master such as Leo Giron, Angel Cabales, Dinisio Canete, and Ted Lucay Lucay.

MAPHILINDO SILAT:  Ron holds a Maphilindo Silat Full Instructor level 4 under Guro Dan Inosanto.

LAMECO ESCRIMA:  Ron is ranked Senior Assistant Instructor under the late Punong Guro Edgar Sulite. Ron trained with PG Sulite since 1989 and was one of his closest friends. He assisted PG Sulite in making his Espada y Daga training video.

INDONESIAN  SILAT: Ron trained extensively in the United States and Indonesia in the art of Mande Muda with the late Pendekar (Grandmaster) Herman Suwanda, Maha Guru Victor De Thouars in Pencak Silat Serak and with Pendekar Paul De Thouars in Bukti Negara Pentjak Silat.

WING CHUN GUNG FU: Ron is an Instructor under Sifu Randy Williams, as well as co-founder with Sifu Williams of the first Close Range Combat Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Ron also trained extensively with Sifu Francis Fong.

THAI BOXING: Ron is an instructor under Ajarn (Master) Chai Surisute, having worked together for over 10 years.  Ron is also an instructor in the World Muay Thai Association.

SHOOT WRESTLING: Ron Holds the rank of Shooter (Professional Fighter) under Sensei Yori Nakamura, the highest ranked person under the founder Sensei Satora Sayama, Ron has had several middle weight division professional fights in Japan.

BOXE FRANCAISE - SAVATE: Ron is the rank of yellow glove.

DEGERBERG blend martial art system:   Ron is a 6th degree black belt.

Latigo y Daga (Whip and Dagger): Ron is an instructor under Whip expert, Guro Tom Meadows.

LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK:

Ron spent over three years with the Cook County Sheriff's Department, and continues to assist police agencies in the United States to improve their martial arts techniques. In Europe, he teaches martial arts to the , French President's Secret Service and the French Anti-Terrorist Team "RAID" (the French counterpart to the U.S. Navy Seals). Ron Balicki, and Martial Arts Research Systems can be found teaching martial arts seminars around the world.

Movies:

Television:    

Alias (episode #415) Another Mister Sloane	Stunt Double	Businessman
Nickelodeon  "Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide"	Stunt - Ninja	Marital Arts - I get hit with water from a fire hose.
Star Trek  Enterprise  4th  Season I have worked on several episodes.	Stunt	fight choreography
"Star Trek  Enterprise  3rd Season Episode Chosen realm	Stunt - Alien	Fight
Star Trek - Enterprise 2nd Season Episode 34	Stunt - Alien Cop	Fight
The Best Damn Sports Show Period	Stunt	Rigging
Fist of Cheese	Stunt Coordinator	Thug
Buffy the Vampire Slayer	Stunts	Minion Fighter
The Roseanne Show	Stunts	Fight
Spy Game (Cloak & Dagger)	Stunt Double	Fight
New Edition MTV Music Video "Hit Me Off"	Stunt Coordinator	Ninja Fighter
Power Rangers Television Series	Stunt Double	Rangers and Monsters
The Burning Zone	Soldier	Martial Artist
Biography "The Life of Bruce Lee"	Martial Arts	Martial Arts Fighter
Spawn	SWAT TEAM COP	Cop
Money Talks	Soldier	French Terrorist
The Rock	Soldier
Dear God	Cop
Surface to Air	Soldier	Prisoner of war
JAG	Soldier

Martial Arts Instructional Video:

Jeet Kune Do Series with Ron Balicki

Ron Balicki Martial Arts series by Century Martial Arts Supplies

Edgar Sulite's "Lameco Escrima Stick & Dagger" Martial Arts Weapon training Video

Randy Williams "The Art of Close Range Combat"  Volume's 1, 2, 3, & 4

Ron Balicki's "The Defensive Edge"  Volume's 1, 2, & 3

Produced: Director - Diana Lee Inosanto Producers - Diana Lee Inosanto / Ron Balicki /Tarik Heitmann Director - William Kaufman Producers - Ken Dundon / David Rucker / Lawrence Varnado / Colby Mitchell / Jeff Galpin / Vince Deniro / Diana Lee Inosanto / Ron Balicki Billy Boys Cafe Director - Carlton Holder Producer - Tarik Heitmann / Diana Lee Inosanto / Ron Balicki A Ribbon of Dreams Director - Phil Chung Producers - Brett Ratner / Anita Chang / Diana Lee Inosanto / Ron Balicki Ron Balicki's Jeet Kune Do Instructors Series Director - William Kaufman Producers - Ron Balicki Stun, Stager and Stop Director - William Kaufman Producers - Ron Balicki The Fighting Sarong Director - William Kaufman Producers - Ron Balicki Cold Steel's "More Proof" Director - William Kaufman Producers - Ron Balicki

Produced Martial Arts Video's:

Theater-Theatrical Fight choreographer:

East West Players Theater Company	Director-Chay Yew	The Golden Child
East West Players Theater Company	Director-Tzi Ma	Haneko
Lodestone Theater	Director-Jeff Liu	Murderobila
Lodestone Theater	Director-Ryun Yu	Dead of Night
Loyola Mary Mount Theater	Director-Diane Benedict	Portia Coughlan
Lodestone Theater-fight choreographer	Director-Chil Kong	Dirty Secret Between the Toes

Ron Balicki's Movie picture gallery

Ron Balicki Knife self-Defense Technique