Ron Balicki

[Henri]

Hi. I've been training karate for a couple of years, but i feel like something is missing. After reading lots of stuff about Bruce Lee, he has become my idol in a lots of aspects of life and i would like to train some of the stuff, he was teaching. I would therefore like to take on some jeet kune do-training by myself (there are no schools in my area) and i've just found a site with this guy Ron B. He offer a DVD-set. Have anybody had any experience with it and/or know anything about this guy? I mean is he the real deal? Since i don't want to waste my time and money on something useless.
Looking forward to your replys

Henrik

[Guest]

I’m not a student or affiliate of Mr Balicki so there is no agenda in my opinions.

Mr Balicki is a Full Instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto in Jun Fan Gung Fu, Filipino Kali and Maphilindo Silat. He also has a range of other qualifications including being an Instructor under Erik Paulson in Combat Submission Wrestling. So to answer your question as to whether he is “the real deal”, he certainly is. A very experienced, qualified and respected instructor in the JKD family.

I have his Instructional DVD set, the volume of information and the quality is superb. As an instructor already, I find it an invaluable reference tool for Guro Inosanto’s curriculum. Mr Balicki really covers things in depth.

However, I personally wouldn’t recommend it for someone new to the art. I believe the DVDs are intended for those who would like to be an instructor in Mr Balicki’s program, or those who already are. If you are new to JKD, then I cannot stress enough that you need to find a qualified instructor and get some solid years of training in the art before looking at learning a DVD Instructor program. I appreciate that there are no instructors near you, but to be honest the study of JKD typically involves travel and expense, certainly if you want to train at a high level.

As a final point, without opening up any debates about what JKD should and shouldn’t be, I would just say to you that martial arts has adapted and developed a lot since the era of Bruce Lee.

[Caveman]

Not to go off course, but think there would be one near TN? I live in East TN.

[DickHardman]

jkd is mostly sets of concepts and ideas about fighting that can be applied to a variety of styles and techniques right? you can find tons of good info on the internet on the concepts of jkd and apply them to your karate. you may even realize that you already use and practice some of these concepts.

[Guest]

I think thats a bit harsh Mike.

In fairness to Dick he is correct, JKD is a concept, a mentality, a way of approaching the arts and not a style or system in itself. Where of course I agree with you is that there is Bruce's base system to be studied, I think what these gentlemen are looking for is Jun Fan Gung Fu. Through hard training in Jun Fan you learn, as you rightly say, how to apply the concepts of JKD through understanding Bruce Lee's physical approach. I also fully agree with you that sitting around reading books and surfing the internet and spouting Bruce Lee quotes is not JKD. However I don't think he was endorsing that either.

Where I do agree with Dick also is that JKD is no longer really a novel concept. Here in 2008 - finding the essence of a range of arts, tailor them to you as an individual, and flow through each situation in the most efficient way (as a core example)....thats out there. Walk into most MMA gyms and these concepts are just business as usual, trained in a functional and athletic way. They also won't stand around in their matching black t-shirts worrying about whether they are concentrating on the finger.

[Guest]

I stand by your assessment too, because it was actually my assessment in my first post Brewer! Talk about novel concepts...

Seriously, you already know I am on the same page with all of that, I just didn't think that the notion of JKD being recognized as a set of concepts should be dismissed.

[Turbo]

Ron Balicki

I had the pleasure of going to a Ron Balicki seminar the beginning of this month. Good stuff! If you ever get a chance to work with him I would recommend it.

Mike: I went Steve Rose.

Terry
Colorado Springs

[Garland]

...for shits and giggles I typed his name in facebook, and not only did he have a page...but I think Ajarn Chai is on there too! lol!

[Garland]

I'm assuming you mean Ron Balicki and not Steve Rose...

Yep, Ron Balicki.