Ron Balicki grew up in the tough streets of Chicago, Illinois.  He developed a strong work ethic from his working-class parents, where his father ran their family owned golf store and a mother that worked as a clerk for the city of Chicago.  However, Ron’s life was changed forever at the age of 16, when he and two high school friends were shot in a drive-by shooting, injuring him and killing Ron’s close childhood friend.  Distraught by these events, this triggered Ron’s future blue print for making a difference in the world, developing a keen understanding of the dark nature of street violence and a great empathy for fellow victims of crime.

At the age of 18, Ron found healing and mental renewal through the martial arts when he sought out Sifu/Guru Dan Inosanto to be his teacher, spending years studying under him and his close circle of diverse martial arts associates.  One of these associates would be Sensei Fred Degerberg of The Degerberg Academy of Martial Arts.  In addition, Ron would be heavily influenced by his training partner, mentor and instructor, Sifu/Guro Larry Lindenman, who also trained under Sifu/Guru Inosanto.   These positive variables in his life, launched Ron to join the police force where he served for four years as a Cook County Deputy Sheriff, helping to develop SORT – Special Operation Resistance Team. 

Thereafter, Ron decided to move to California and found himself managing and teaching at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts.  It was there he met his future wife, Diana Lee Inosanto.  Decades later, Ron Balicki has left his own fingerprints on the world of martial arts.  He has trained a wide variety of diverse people from the military, Hollywood performers to civilians who just want to empower themselves.  He also worked for many years as a stunt coordinator, fight choreographer and second unit director giving action scenes a taste of visceral and brutal realism for the screen.  Ron is also the author of two books and has several series of instructional videos.  However, Ron’s proudest role is as friend, father and husband to his close circle of family and friends.