Mars Arizona Camp 2024
I started my journey in Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts back in early 2005. Initially, like many others, I began with a different martial art, but for mine, resources were scarce—there weren’t many instructional videos or books available. When I transitioned to Jeet Kune Do and Kali, it was incredible to discover the wealth of instructional DVDs produced by Guru Dan Inosanto’s students. Eager to learn, I collected every DVD I could find. Guro Ron Balicki’s videos, particularly his Jeet Kune Do and Defensive Blade series, were instrumental in accelerating my progress.
When I learned that Guro Ron Balicki was coming to Arizona, less than an hour away from me, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to train with him. The three-day camp was packed with valuable training and information, covering sessions on Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, Silat, Muay Thai, Wing Chun Trapping, Silat and Shooto. The instructors included Guro Ron Balicki, Guro Cliff Lenderman, and Guro Larry St. Clair.
After dedicating over 20 years to studying martial arts, I’ve come to recognize many techniques and drills. While variations exist, there’s often a familiar reference point from past training. Given my years of training under Guro Dan, I expected to see much familiar material. While some of it was, we also explored new techniques and methods, underscoring the effectiveness of cross-training. Learning from various instructors allows you to develop your own unique approach, something Guro Ron exemplifies. We covered a lot of Lameco material, and even though it’s part of the Inosanto Blend of Kali, seeing Guro Ron’s distinctive approach was enlightening. His method of breaking down and building upon the curriculum stood out to me, as it did when I first studied his DVDs.
Each day began with sessions from Guro Ron on Filipino Martial Arts and Jeet Kune Do, followed by Guro Larry St. Clair’s sessions covering different topics each day such as Clinch work, Knife Defense, and Combative Double Sticks. Then, we had sessions with Guro Cliff Lenderman, focusing on Joint Locks, Manipulation Counters, Trapping, and Muay Thai. We ended each day with another session from Guro Ron, covering topics such as Silat, Kali and Shooto. The camp included six hours of daily training, with an hour for lunch. It was packed with valuable information and was a lot of fun. The instructors were approachable and open to answering questions, creating a welcoming and supportive environment. The Mars Group is a fantastic community, and I highly recommend training with Guro Ron Balicki and attending a Mars camp if you have the opportunity.
As with any Camp, I also had the opportunity to meet new friends and make connections with like-minded individuals who share the love and passion I do for the Martial Arts.
Looking ahead, there’s another camp coming up in Seattle called Mars Elevate 2024, hosted by Victor Young at Shaolin Mixed Martial Arts in Bremerton. It’s scheduled for July 19th to July 21st, 2024. I will definitely be there, and if you have the chance to attend, it’s an experience you won’t want to miss.
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