Concealed Carry Handguns – August 2019

back-up weapons for this reason. If you

cannot deploy your primary weapon,

some people want a fail-safe. You have

to become intimately familiar with your

secondary weapon and its accessibility

and deployment. I cannot stress the

importance of training for all scenarios.

Your life may depend on it.

CCH: The old saying is don’t bring

a knife to a gun fight. But doesn’t

that underestimate the guy with

the knife?

BALICKI: Most people underestimate

the knife versus a gun. There was a

great video made for law enforcement

that you can now find on YouTube. It

is called, “Surviving Edged Weapons.”

My father-in-law, Dan Inosanto, is

featured in it. It goes over the dangers

of law enforcement officers facing

knife-wielding assailants.

In the video, they teach officers about

the 21-foot rule. This is very interesting

to see what happens at closer distances.

Even at the 21-foot mark, if you don’t

know what you are doing, you can

expect to be cut. You have to remember

that the knife never runs out of ammo

and, unlike a firearm, it doesn’t have to

be pointed right at you to do you harm.

Someone with a gun and good aim can

fire at a great distance and not be in

harm’s way if your attacker only has a

knife. But know this: Most people with a

firearm miss at 9 feet. What do you do

when this happens? The real danger is

when someone with a knife is in a close

proximity. This is when the person

with the edged weapon is at an

advantage. The assailant who bran-

dishes a knife is a different kind of

person, he doesn’t mind being in the

fight. He knows he may have to deal

with a person fighting for their life. He

doesn’t mind getting hit or bled on.

He’s ready for a tactile situation with

his victim. A bad guy with a gun can

shoot from a distance and have none

of these concerns.

CCH: How do you develop a

warrior’s attitude, the determi-

nation to fight back?

BALICKI: You need to be aware

of who you are dealing with and

scan for any signs of weapons they

may have concealed. To survive in

today’s world, you need to develop

a warrior’s attitude. What I mean

by this is that you need to think of

self-preservation. Think of all things I

have mentioned and then go further

than that with a plan. In addition to

continually scanning your environ-

ment, don’t put yourself in sketchy

situations. You need to learn how to

walk away and keep your life. If con-

fronted by someone with a weapon,

the biggest win could be losing your

wallet. Remember, you can replace

your wallet, but not your life. You

can always nurse your ego. These

are just a few things that may give

you a chance at surviving a possible

life-threatening situation. Good luck

and stay safe out there. CC

WHO IS RON

BALICKI?

BALICKI HAS STUDIED UNDER THE

FOLLOWING MARTIAL ARTS MASTERS:

Dan Inosanto: Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, Filipino

Kali, Maphilindo Silat, Thai Boxing

Yorinaga Nakamura: Shoot wrestling

Edgar Sulite: Lameco Escrima

Nicolas Saignac: Savate

Anthony De Longis: Bullwhip

Leo Giron: Bahala Na Eskrima

Tom Meadows: Latigo y Daga (Whip and Dagger)

Chai Sirisute: Muay Thai

Randy Williams: Wing Chun

Fred Degerberg: Degerberg Blend Thai Boxing

Pete Cruz: Degerberg Blend

Herman Suwanda: Mande Muda (Pencak silat)

Paul DeThouras: Bakti Negara

Victor DeThouras: Serak Silat

Larry Lindenmann: Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, Filipino

Kali

Christopher Ricketts - Edgar Sulite:

Bakbakan Eskrima

HE HAS EARNED INSTRUCTORSHIPS IN:

Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do

Filipino Martial Arts/Kali

Maphilindo Silat

Muay Thai

Savate

Lameco Escrima

Degerberg Blend (8th Degree Black Belt)

Wing Chun

Latigo y daga (whip fighting)

PROFESSIONAL FIGHTING:

Balicki competed in America and Japan in "Vale

Tudo" matches (No holds barred) fighting

tournaments.

As a professional Shoot Wrestler, he holds the title

of "Shooter" (Professional Fighter) under Yorinaga

Nakamura

Balicki won the 1996 Southern California Boxe

Française Savate Championship Tournament.

Balicki is a four-time knife fighting champion in the

Cold Steel Challenge weapons fighting tournament.

Balicki is a two-time sword fighting champion in the

Cold Steel Challenge weapons fighting tournament.

OTHER:

Balicki was a Deputy Sheriff in Cook County,

California

Balicki (left)

demonstrates knife

fighting techniques

at the Cold Steel

booth at the NRA

annual meetings

several years ago.

Steve Barlow photo

46 CONCEALED CARRY HANDGUNS • FALL 2019