Ron Balicki

With A Name Like Lee Inosanto, She’s Got To Be Good

I was just thinking about how a name and family traditions can be passed on down to the next generation.

This definitely applies in many ways to our featured female martial artist extraordinaire, stuntwoman, actress and director, Diana Lee Inosanto.

Some of you might not know, but she is the daughter of living martial arts legend, Guro Dan Inosanto.

Guro Dan’s close friend Bruce Lee was Diana’s godfather, whom as a child she simply referred to as “Uncle Bruce”.

Diana grew up in a martial arts family and environment. Supposedly in the Lee and Inosanto living rooms the coffee tables had to go and make room for mats to continuingly perfect martial arts techniques. I love it!

Diana Lee Inosanto became a highly trained and very proficient martial artist in her own right, to say the least. It also doesn’t hurt being married to highly-acclaimed martial arts expert, Ron Balicki.

After years of working as a successful stuntwoman on projects such as Buffy, The Vampire Slayer and Face/Off, she was able to release her own movie brain-child known as “The Sensei” last year in movie theaters, in which she both acted and directed.

It is now been announced for release on DVD on March 9, 2010.

Critics have called it a very different kind of martial arts movie and that’s fine with me.

“The Sensei” is set in a small Colorado town in 1985, the early years of the AIDS epidemic. The movie battles prejudice and homophobia in 1980s.

McClain (played by Mike O’Laskey) is a gay teenager who is constantly being ostracized. He tries to sign up for classes at the local martial arts dojo to learn to protect himself, but they won’t accept him either.

Karen (played by Diana Lee Inosanto), the black sheep of the family, that runs the dojo, returns to the town after several years away. She privately trains McClain, and the two develop a friendship until a secret Karen harbors changes everything.

My research led me to hear from people who have already seen the movie and this would probably sum it up the best:

“Afraid at first that it would be a cheesy Karate Kid with a gay kid as the lead, but it was so much more than that.

The movie deals with many levels of prejudice, including sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, and HIV. It was touching while sending a powerful message.

The depiction of the victimization endured by the lead character was realistic and horrific.

Some parts of the film weren’t quite as polished and smooth as a major production movie, but it is an independent film.

For anyone who has dealt with any sort of prejudice or hatred, this is a movie that will make you feel strong and hopeful.

For anyone who doesn’t understand what some youths have endured, be it 20 years ago or today, this is a movie that will open your eyes.”

Like I said, the date for the release on DVD is set for Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Let me know how you like it.