Christopher Naldo Ricketts (also "Topher" Ricketts; March 21, 1955–October 5, 2010Master Christopher Ricketts has passed away
- MyFMA.net, October 5, 2010) was a well-known Filipino martial arts innovator, teacher, actor and author. He was also one of the chief founders and head instructors of

Bakbakan International Bakbakan International is a martial arts association headquartered in Manila, Philippines and founded by Christopher Ricketts. It has chapters in Australia, Canada, and the United States. It also promoted the Masters of Arnis tour in Australia ...

and the eldest brother of the action star

Ronnie Ricketts Ronald Naldo Ricketts, popularly known as Ronnie Ricketts, is a Filipino actor, scriptwriter, film director, line producer, and martial artist who is the former President of the Philippine Film Actors Guild, and former Chairman of Optical Media ...

History and experience

Christopher Ricketts was a well-known

martial artist Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preserv ...

in the Philippines, Australia, and the United States. "Topher", as he was called by his peers, was an experienced tournament (both full-contact and point system) and street fighter. He was known for his strict emphasis on using basics and frequent contact sparring. Topher had trained champions, many of whom have become part of Philippine teams in Asian and international competitions. Apart from being Chief Instructor for Bakbakan, Topher had assisted his brother

, a Philippine action star, in choreographing action scenes in many movies. He also acted in a few of them as supporting roles. Numerous Bakbakan members have played cameo roles in Ronnie's movies, lending credibility to the action sequences as well as drawing crowds to the theater's use of the authentic fight scenes.

Personal life

Christopher "Topher" Ricketts was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. He married Ma. Elizabeth Mercado and had three sons Bruce Edward, Brandon Max and Christopher Joseph. "Topher" and his family relocated and moved to San Diego, California around 2005.

Notoriety

Along with Rey Galang, Christopher "Topher" Ricketts was a founder and a major contributor behind the

Bakbakan {{Infobox television , caption = , image = , genre = Sports , creator = , director = , presenter = Dyan Castillejo , country = Philippines , language ...

organization. He gained exposure in 1986 from a project called "''Masters of Arnis''", which also featured

Rey Galang Reynaldo S. "Rey" Galang is a Filipino martial arts teacher and author. He is one of the chief founders and head instructors of Bakbakan International. History and experience Rey Galang was born in Manila. Losing his father at an early age, hi ...

, Antonio Diego and

Edgar Sulite Edgar Sulite (September 25, 1957 – April 10, 1997) was a teacher of Filipino martial arts. He was the creator of Lameco Eskrima and trained such notables as Dan Inosanto, Ron Balicki, Larry Hartsell, Fred Degerberg, and Diana Lee Inosanto. ...

. They toured Sydney and Melbourne, Australia giving seminars on the Filipino Martial Arts, particularly those taught as the Bakbakan curriculum. This international exposure for

Bakbakan {{Infobox television , caption = , image = , genre = Sports , creator = , director = , presenter = Dyan Castillejo , country = Philippines , language ...

triggered several articles in mainstream martial arts magazines. Since then, he had collaborated with Antonio Diego on a book about the art of one of his primary teachers, Antonio "Tatang" Ilustrisimo.

Death

He succumbed to cancer in

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

on October 5, 2010 at the age of 55.

Filmography

Film

Publications

*''The Secrets of Kalis Ilustrisimo'' by Christopher Ricketts and Antonio Diego

Notes

References

*''Filipino Fighting Arts: Theory and Practice'' by Mark V. Wiley, . *''Filipino Martial Culture'' by Mark V. Wiley, .

External links

"Kali Ilustrisimo USA Website""Bakbakan International Website"
* 1955 births 2010 deaths Bicolano people Deaths from cancer in California Filipino eskrimadors Filipino male film actors Filipino people of American descent Male actors from Manila Sportspeople from Manila {{Philippines-martialart-bio-stub