Next person biography:
Rich Manley was born on June 16th, 1986, in Concord, Massachusetts, and grew up in Stow, Massachusetts. As a youth, Rich was a quiet and artistic individual with a passion for writing. He also had a dramatic and adventurous side, often dressing up and creating characters and scenarios, which sometimes resulted in headaches around the house.
At the age of thirteen, Rich began training in Kenpo Karate and earned his Black Belt in just four years, along with teaching status, at his local school. This initial exposure to martial arts through action films sparked a strong drive in Rich to entertain and perform his skills for the public.
Rich traveled to New York City to study Wing Chun Kung Fu, Shaolin Kung Fu, and various weapons techniques under the guidance of the Shaolin Monks. He was determined to be the best he could be and to test the limits of his own body, a philosophy that he adopted from his studies of Buddhist, Eastern, and Western Philosophy. Rich received a Black Belt in both styles of Kung Fu and competed in Los Angeles, earning the title of "one of the top sixty best young martial arts performers in North America" at the age of nineteen.
As a ten-year-old youth, Rich learned magic from his grandfather, a surgeon and sleight of hand practitioner. He spent his teenage years performing at events, bars, TV programs, and for family, and his love for magic and the unknown was as strong as his passion for martial arts. Rich continued to create new effects and hone his sleight of hand abilities.
Rich attended Radford University in Virginia, where he studied Acting/Media Studies and Sports Studies, focusing on martial arts. However, he was not satisfied with his abilities and was frustrated with his studies. He wanted to be out in the world creating and acting in films. Rich left college and traveled to Los Angeles as part of a film crew for a reality show pilot called "Stars Stunts Action." It was through this experience that Rich met and trained with esteemed professional stuntmen, fight choreographers, and coaches. He also engaged his magic abilities and performed for esteemed individuals in the industry, earning the honor of performing at the prestigious Magic Castle in Hollywood.
Rich is an avid rock climber, scuba diver, sky diver, traveler, and adventurer. He has studied anthropology, archaeology, and cultural studies extensively. He enjoys writing, martial arts, creating music, and practicing and performing magic.
