Role
Instructor
Rank
5th-Degree Black
Favorites
Color: Dark Forest Green
Animal: Bear
Baked Good: Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Master Burton was introduced to the martial arts from a young age from a combination of kung fu and Bruce Lee movies by his parents, and 90’s classics like power rangers and ninja turtles on TV.
His journey on the martial art path started when he was 5 in Mile High Karate. And progressed with a few breaks until he was 16 when a combination of his school closing, a severe ankle injury, and good old-fashioned burnout took him out.
3 years later, with the constant daily reminders by his father that his prep cycle “probably were all 3rds by now” and “3rd degree is much better than 2nd degree”
he returned, or so he thought just to test for that rank. Initially turning down the offer he received to come back and become an instructor as that was never really a goal of his.
This all changed when a friend of his was sexually assaulted. First thinking of joining the military or police, the conventional stations of protection out of anger, he had an epiphany: “I can’t be everywhere at once to protect people, but I can teach people to protect themselves, so I don’t need to be.”
He began teaching at the age of 20 and with only a slight 2-year pause for school, has been doing so for the last 10 years. Receiving his 5th degree in May of 2021.