The following is a snippet of a feature found exclusively in the Spring 2025 issue of Black Belt Magazine.

Since 1979, Burton Richardson has been on an unstoppable martial arts journey. He began training at the original Kali Academy, home to greats such as Sifu Richard Bustillo and Guro Dan Inosanto, then traveled the world to learn from the best.

In Manila, he studied under Grandmaster Antonio Ilustrisimo. In Brazil, he trained with top BJJ practitioners like the Machado Brothers and Carlson Gracie. He’s even trained with Zulu warriors in South Africa and earned a black belt in krav maga.

His broad experience makes him a sought-after instructor for civilians and law enforcement alike. A prolific writer, he’s authored five books, spent 11 years as a columnist for Inside Kung Fu, and been honored as Black Belt Magazine’s Self-Defense Instructor of the Year.

Now based in Hawaii, Burton continues to share his knowledge worldwide, always learning, always evolving.