Today we’d like to introduce you to David Burgett.
David, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a kid, I always had an interest in the martial arts, my Dad used to take my brother and I along to his judo practice when we were really little and although, I don’t remember anything specific, I think that planted the seed. When I was 5, we moved to Northern Virginia and there was a great series of commercials on TV for legendary Martial Arts Master Jhoon Rhee’s school in the DC area. They showed some training footage and had a catchy jingle, but the memorable part was that they ended with his young son and daughter… one would say, “Nobody bothers me” and the other would respond, “Nobody bothers me either!” And then wink at the camera. Awesome!
One time, my best friend and I were playing tennis and this older guy told us we had to leave the court so he could play. We argued that we were allowed to be there, but ultimately he was bigger than us so we gave in. Shuffling off the court and back to our bikes, one of us kicked what we thought was an empty tennis ball can, but it turned out it was his and it had his keys and stuff in it. He got all mad at us and accused us of taking his money. I don’t remember if he threatened to beat us up or anything, but I do remember thinking (and telling my buddy) that if I was taking Karate, I could take care of this guy and we’d be able to stay on the court and keep playing. That’s what I believed from watching Kung Fu movies and from Jhoon Rhee’s commercials…”Nobody bothers me. Nobody bothers me either!”
Fast forward to my first week in college at Virginia Tech, my roommate and a few other guys in our dorm were playing racquetball at the gym. On our way out, I saw a small sign indicating that the VA Tech Karate Club held classes there 2 nights a week. We all agreed to come back and check it out and when the next class time arrived, we were all there. The teacher was a brown belt named Bronwyn Nishikawa. I don’t remember much of the actual class, but I loved it. My friends from the dorm said they liked it, but they never went back. I did.
I trained at the Karate Club for half a year or so, earning a few belts. At that point, continuing to train meant enrolling at the main school downtown, so I began my training at Ed Hampton’s Blacksburg School of Karate. I remained a student there for my entire time at VA Tech, but after graduation and relocating back to Northern Virginia, I ended up taking a hiatus from the martial arts. It wasn’t intentional, it just sort of happened. But I missed it, and when I thought of looking for a school, another thought started popping up… that maybe I could own a school one day.
Less than a year after graduation from college, I relocated to the Los Angeles area where I ended up working full time at Warner Bros and playing in various rock bands. That didn’t leave a lot of time for martial arts, but I did keep an eye out for a new school. I tried a few over the next couple of years, but none were quite the right fit. Until I found the American School of Martial Arts in Burbank and Grandmaster Don Baird. I came in on a night when only advanced classes were being held, but I was allowed to observe… and it only took a minute watching to realize this was where I belonged.
I joined immediately, signing up for weekly private lessons with Grandmaster Baird as well as group lessons. I was hooked, I went to multiple classes every night and on Saturdays. Within a couple of years, I had earned a black belt and was teaching many of the adult classes. Recognizing the amount of time and training I was putting in, along with my previous years of training, Grandmaster Baird tested and promoted me to 4th Degree Black Belt after only 5 years. A few months later, I was recognized as a Master in our style and that November I opened my very own school, Valencia Martial Arts.
Has it been a smooth road?
The first year Valencia Martial Arts were open, things went quite well. We signed up a lot of students and felt like we were on our way. We outgrew our space in a short couple of years and decided to move to a larger location. Unfortunately, the move occurred right before the big financial crisis of 2008 hit. Our overhead had tripled but the growth we projected didn’t happen. We had counted on a new housing development to provide extra business, but construction was delayed several years while the economy recovered. We struggled to survive, but by expanding our programs and partnering with other businesses, we were able to make it work.
The biggest struggle I personally faced was actually before I opened the school. On January 11, 2000, I crashed my Ducati Monster 900 motorcycle into a ’65 Mustang… guess who won? I spent the next 3 months in the hospital, the first month in a medically induced coma. My first observation upon waking up was the metal fixator rod screwed into my forearm, I thought it had a Terminator look to it and that it was actually kinda cool. Then, of course, all the other tubes and wires that were connecting me to various machines. Most notably, the ventilator. Turns out while I was napping, indeed the reason I was napping was that, along with suffering some pretty severe organ failure, my lungs had filled with fluid and I had endured a pretty serious bought of pneumonia. A week or two after being awoken the doctors informed me that they needed to remove the breathing tube that was connecting me to the ventilator, otherwise, I risked vocal cord paralysis. So, 6 weeks after the accident, the breathing tube was removed and I underwent a tracheostomy, I now had to breathe through a tube sticking out of my neck. As a bonus, one of my vocal cords was paralyzed so I also couldn’t eat or speak.
A couple weeks later, I was moved to USC University Hospital for rehab. I still had to eat through a feeding tube inserted directly into my stomach and I still had the trach tube in my neck. When training karate back at VA Tech, I remember reading stories of martial arts masters overcoming physical ailments and illnesses thru various aspects of their training, including breathing and meditation. During my time in the hospital, it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t recover and be good as new at some point. One of my physical therapists, Rob, commented one day, that I was in way worse shape than many of his other patients but that I would go home earlier than a lot of them because of my positive attitude. About 5 weeks later, I was finally able to go home. However, my vocal cord remained paralyzed and even though the trach tube was removed from my neck and I could breathe normally, I remained unable to speak and I still had the feeding tube. Once home, I referred to mealtime as “changing my oil”… I would pour a can of liquid nutrition into a funnel attached to my feeding tube going straight into my stomach. Mmmmm, tasty!
I had met with a leading ENT (Ear Nose and Throat) surgeon before leaving the hospital and he laid out the procedure I would most likely need to possibly fix my vocal cords. After leaving the hospital, I met with another who thought we should wait and give the cords a chance to heal on their own. I spoke with Grandmaster Baird about the possibility of Chi Kung healing helping me out. He didn’t know if it would work but was willing try some things with me and give it a shot. He, being a musician himself, thought of the vocal cord as a vibratory instrument and that if we could get it vibrating, perhaps it would recover. He gave me some exercises to try, and he did some Chi Kung techniques on my throat. Much to my and more so, my Mother’s, surprise… it seemed to work! Within a week or two, I started getting my voice back, I never ended up needing the surgery. And within another couple of weeks, I was able to start practicing Tai Chi again. This really helped me regain my balance and rebuild my strength. And soon, I was back at Kung Fu class training at full strength!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Valencia Martial Arts story. Tell us more about the business.
Valencia Martial Arts opened in 2004, offering Kung Fu and Tai Chi. A few years later we added Krav Maga. I quickly learned that there are many reasons for someone to enroll in martial arts. Self-defense is the obvious reason, but health, focus and discipline are some others. Parents would enroll their children for all these reasons as well… especially focus and discipline!
In early 2010, I received a call from a woman interested in private training for her son, he was blind and in a wheelchair with very limited mobility. He had trained some other martial arts (before and after his injury) and was very particular about who he trained with. She asked if I had any experience working with people in chairs or other special circumstances. I told her I had students over the years with other challenges (illnesses, learning disabilities, autism, etc.) but that I had not worked specifically with people in chairs. But, I was willing to give it a try if he was willing. She brought Ryan in a few days later and I honestly had no idea what I was going to do with him. I tried some Tai Chi push hands exercises with him and that went pretty well. We hit it off and he has been a dedicated student ever since. We have been working together regularly a couple of times a week since that time. He never misses a class unless an illness prevents it. And even then, he does everything he can to come in…he recently spent time in the hospital and was still trying to come to class. When I give talks and the subject turns to dedication and diligence, I often talk about Ryan, he’s my “What’s your excuse?” guy!
Besides Ryan, we have always welcomed students with challenges. Our Tai Chi program is for everyone, but it especially appeals to seniors and those with health issues. Sadly, we have lost a few students (and an instructor) to cancer over the years, but we know that practicing Tai Chi helped them feel better and brought them enjoyment. We regularly encounter people with injuries or other physical setbacks, and we do everything possible to adapt our programs to their unique situation. I think Valencia Martial Arts has been very successful at welcoming everyone, regardless of circumstance, into our family. It makes me especially proud when someone needs extra attention and our other students jump right in to help them out. This occurs somewhat regularly and is a testament to the quality of our students.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The martial arts community has become very diverse. In the old days, there would only be Karate and Tae Kwon Do schools around, but now many more disciplines have gained in popularity. In particular, with the ever-growing popularity of the UFC, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) has taken a greater share of the martial arts school market. Many “traditional” schools have had to recognize that the demand for their programs has changed so they’ve incorporated MMA programs as a way to survive. It is very rare to find a school that focuses solely on one art or discipline. Martial arts are steeped in tradition, but much of that is changing. And while it is nice to grow and explore new things, it is sad to see some of the old history slipping away.
Contact Info:
- Address: At the Santa Clarita Athletic Club
24640 Wiley Canyon Rd.
Newhall, CA 91321 - Website: www.2kungfu.com
- Phone: (661) 255-0100
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valencia_martial_arts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Valencia-Martial-Arts-173600432701176/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/valencia-martial-arts-newhall
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/kravmagasantaclarita/
Image Credit:
Denise Neale Jensen, Elizabeth Wales
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