Instructors
Alan Burdick, a native of Wichita, Kansas, began training in the martial arts at age 14 when he studied Judo with Okiro Yoshida. His high school years in Arkansas would find him active in Korean Taekwondo until, in his late twenties, he switched to Okinawan Shorin-Ryu under Sensei Bill Brassette in Grand Junction, Colorado.As a symphony orchestra conductor, Alan traveled extensively during the 1980.s and 90.s working with orchestras around the world and viewing, first-hand, exotic martial arts. For 3 years, he was fitness director, aerobics instructor and personal trainer at Northwest Athletic Club. While living in Oklahoma, Alan discovered Chinese Kempo and was awarded his first degree black belt under Sensei Rick McCollister.
Currently, he is a fifth degree black belt under Mohamad Tabatabai. Master Tabatabai was one of the original students of legendary kenpo teacher, Grandmaster Ed Parker. Alan returned to Northwest Arkansas in 1998 and opened his own school, Arkansas College of Martial Arts in Lowell in 2000. Since 2002, he has studied with Paul Vunak in his Progressive Fighting System.s Intensive Personal Training Program. Alan is available as clinician for seminars and teaches a child safety awareness program called “Stranger Danger”.
