The Burton Richardson Interview
Conducted by Paul Bax

When and how did you first start your training in martial arts?
Burton Richardson: My first introduction to the arts was when I was about 7 years old. A classmate in elementary school showed me some his “secret” karate moves on the playground. I remember being captivated by the notion that there was an actual method to fighting. When I was about 10, I heard a loud sound coming from the gymnasium at a local park. I peeked in and saw fifty people in karate uniforms standing in horse stances, throwing punches. They all did their “kiais”, which resonated throughout the building. It was very impressive to a young guy in a pretty tough neighborhood. I didn’t start any actual martial arts training until I was 17.

How did you first hear about Bruce Lee and his art of Jeet Kune Do?

BR: I first saw Bruce Lee in the Green Hornet television series. I just loved Kato, and I loved that car. I didn’t know that it was Bruce Lee until many years later. I first learned of Bruce Lee when I was about 11 years old. I spent many afternoons and evenings in the local parks in Carson, California, the city where I was raised. After a basketball practice on the blacktop, a friend took out a small booklet that had photos of Bruce Lee in Enter The Dragon. I remember being mesmerized by the photos, but I still didn’t know anything about Jeet Kune Do.

Years later, my first girlfriend was taking lessons with Sifu Dan Inosanto and Sifu Richard Bustillo at the original Kali Academy in Torrance, California. I was 17 when she asked me out on our first date- a matinee showing of Enter The Dragon. I became very interested in training, and she took me to the Kali Academy. Because I was too busy with studies and baseball to sign up, she taught me some of the basics. For my 18th birthday (January of 1980), she bought me the Tao of Jeet Kune Do and the Bruce Lee’s Fighting Methods series. I began training at the Academy that summer, and have been hooked ever since.

What was it about JKD that led you away from traditional martial arts?
BR: I hadn’t actually trained in traditional arts, but my first trip to the Academy was a great relief for me. I really didn’t like those uniforms that I saw in karate. Since I was a baseball player, the fact that the guys and girls at the academy worked out in sweatpants and t-shirts was very appealing to me. It looked like an athletic training session rather than a ritualized routine. It suited my taste very well.

JKD has gone through a lot of phases over the years due to different theories on how the art should be taught. What is your take on the “Concepts” vs. “Original” controversy?