Simon Burgess

Originally from the United Kingdom, Simon has always been interested in Southeast Asian martial arts and first started training Jiu-Jitsu in 1986. During a martial arts seminar, Simon witnessed an Eskrima demonstration, and in a final flourish, the instructor disarmed his opponent. As the opponent's stick flew towards the crowd, Simon snatched it out of the air.

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That was the moment he knew this was the martial art for him. To that end, Simon began training Inosanto-kali with Bob Breen in London. In 1990, he came to New York and began studying Pekiti-Tirsia Kali, and later started training in Muay Thai in 1993. Simon represented England in the World Arnis Championship, competed in Muay Thai for years, and won a WKA super welterweight amateur title.

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Now retired from competition, he has taught Kali and Muay Thai to people for over thirty years and loves watching his students improve, acquire new skills, and grow in confidence. He was promoted to the rank of Magino-O by Master Instructor PTK-SMF Tim Waid in 2019 and is also an Arjan via Grandmaster Chansadeth Chantanao.

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Simon routinely travels to Thailand and the Philippines to train, refresh his skills, and learn new techniques. With a keen eye for detail, clever insights, and deep experience, he is always happy to share his understanding of both disciplines with his students and has helped many improve their daily lives and performance in competitions.

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At home, he spends a lot of time gardening, cooking what he grows, and sharing that with friends and family.