Our Instructors

Clarence C. Burris, III Esq


▪    1972 Formal class study with Master Jean Du Teau of Master Alan Lee’s Chinese Wushu Association

▪    1975 Master Wily Lin's Kung Fu School in Washington, DC and began Chin Na study; 

▪     1977-1979 As the Washington College of Law's Liaison for the District of Columbia’s Law Students In Court Program, argued more than 34 cases on behalf of indigent D.C. residents before the District of Columbia’s Superior Court (currently he does not practice in D.C.);

▪    1978-1988 As a member of the American Bar Association and Federal Bar Association, litigated cases in the District of Columbia on behalf of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of the General Counsel. He has practiced before PA, VA, and DE Courts. Currently an International Trade and Immigration law specialist;

▪    1978 Received his first Black belt degree;

▪    1978 – 1989 Senior Instructor, Dennis Brown's Shaolin Wushu Kung Fu Academy;

▪    1982 Region 10’s, Number 1 Weapon Competitor of the Year;

▪    1983 Selected to 2nd U.S. Delegation for Specialized Training in Chengdu, China;

▪    1985 Resumed training in China and attended Beijing University Law School;

▪    1987 Trained with Beijing Wushu Team, Beijing, China

▪    1987 Founded the Chinese Martial Arts Institute in Falls Church, VA and has been the Director and Senior Instructor since 1987

▪    1988 Certified as a National Judge for NASKA and USAWKF;

▪    1992 NASKA Virginia State Heavy Weight Sparring Champion;

▪    1993 Selected to U. S. full contact San Shou Team

▪    1997 Led U.S. Delegation to train with Beijing Wu Shu Team, Beijing, China;

▪    1999 Led U.S. Delegation to train with Beijing Wu Shu Team, Beijing, China;

▪    Master Burris has won numerous major competitions all over the United States.

▪    1999 Certified by Professor Wally Jay and Professor and Professor Michael De Pasquale as a special instructor for the International Federation of Ju Jitsuans;

▪    2002 Certified Air Marshall in the "American in Defense Program" under the World Blackbelt Organization;

▪    2005 World Mudo Federation Hall of Fame “Kung Fu Master of the Year”

▪    2005 Featured in Master Willy Lin’s Qin Na Films;

▪    Master Burris has instructed classes and groups for the following entitites:

▪     Olympus Gyms & Fitness Centers;

▪     Arlington Co., Falls Church and Fairfax Co. Public School Systems

▪     McLean Racket & Health Club

▪     TRW

▪     American University;

▪     Skyline Club

▪     The Inter-American Development Bank

▪     National Labor Relations Board, Washington, DC;

▪     Fannie Mae;

▪     U.S. Postal Department;

▪     Fairfax County Police Department;

▪     FBI, ATF, CIA, and many other law enforcement agencies;

▪    2005 Co-founder and CEO of Chin Na International, LLC – Special Tactical Response Training Programs.

▪    Graduate of Executive Protection Institute

▪    Member of Nine Lives Association

▪    VA DCJS Licensed Executive Protection Specialist & Private Investigator

▪    2008 Trained security teams in China for 2008 Olympic Games

▪    2010 Led personal protection detail for current Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar during her election campaign.

Master Burris has been trained directly by the following recognized martial art masters;

▪    Grandmaster Alan Lee / Master Jean Du Teau (Traditional Wushu);

▪    Grandmaster Willy Lin (Traditional Tian Shan Pai Kung Fu & Chin Na, Push Hands);

▪    Grandmaster Teng Fang Lin; (Intensive Chin Na, Traditional Weapons);

▪    Grandmaster Chen Xiao Wang; (Chen Taiji);

▪    Grandmaster Zhu Tian Cai; (Chen Taiji);

▪    Grandmaster Chen Zheng Lei; (Chen Taiji);

▪    Grandmaster Tian Chu Tian; (Chen Taiji);

▪    Grandmaster Wu Bin; (Wu Shu Basics & Philosophy);

▪    Master Dennis Brown; (Traditional Tian Shan Pai Kung Fu);

▪    Mfundishi Tayari Casel (Ground Fighting);

▪    Melenga Samuel Scott (Edged Weapon Special Tactics & Street Combat)

▪    Classmates of Jet Li (Li Lian Jie) from the original Beijing Wu Shu Team:

▪     Master Yu Shao Wen (Long Fist, Whip Chain, Broad Sword; Staff);

▪     Master Tang Lai Wei (Spear);

▪     Master Wang Jian Jun (Long Staff);

▪     Master Dong Hong Lin (Three Sectional Staff & Long Fist);

▪     Master Cui Ya Hui (Preying Mantis); 

▪     Master Yan Ping (Long Staff);

▪     Master Zhang Gui Feng (Long Fist Basics);

▪    Third Generation Beijing Wu Shu Team:

▪     Zuo Juan (Preying Mantis);

▪     Wu Jing (Long Fist, Chen Taiji);

▪     Li Ying; (Straight Sword, Southern Fist);

▪     Li Jing; (Long Fist, Staff, Spear);

▪     Jiang Bang Jun (Eagle Claw, Long Fist);

▪     Liu Wei (Chen Taiji);

▪     Han Jing (Long Fist);

▪     Chen Chen (Southern Broadsword);

▪     Kong Xiang Dong (Combined Taiji);

▪     Liu Qing Hua (Long Fist);

  In addition, Master Burris has had the opportunity to train along side and at length with the following renown martial arts celebrities.

▪    Master Ho Yung Pak;

▪    Robin Shu;

▪    Cynthia Rothrock;

▪    Chuck Jeffries;

▪    Hakim Alston (Full Contact);

Coach Bina Khadka

· Wushu Coach - Chinese Martial Arts Institute, Fairfax, VA
· Wushu Coach - National Team of Nepal
· International Judge - Certified By The International Wushu Federation, China

Achievements

Coach Li Ying- Beijing Wushu Team / Cirque Du Soleil Performer

 Li Ying was born in Beijing China in 1974. In 1979, her father introduced her to gymnastics at the Beijing “Shi Sha Hai” sports complex at the age of 5. The Shi Sha Hai sports complex was the same home to the Beijing Wushu Team. At the young age of 5, she remembers the gymnastics training was so difficult that she would often run home and her father would have to catch her.

During that arduous period in her life, she was able to watch some of the wushu training. Impressed by the wushu athlete’s movements, she secretly brewed a passion for martial arts due to her lack of interest in gymnastics..  Eventually her gymnastics coach caught on to this and told her father that Li Ying’s  flexibility wasn’t  strong enough for gymnastics but her flexibility, speed, and jumping ability would be perfect for wushu.

 Her family had never been involved in wushu in anyway, but Li Ying would soon be learning traditions and family styles that did. One in particular was Yin Pai Baguazhang or Yin Family 8 diagram palm. Baguazhang, an internal martial art, is base on the Taoist I-Ching philosophy and the theory of change.  Baguazhang incorporates and demands great flexibility for the circular, twining, whipping, and coiling body techniques perfect for this wushu rising star. Today Li Ying firmly believes in the internal arts for health, self defense, and well being. She states, “Taiji 24, 42, and Baguazhang are very nice and suitable for preserving the body's health. When I an older I will continue to practice because I enjoy them a lot, I will never stop doing wushu.”

 Li Ying also learned the traditional Fanziquan or Continuous Attack Boxing. Fanziquan is characterized by quick hand work and dodging maneuvers. Li Ying’s training in Wushu was both difficult and fun at times, but always with teachers who were very strict. Among them were Wu Bin, Cui Ya Hui and Ju Bao Jun who would teach her everything about wushu. This environment proved helpful in her ability to reach high grades in various examinations. Passing these examinations qualified her to become a member of the Beijing wushu team.

 The schedule as a team member required training from 6 am to 9:30 pm with breaks only for lunch and dinner. Sundays were off except for upcoming tournaments. Because of this schedule however, Li Ying was able to learn Changquan (Long fist), Nanquan (Southern fist), and Taijiquan (Grand Ultimate fist).  For competition and performance she focused more on Nanquan. Some of the weapons she was able to master were straight sword, cudgel, spear, 3 sectional staff, 9 sectional whip, double straight swords and double broadswords.  By 1988, Li Ying was an Olympic class wushu athlete and National champion in Changquan, broadsword and cudgel.  She was touring the world with the Beijing wushu team performing in countries like Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia, Macau, USA, Kuwait, and Taiwan.

 In 1997 she was teaching a children’s team in Beijing. In 4 years time, the children would bring back at least 4 gold medals at every tournament they competed. Later Li Ying would be qualified as a level 1 judge in China, meaning that she could judge at any tournament in the country.

 In 1987, Li Ying met Sifu Clarence Burris, an international business and immigration lawyer with a passion for training in wushu.  Sifu Burris annually takes trips to Beijing China and he brings teams of students for special training at the Shi Sha Hai sports complex. Li Ying and fellow champion Li Jing became great friends with Sifu Burris. Li Jing immigrated to the USA and settled in Berkeley California with a career in Hollywood. She enjoys conducting seminars at Sifu Burris’ school, the Chinese Martial Arts Institute (CMAI) in Fairfax Virginia. Li Ying has also immigrated to the U.S. as of 2003 and she assumed the role of head Wushu coach at CMAI. Her goals are to help enhance the level of Wushu at CMAI, and the East Coast.