Instructors

Head Instructor

Timothy Burns

Timothy Burns earned his Black Belt from Kim Yee's Karate West in Fort Collins, Colorado. He has been practicing the martial arts since 1984, and earned his black belt in 1988. In December 1987 he began teaching karate at the Activities Youth Center in Fort Collins. After moving to Monroe, he founded the Ronin Karate program in November, 1991.

He began the formal study of Judo in 2003 at Rock Valley Judo in Janesville, Wisconsin, where he studied until the program closed in late 2008. He currently holds the rank of brown belt.

Historical Instructors

Kim H. Yee

Timothy Burns studied under Mr. Kim H. Yee of Fort Collins, Colorado. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Mr. Yee began studying Tae Kwon Do in 1969 under Master J.B. Chung at the Madison Tae Kwon Do School. Mr. Yee earned his Black Belt in Chung Do Kwan Tae Kwon Do in 1973. He taught at the Madison Tae Kwon Do School, and became head instructor of the Madison East YMCA Karate Club and the University of Wisconsin Karate Club. Mr. Yee also studied boxing under Mr. Andy Hollibush of Madison, Wisconsin. Mr. Yee competed in PKA full contact karate, retiring in 1981. At that time he was ranked 10th in the world in the bantamweight division.

Mr. Yee opened Karate West in 1978 and continues to teach there today. A fantastic competitor and teacher, he was inducted into the Colorado Karate Association Hall of Fame in 2006.