At the age of six, Master Devon Waldron began training in Song Moo Kwan Taekwondo. He trained taekwondo, judo and hapkido during his formative years and learned grecco-roman style wrestling in high school. At 16, he achieved his 1st dan in taekwondo through the Chang Moo Kwan, and reached 2nd dan during his senior year in high school under Kwanjangnim Eric Greenquist. At the age of 18, he began training under Sifu Dana G Daniels and Sigung Leung Lee Fu of Bak Shaolin Eagle Claw International in Seattle. At the age of 23 he began studying Jow Ga as well, under the instruction of Sifu Raymond Wong in Washington, DC. Master Waldron has maintained his training in the arts through the present, and has continued to achieve new levels of proficiency and understanding, including traveling to the Far East to further his training.
In 2007, Master Waldron founded Northern Lights Martial Arts as a training club and competition team for people who were – and are – interested in dedicated training and competition for the sake of self-development, the arts and culture, and a sense of community and family with others of the same mind set.
In 2011, Master Waldron was officially made a Sifu in Bak Shaolin Eagle Claw and was accepted as a direct student of Sigung Leung Fu. In 2012, Master Waldron was personally recommended for the rank of 4th dan (master rank) in the Chang Moo Kwan by 10th dan Great Grandmaster Yun Moo Young, and successfully completed his exam in July of 2012. In 2017, Master Waldron achieved the rank of 4th dan in Hapkido. In 2018, Master Waldron achieved the rank of 5th dan with the Chang Moo Kwan; later that year, he was recognized as a master instructor within the Bak Shaolin Eagle Claw system. Grandmaster Lily Lau, Master Waldron’s Sibakgung, recognizes him as a 5th dan in the Lau family Eagle Claw system. In 2024, Master Waldron was awarded the rank of 6th dan by the Chinese Shaolin Wushu Association.
Master Waldron competed for 28 years in competitions run for taekwondo, karate, wrestling, kickboxing and Chinese martial arts. He has been a successful competitor in forms and fighting, winning auspicious medals at the national and international levels for both, including wins in full contact kickboxing and sanda/sanshou matches in both the US and Canada and medaling in forms at a handful of international events in North America and Asia. In his final fighting appearance, Master Devon Waldron claimed the men’s heavyweight sanda belt at the 2018 ICMAC 20th Anniversary Championship tournament. In 2022, Master Devon Waldron was inducted into the ICMAC Hall of Fame in the Masters category for his contributions to traditional Chinese martial arts and participation in the Chinese martial arts community.
