Master Whitten (Pin #12181) began studying Judo in 1960, at the age of 13. When 16 years old, he began Sil Lum Kung Fu at the local YMCA and continued until 1965, when he joined the U.S. Air Force. While stationed in Texas, he briefly studied Shotokan and Tae Kwon Do. He would also workout with anyone willing to train.
 

In 1967, Master Whitten was assigned to Osan Air Base, Korea. Here, he found a home with Tang Soo Do and Shin, Jae Chul. The training was much harder than anything he had been though before. Only one out of every ten who joined stayed long enough to test for black belt. He tested for his 1st Dan in October, 1968 at Grand Master Hwang Kee's legendary dojang. During his tour at Osan, Master Whitten had the opportunity to study with Grand Master Shin, Jae Chul and Grand Master Kim, Chun Sik.

He began teaching almost immediately after his discharge from the Air Force. He was the first to introduce Tang Soo Do to the Metro-East area of St. Louis. Jerry Skivers was the first Tang Soo Do instructor in St. Louis, proper. He continued studying with Grand Master Shin and was the first regional director for Region 5 of the World Tang Soo Do Association. Master Whitten was chosen Master of the Year in 1998 and earned his 6th Dan in 2000. While he was a member of the WTSDA, Master Whitten served in many capacities, including: Regonal Director, Chairman of Hyung Technical Committee, Chairman of the Membership Committee, member of the 1995 China Expedition, testing official for color belts, black belts, and masters as well as judge and center referee for regional and world tournaments.

   
Master Whitten introduced Korean cane techniques and created a hyung to be used with the cane. He also created the highest empty hand form, Sae Kye Jang Kwon Hyung. Both hyungs are required by the WTSDA for masters' ranks.

In the 1980s, Master Whitten became interested in T'ai Chi Chuan, learning the Yang style simplified 24. While in China, he was able to visit Chen Village, where T'ai Chi began. He witnessed a demonstration and decided he had to find an instructor. He began studying Chen style T'ai Chi with Dr. Yang Yang in 1998 and continued with him until 2005. He has attended workshops with some of the greats of Chen T'ai Chi, including Grand Masters; Feng Zhiqiang, Jin Cai Cheng, Chen Zhonghua, Chen Xiaowang, and Chen Xioaxing.