Carl Totton II

Cart Allen Totton was born on May 10, 1948, in Los Angeles, Califomia, to Elva and Carl Totton, and grew up alongside his younger sister, Deborah. As a young child, Carl attended the family Church Bethel A.M.E. located in Los Angeles California. He was baptized at Bethel around the age of 6 months. He attended Arlington Heights Elementary School, Mount Vernon Junior High, and LA High School, In 1961, at just 13 years old, he experienced a profound moment of satori while standing outside his home in the rain. That sudden vision revealed a higher calling-one that inspired him to study martial arts and ultimately led him toward a lifelong path of spirituality, consciousness, and healing.
Two years later, he began formal instruction in the martial arts, including training in Chinese, Ed Parker Lineage Kenpo, Kung Fu Limalama, Kajukerbo, Tai Chi Chuan, Hsing-1, Pa Kua, Lu Ho Ba Fa. Aikido, and Aris. He received direct private instruction from the pioneering Martial Arts Instructors Ark Yuey Wong, Share K. Lew, Edmund K. Parker Sr, Haumea Lefiti, Tino Tuiolosega, John Leoning, Remy Presas, Doo Wai, John Fey, Ralph Shun, York Why Loo, and Chen Xiaowang, among others.He began teaching in 1970 and founded the Taoist Institute in North Hollywood, California ten years later. At the Institute, he taught a variety of martial arts, including kung fu, kenpo karate, and kenpo jujitsu, as well as limalama, tal chi chuan, hsing-l, bagua chang, lu ho ba fa, chin na, and the healing arts such as qigong, tui na, acupressure massage, and herbal remedies: Dr.Totton is the founder of "The Core System," a method of integrating ancient roots of traditional healing, spiritual, and martial arts, and transforming them for contemporary applications. He also taught psychic development practices such as remote viewing and philosophical and spiritual teachings, including the Tao Te Ching and the I Ching. He would officiate numerous martial arts competitions and have a brief role in the hit 1984 film The Karate Kid.Professionally, Dr. Totton held BS and MS degrees in rehabilitation counseling from Cal State LA, and a Psy.D (Doctor of Psychology) degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. His doctoral dissertation on Meditation and Altered States" enabled him to integrate psychology with meditation and clinical practice. For 25 years, he worked as a clinical and educational psychologist providing a variety of therapeutic services to adults, adolescents, and chlidren. He taught at five different colleges or universities, including two schools of oriental medicine. He finished his career as chair of the Department of School Psychology at Phillips Graduate University Throughout his professional career, he achieved a uniqué balance between traditional practices and the study of modern psychologyFrom 2015 to 2022, he shared his wisdom and humor as the host of the What's This Tao All About? podcast, which received over a million downloads.Dr. Totton was the recipient of Presidential Sports Awards signed by President Bill Clinton; named to the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame (2002), received the Spirit of the Dragon Award at the San Diego Grand Intemationals (2005); and in 2011, the Steve Hearring Legacy Award: and was then honored with the 2011 Hall of Fame award from the Martial Arts History Museum.Dr. Totton was a towering figure in his life as a martial artist, but his humility led him to acquire the nickname of The Silent Giant: Everyone who met him was taken by his hearty laugh and incredible sense of humor. He was a skilled warrior, a healing humanitarian, a profoundly spiritual mystic, and saw the world with a childlike wonder. His favorite quotation comes from Dr. Charles Richet, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine: "1 didn't say it was possible. I only said it was true."Dr. Totton merged with the Great Tao on August 13, 2025, in his home in Burbank, California, after suffering a series of strokes. He is survived by his sister Deborah Washington and her husband Phillip Washington, his niece Kimberly Horne, married to Dr. Jeremy Horne, and his grandnephew Noah Horne. The Homes are expecting their second child in January 2026.