Rachel Burns began her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey at white belt alongside her mother, Judy, training under head professor James Weed at Newborn Cascao in Spokane, Washington. A graduate of Reardan High School in the Spokane area, Burns built her foundation within an academy that James Weed has operated for approximately 15 years as of 2025-09-12 (circa 2010).
Throughout her development, Burns credited two factors as central to her growth: the rigorous standards maintained at Newborn Cascao and the experience forged through competition. That combination — high expectations in training and tested performance under pressure — shaped her progression through every belt level.
On 2024-10-26, James Weed promoted Burns to black belt. Weed was deliberate in framing the promotion as merit-based rather than ceremonial, a distinction that speaks directly to the integrity of the milestone and the standards the academy upholds.