Bussey was committed to raising awareness through seminars, lectures and Q&A forums.  His mission or goal as he put it, was "to empower individuals with information and informal education designed to improve their confidence and safety in matters relating to self preservation, and in turn, seek to positively impact conditions within our society"

The result of his ingenuity and ground-breaking methods during this time had a significant impact on people's lives, helping to serve diverse needs within communities.  His prowess and combat versatility in high demand, Bussey conducted seminars on subjects such as submission fighting, weapon disarming, and rape prevention.  Other topics included philosophy, leadership and mentoring, survival strategies, and success principles.

During this time, Bussey pledged support to various charitable causes including discounts and free services to underprivileged children, libraries, churches, and various non-profit programs.  He donated countless hours of free instruction and lectures to enhance individual self reliance within communities, worked with the elderly, security and law enforcement personnel, various women's groups, professional clubs, martial arts schools, and anti-drug projects.

1980's  Bussey's provocative and dynamic martial arts organization ruled the reality based market.  A modern Ninja art of sorts, Bussey spread his methods via "Sanctioned Branches" which drew an army of practitioners from across the US and abroad to his legendary "Summer Training Camp" which he held in Nebraska.

For two decades, a distinct group of warriors flourished throughout the martial arts landscape. They were comprised of all walks of life and practiced what they considered to be an all-encompassing system of protection based on the teachings of its founder. The methodology of mid-Western born Robert Bussey covered a veritable cornucopia of combat practices, and seemed to break new ground with provocative titles and names not generally associated with martial arts or military practices...

In the height of its glory, RBWI had scattered the landscape with facilities know as "Warrior Training Branches," which allowed participants access to customized equipment and uniforms in addition to their specialized training.

- From the magazine article:"The Reign that was RBWI"

Official Karate Magazine was the first to describe Robert Bussey as the "King of Combat".  It noted that Bussey had indeed redefined the world's view on fighting arts.  Inside Kung-Fu Magazine noted; "He is best known for pioneering the Ninja art from Japan to America as early as 1979, but his credentials stretch far beyond those examined by the public."…"It was the creative resources of this sole individual that designed an entity set apart from all those that came before it, and which surely will influence future warriors of the 21st Century".

For more information, read "The Reign that Was RBWI"

Excerpts from the book, "King of Combat" by Keith Jones.

Bussey began his martial arts training as a child and possessed exceptional skill even as a youngster. Even in his early teens, he sparked a considerable amount of controversy because he had been awarded his certification before an age that was considered "acceptable" by most martial arts institutions of the day. He earned several black belts, and after traveling overseas, became the sole American representative of Yong Bi Kwan Hap Ki Do. He also traveled to Japan on numerous occasions, and, on his first venture, at the age of only 18, and long before the out-break of "Ninja-mania," became a licensed instructor of Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu under Masaaki Hatsumi which, in 1979, established Bussey as a pioneer of Ninjutsu in America. Bussey made history by sponsoring the first open U.S. meeting with Japan-trained instructors in hopes of setting the ground work for an international fellowship. Hatsumi proposed the Bussey would "father" American Ninjutsu as the Bujinkan's top representative. Bussey rejected the idea and instead chose a less conspicuous position by teaching only a handful of people in Nebraska and side-stepping the potential for political conflicts.

Bussey was one of the countries original "reality-based" experts and his ongoing expansion of a complete philosophical and combat approach to the martial arts has sparked the media into dubbing him the "King of Combat" and at 24, was running the largest Ninjutsu training facility in the world. His contribution to the martial arts far out way the rumors of his being a "renegade master" and "black sheep". Bussey has always stood on the merits of his abilities and has never exaggerated his accomplishments or proclaimed any position of tremendous authority, choosing only to call himself "Founder" of RBWI after developing an art that reached members in 30 countries. Bussey was offered and politely turned down master level certification in Ninjutsu on four occasions, which would have ranked him higher than any non-Japanese master in the thousand year history of the art. In Bussey's words, "I felt it would have been unfair to both parties to accept such a position. I have absolutely no regret, because I would simply have helped spread an ancient art filled with illusions, sterile philosophies, and limitations".

Proven skills that work against resistant assailants were a standard of Bussey's teachings along with an honest pursuit of an understanding of the human condition. "If training methods are to be truly pragmatic, morality must accompany them. First and foremost, we need to avoid conflict with great effort and remain in touch with the kind of conduct that will promote the highest regard for human life", said Bussey. "The real question, with regard to any style, remain somewhere between its relevance to physical pragmatism and the philosophy it represents. The perception that one system is better than another is highly subjective and should depend upon both individual preference and the unprohibitive scope and effectiveness of the self-preservation methods themselves".

Joseph Jennings, a 6th Dan master of Isshin Ryu Karate-Do and president of Panther Productions in 1989 said this of Bussey: "As a practicing black belt and producer of over 400 instrumental video tapes presenting various martial arts forms, I have had the good fortune to work closely with many of the world's greatest masters. Of all the artists I have worked with and filmed, few have impressed me more than Robert Bussey. To witness the awesome speed, power, and precision of "The King Of Combat" is to witness a master performing at an advanced level few people will ever achieve. This perfection comes from Bussey's lifelong dedication to daily physical and spiritual training."

At the second UFC in Denver Colorado,  Robert Bussey received an award recognizing him as the "King Of Combat" and as a pioneer of reality based martial arts.

Before his untimely death, Brandon Lee, the son of legendary Bruce Lee, was seeking out Robert Bussey for training in realistic fighting. Dr. Jerry Beasley, one of Bruce Lee's famed Jeet Kune Do advocates once stated that if Bruce had lived, he may well have studied Bussey's strategies as well.

Bussey's image was used as a model for Batman in Dark Knight comic book fight scenes.

Few people know that Robert is an accomplished artist and award winning poet.