Where do I go to learn to fight like Wonderboy ?

Daniel_8991

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Ofc, I mean the standup. I don't have access to a Kenpo school. Do I just watch videos of him and try to copy? Or is there a better strategy?
 
Go to his Karate school in South Carolina seems like a good start imo.
 
Hi, Daniel, and welcome to the Community.
 
Important to note: Even though Thompson did Kempo, his kicking style isn't. Kempo emphasises joint manipulation, low kicks, superman punches etc.

His kicking game is more point fighting Taekwondo style - lead leg side kicks, head kicks etc

So ITF Taekwondo or WAKO/American Kickboxing will probably be to your satisfaction. Not Olympic/WTF Taekwondo. They spar different.
 
Important to note: Even though Thompson did Kempo, his kicking style isn't. Kempo emphasises joint manipulation, low kicks, superman punches etc.

His kicking game is more point fighting Taekwondo style - lead leg side kicks, head kicks etc

So ITF Taekwondo or WAKO/American Kickboxing will probably be to your satisfaction. Not Olympic/WTF Taekwondo. They spar different.
So, in your opinion TKD is a better choice than Shotokan ?
 
So, in your opinion TKD is a better choice than Shotokan ?

Yes but only ITF Taekwondo. Olympic Taekwondo does not look like Thompsons style at all. Shotokan is even further apart.

If there are no ITF schools, see if you can find an American style/WAKO Kickboxing gym.
 
His style is kenpo but he has fought in ISKA and IKF. A lot of karate is the mentality of one shot one kill. Like snipers like Machida and Thompson. Styles that are karate that have the timing and distance. Most karate that I have seen does fight like him but with point sparring. They keep distance and then either leap in or counter.

A lot of karate honestly teaches the point sparring method ( If in America ). Most American dojos don't teach classic Karate so they are diamonds in the rough. People will say McDojos suck, and I agree with the masses on that but they do usually teach the hit and run method of fighting.

What makes Wonderboy good is he adapted point fighting into the full contact format. Point sparring was never my thing cause someone could hit you with a sissy tap and get a point and you don't get to retaliate. He was able to get in fast with timing he learned and land precision shots. So if you want to learn point fighting most McDojos are good at that, but you also have to learn to take a shot and not freeze. Imho boxing or muay thai will help with that. Kyokushin I would love to say but that is a let me bang bro martial art.
 
His style is kenpo but he has fought in ISKA and IKF. A lot of karate is the mentality of one shot one kill. Like snipers like Machida and Thompson. Styles that are karate that have the timing and distance. Most karate that I have seen does fight like him but with point sparring. They keep distance and then either leap in or counter.

A lot of karate honestly teaches the point sparring method ( If in America ). Most American dojos don't teach classic Karate so they are diamonds in the rough. People will say McDojos suck, and I agree with the masses on that but they do usually teach the hit and run method of fighting.

What makes Wonderboy good is he adapted point fighting into the full contact format. Point sparring was never my thing cause someone could hit you with a sissy tap and get a point and you don't get to retaliate. He was able to get in fast with timing he learned and land precision shots. So if you want to learn point fighting most McDojos are good at that, but you also have to learn to take a shot and not freeze. Imho boxing or muay thai will help with that. Kyokushin I would love to say but that is a let me bang bro martial art.

Yes he could learn it in a fake Karate Mcdojo too. No Japanese or Okinawan Karate styles like Shotokan, Goju Ryu, Wado Ryu, Kyokushin, Seidokan, Shorin Ryu look anything like Thompsons kicking game.

And not Kempo Karate either.
 
Ofc, I mean the standup. I don't have access to a Kenpo school. Do I just watch videos of him and try to copy? Or is there a better strategy?
Find any MMA/kickboxing school in your area with a good reputation and get training. Just like not everyone can fight like Mike Tyson, not everyone can fight like Stephen Thompson either. You might have a completely different shaped body and/or mind. Buuuut, if you're really gung ho on fighting like Wonderboy, do everything I just said and find your local karate dojo as well. You might have to swim through alot of bullshit, though there are some hidden gems out there, to get those sick karate kicks. Good luck and welcome to the forums.
 
Find any MMA/kickboxing school in your area with a good reputation and get training. Just like not everyone can fight like Mike Tyson, not everyone can fight like Stephen Thompson either. You might have a completely different shaped body and/or mind. Buuuut, if you're really gung ho on fighting like Wonderboy, do everything I just said and find your local karate dojo as well. You might have to swim through alot of bullshit, though there are some hidden gems out there, to get those sick karate kicks. Good luck and welcome to the forums.
Thanks. But that's the thing man, I DO HAVE Wonderboy's body type (6'2, lean, long legs), trained Karate, TKD and Hapkido, but am searching for a place to put it all together. Most kickboxing gyms in my country(even ones under WAKO) are the standard "stand and bang" "jab-cross-low kick" type. There are none with the finesse of WB. I guess an MMA gym it is.
 
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Thanks. But that's the thing man, I DO HAVE Wonderboy's body type (6'2, lean, long legs), trained Karate, TKD and Hapkido, but am searching for a place to put it all together. Most kickboxing gyms in my country(even ones under WAKO) are the standard "stand and bang" "jab-cross-low kick" type. There are none with the finesse of WB. I guess an MMA gym it is.
Nice, what country are you in? If you're not tied down you should just go to the top MMA gym in your country. Since most countries aren't difficult to get to the other side of quickly.
 
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Nice, what country are you in? If you're not tied down you should just go to the top MMA gym in your country. Since most countries aren't difficult to get to the other side of quickly.
Serbia. We have a ton of everything here( except Kenpo and Sambo lol)
 
Serbia. We have a ton of everything here( except Kenpo and Sambo lol)
do they have KUDO? if so you should do that..
nothing wrong with learning the traditional style its good to learn the rules so then you can learn how and when to break them. that is as important as finding somebody to teach you to be unthordox in the most correct manner.

plus fighting against guys who know what they are doing and learning how to develop your own style is the most important
 
Do you have the same body type? Thats kinda important
 
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