Kevin Thompson (karate)
| Kevin Thompson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 Newark, New Jersey, US |
| Died | January 8, 2020 (aged 57–58) West Orange, New Jersey, US |
| Other names | Lil K.A. |
| Style | Karate |
| Teacher(s) | Karriem Abdallah |
| Spouse | Shena |
| Children | 6 |
Kevin Brown Thompson (1962[1] – January 8, 2020) was an American world champion of karate.[2] Thompson was referred to in his early years of fighting as Lil K.A. named after his teacher Karriem Abdallah. At the age of 14, Thompson had an article in Black Belt Magazine.[3] Kevin was inducted into the 1988 Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame as the Co-Competitor of the Year.[4]
Martial arts competitive career
[edit]Since the early '70s, Thompson had amassed well over 1000 trophies from local and international martial arts competitions, possibly closer to 2000.[3] He fought in the Professional Karate League in the mid 1990s and was known as a forms and sparring star.[5] Under the Budweiser Karate Team, The Atlantic Team and Team Paul Mitchell, he would compete in and win in major tournaments such as the Players Cup, Diamond National, Battle of Atlanta, Binns Galaxy of Stars(prior to team affiliation), U.S. Open, B.I.G aka Bermuda Internationals, Atlantic Events, Bluegrass Nationals[6] and Ocean State Grand Nationals.[7] Thompson was the winner of the elusive triple crown, the winner of sparring, forms, and weapons.[1] Thompson entered into mixed martial arts and had a 3-1 record in professional matches.[8] He also had an amateur MMA record of 4-1.[8]
Martial Arts teaching
[edit]Thompson taught out of a dojo in New Jersey. He had a team of performers he calls Shakil’s Warriors. He instructed students on the physical and psychological aspects of competitive fighting.[5] He suffered from ALS but continued to teach karate until no longer able to do so.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Thompson was married to Shena and had 6 children.[10] He served as a spokesman pushing for a cure for ALS.[10] Thompson died aged 58 on January 8, 2020, from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).[11][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Black Belt June 1989". google.com. June 1989.
- ^ "Hall of Famer Battles ALS". The Huffington Post. 30 April 2014.
- ^ a b "Black Belt August 1976". google.com. August 1976.
- ^ "Black Belt August 1991". google.com. August 1991.
- ^ a b "Black Belt April 1990". google.com. April 1990.
- ^ "Black Belt October 1995". google.com. October 1995.
- ^ "Black Belt October 1996". google.com. October 1996.
- ^ a b "Kevin Thompson". mixedmartialarts.com.
- ^ "Karate Champ Talsk About His ALS Diagnosis". The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter.
- ^ a b "N.J. karate king faces down biggest foe". NJ.com. 7 December 2014.
- ^ "Kevin Thompson 1962-2020 – Martial Arts World Report". Maworldreport.com. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
- ^ "N.J. Karate legend who inspired thousands loses battle with ALS". 13 January 2020.
