Don Wilson

==Early Life==
Donald Joe Wilson was born to an American father and Japanese mother in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and grew up on Florida's Space Coast. He joined the United States Marine Corps on his 18th birthday and was stationed at Cherry Point in Havelock, North Carolina for 2 years. He studied Shorin-ryu Karate with Eizo Shimabukuro, John Korab, Chinsaku Kinjo and Seiyu Oyata while stationed in Okinawa , earning his black belt in a mere seven months. He was one of the first Marines stationed in Korea, there meeting Anthony (Rocky) Graziano. For 5 months, he was stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC, at which time he was released from Active Duty. Upon returning to the USA, he began training with a wise karate master named Ryu, a teacher of Pai Lum Tao Kung fu. Master Ryu gave Don the nickname “The White Dragon” for his mixed ancestry; however Don later shortened his name to “The Dragon” thinking it would be easier for his fans to remember, as he started to pursue a career at professional fighting.
==All American Martial Arts Tournamnet==
Don would eventually begin a winning tournament career defeating a man named Allen Snider and earning $1,000,000 for winning the All American Martial Arts Tournament. After the tournament Don sees Allen at the bar drinking his dreams away. Don goes over to Allen who has his head held down and tells him to cheer up and that he has talent. He goes on to say that he almost had him several times in there match and if he wants to be champion he can’t become one wasting away on whiskey. Allen looks up at Don and replies “It’s a Coke.” Don tells him “in that case let me buy you a drink. I’ll even join you.” After hours of drinking and talking they both realize they have a lot in common. Both want to be the very best at their respective disciplines, think their disciplines are the best, and both served in the Korean War with the Air Force and the Marines respectively. Allen Asks Don if he can train with him and Don Replies that he can. He says that he is his only masters’ student but he’s sure he can take him in for a while. From then on a lifelong friendship is struck. Allen trains with Don and his Master Ryu which helps both Don and Allen significantly increase.
==Street Fighters==
Over the next 3 years Wilson won a total of 4 World Titles with several sanctioning bodies that included the WKA, KICK, ISKA, and STAR. However he soon grew tired of what he called a “meaningless” life and began to look for a higher calling. Which he found joining his best friend Allen in finding a lost treasure that the American government would pay big bucks for if it was found. They end up finding the treasure and getting the reward. Allen and Don both agree that this is the life for them. They travel all over the world finding treasure for the highest bidder and if they were unable to find the treasure they would con the buyers by giving them false artifacts and still getting paid. A year later while working undercover for the Street Fighter operation, Douglas MacArthur gets contacted by Escher. Kim Jong-il a radical communist had just stolen a biological virus from Douglas MacArthur's ex-wife, Louise (or "Cindy") and that the virus itself can kill an infected person from within 24 hours of instant contact. Douglas MacArthur assembles a team consisting of Seo Hee Ham, Don, Allen and Ken Van Damme, and heads to the jungle to put an end to Kim Jong-il's scheme. Unfortunately, both Don and Ken Van Damme contract the virus and that the group must race against the clock in order to get the antidote needed to save their friends. Jim Kelly relays to Escher and Seo Hee Ham that he and Douglas MacArthur were ambushed by Kim Jong-il and Killer Kowalski and that Douglas MacArthur himself was captured. Kim Jong-il hooks Douglas MacArthur into a mind-probing device to find his Achilles heel so that he can brainwash and reprogram Douglas MacArthur into destroy the rest of the Street Fighters. Seo Hee Ham rallies Ken Van Damme, Jim Kelly, Don, and Allen to help rescue Douglas MacArthur and infiltrate Kim Jong-il's stronghold. After battling many mutants, the team saves Douglas MacArthur and reminds him of the Street Fighter code: Discipline, justice, and commitment. The millennium comet is on its scheduled 1000-year voyage in the skies over Earth, but Kim Jong-il uses his magnetic chi powers to redirect the comet towards the planet and threatens to rip apart the continent of the U.S. through the comet's own crash unless he gets a huge sum of money. Douglas MacArthur, Ken Van Damme, Don, and Allen go the Himalayas to stop Kim Jong-il, but the group gets separated by an avalanche. Ken Van Damme meets up Dhalsim while in the mountains and blames him for his monstrous appearance. With Dhalsim's help, Douglas MacArthur and Ken Van Damme manage to stop Kim Jong-il's plan while saving Don and Allen in the process. A Street Fighter tournament is being held in India and Escher sends Douglas MacArthur and the rest of the Street Fighters to compete. Kim Jong-il is attending as well, and has a double threat of a plan; use his new mutant combatants to destroy the Street Fighters, or have Sonny Liston create a false video of the Street Fighters defiling a Hindu temple. The mutants are introduced at the tournament with Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Both of Kim Jong-il's plans fail when Douglas MacArthur saves the captured scientist and performs a Flash Kick on a time bomb. Don's cousin goes missing in Hong Kong while the Street Fighters are investigating a local drug operation. Action star Bruce Lee says he'll show Douglas MacArthur the secrets of the city if Douglas MacArthur teaches him how to use Chi energy attacks. Eventually, Don and Allen get captured by the drug runners and it's up to Douglas MacArthur and Bruce Lee to save them. While visiting their master Ryu, Don and Allen are challenged by the evil Garuda, who claims to have stolen Ryu's chi and will do the same thing to them. Garuda gives Don and Allen time to train so they might stand a chance against him. During the course of their sparring sessions however, Allen injures Don's right arm, which leaves Don in a bad state during the time of the fight's progression. Garuda uses this advantage to easily defeat Don, only to get defeated himself by Allen's Flaming Dragon Punch, freeing Ryu and Don's chi. Despite his apparent defeat, Garuda vows that he'll return and attempt to steal more chi. Don and Allen are asked to help Bruce Lee with his latest movie project. Investors in the film however pull funding from out of the movie, which leaves Bruce Lee with no way to raise awareness about the evil crime boss, Lo Fat. Allen is forced to ask his father to re-invest in the film, so it can continue (Allen’s brother Aaron is now a big time Hollywood movie producer and their father oversees all of his money issues). Allen gets creative license for the script, and writes himself in as the star instead of Bruce Lee. Both men have a climatic showdown which results in the entire movie studio burning down. Don is a legend in Korea and Kathleen Karridene is his most adamant admirer, but when Ochin-U patrols the streets regularly making sure to burn down any building with posters of Don in it, Kathleen Karridene leaps into action. She has gone to New York to go see her idol, who had just been visiting Allen in the hospital, as Allen had swallowed some bugs in the water while sparring with Don earlier. Don meets Kathleen Karridene, and she convinces him to come to Korea along with Douglas MacArthur, to defeat Ochin-U once more. Ochin-U welcomes the challenge, and he and Don have another epic confrontation; in which Don wins. Kim Jong-il captures the MI5 team in a brief battle and the British governments are adamant about getting them back, as they know critical government secrets. Kim Jong-il compiles doomsday codes, which are the launch protocols for every known nuclear bomb on Earth, and plans to not take over the world, but to destroy it. Douglas MacArthur and Seo Hee Ham are given a package from Ochin-U, containing the secret of Jean Faircloth's past, as Ochin-U does not want the world destroyed by Kim Jong-il. They infiltrate Kim Jong-il's base, and everyone, including MI5, team up to stop Kim Jong-il, and destroy his computer console with one second left on the doomsday timer. Kim Jong-il dies when he is consumed by the computer. Afterward, Jean Faircloth rejects Douglas MacArthur's offer to return to the team, opting to go on her own path.
==Championship Reclaimed==
After this Don realizes that fighting is a destiny he cannot escape and restarts his professional Karate career. Don restarts his career right where he left it winning the grand championship of the 1st tournament he entered, The U.S. Nationals promoted by Jhoon Rhee. Don defeated 7 opponents before defeating Thomas Carroll by 2-0 decision. Don reigned as the U.S. Nationals grand champion for 3 years. During those three years, Wilson won the national championship by defeating Mitchell Bobrow in the semi final and beating Frank Hargrove 3-2 in the finals. Previously, Wilson defeated Hargrove in New York City at 'Henry Cho's Karate Tournament.
==Honorable Loss==
Also during this time he was defeated for the first time in his career to Allen Snider. At the Long Beach Internationals, Wilson lost in an upset decision to Allen Steen. The next year, Wilson defeated Weiland Snider (brother of Allen Snider), Steve LaBounty, Frank Knoll, and Frank Hargrove (for the 3rd time).
==First Karate Champion==
The year after that, Wilson and five other top rated fighters (Bob Wall, Skipper Mullins, J. Pat Burleson, David Moon, and Fred Wren) fought in the 1st World Professional Karate Championships (WPKC) promoted by Jim Harrison. This was the first "professional" tournament in karate history and took place in Harrison's dojo in Kansas City. The rules allowed "heavy contact." Wilson won the tournament and was paid one dollar, thus officially making him the first professional champion in karate history. During that same year in the 'Orient vs. U.S. Tournament', promoted by Aaron Banks, Wilson lost a decision to a Japanese-American N. Tanaka. In Dallas, Texas, at the 'First Professional Karate Tournament', Wilson won the championship trophy by decisioning Larry Whitner, Phil Ola, and Skipper Mullins. 6 months later, Wilson was defeated by Victor Moore at the 2nd professional karate tournament in history. The event was called the World's Hemisphere Karate Championships and it took place in San Antonio, Texas; promoted by Robert Trias and Atlee Chittim. Both Moore and Wilson split the championship purse of 1-thousand dollars. After this defeat Don began training privately with Bruce Lee. That same year, Wilson defeated Louis Delgado (Delgado had beaten Allen Snider previously). Months later at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, Wilson won Aaron Banks', World Professional Karate Championships by defeating Victor Moore to win the World Heavyweight Title. Wilson was paid $600 for his title winning effort.
==America's New Actor==
After this Don began to grow tired of fighting again and soon pursed an acting career using a small portion of his vast wealth to help produce his independent projects and using his friend David Carradine to help find promoters to back up his projects. These projects included Futurekick, Bloodfist 1-8, Ring of Fire 1, 2 & 3, Out for Blood, Operation Cobra, Blackbelt, Cyber Tracker 1 & 2, Sci Fighters, Redemption, Say Anything, Capitol Conspiracy, and Batman Forever as the leader of the Neon Gang. During his tenure as an actor he briefly married actress Barbara Leigh. But after the rough divorce Wilson lost half of his wealth effectively ending the production of his movies. However Don continued to act in films and on TV, which is where he was reunited with film and television makeup artist Kathleen Karridene who would become his second wife. But Don soon lost interest in the entertainment industry and went back to fighting.
==Fighter Once More==
Wilson lost to Charles Curry in New York at the Hidy Ochiai National Karate Tournament. That same month, Wilson won the PAWAK tournament which lasted from May 11-May 12. Wilson scored victories over Frank Harvey, Smiley Urquidez, Benny Urquidez, and Cecil Peoples in the elimination matches. Don won the championship with a 4-3 points decision over Steve Sanders. Finally, at Mike Anderson's, 'Top 10 National Professional Karate Tournament', Wilson lost to Everett "Monster Man" Eddy in the finals. After this defeat Wilson began training with former heavyweight boxing contender Joe Orbillo, enhancing his skills. After his training was complete promoter Lee Faulkner contacted Don Wilson to fight in his upcoming United States Karate Championships. Wilson had retired from point fighting at the time but agreed to fight if Faulkner would promote a full-contact karate bout with Wilson and an opponent who would fight to the knockout. Faulkner agreed. As Wilson and Greg Baines entered the ring wearing boxing gloves the announcer identified the fighters as "kickboxers". That night Don Wilson won the first-ever kickboxing bout in North America with a second round knockout over Greg Baines. Previous to this bout, Wilson defeated Chuck Lemmons in point karate at the US Pro Team Karate finals that were held prior to the kickboxing main event. In Dallas, Texas, Wilson defended his United States Kickboxing Association heavyweight title against "Big" Ed Daniel at the U.S.A. Professional Open Karate Championships promoted by Lee Faulkner and Allen Steen. Wilson knocked out Daniel in 2 rounds. In a later rematch, Wilson KO'd Daniel in 3 rounds. The following year at the 2nd Annual United Nations Open Karate Championships promoted by Aaron Banks, Wilson knocked out Ronnie Barkoot at 1:25 of the first round. At another Banks promotion; United States Championship Kickboxing Bouts, Wilson scored a 3rd round knockout over "Atlas" Jesse King. In total, Wilson defended his United States Heavyweight Kickboxing title with 8 straight knockouts between the second and third year he competed. The rules for US kickboxing included striking, kicking, knees, elbows and footsweeps. Only crescent kicks and round kicks were permitted to the head. Wilson then became the first kickboxer to be featured in both The Ring boxing magazine and Sports Illustrated. Although promoter Lee Faulkner attempted to organize a legitimate "world" title fight between US champ Don Wilson and a Thai kickboxing champion, a fight never materialized.
==Kickboxing God==
Don would soon go back to Kickboxing tournaments winning 8 more world titles in the WKA, KICK, ISKA, STAR, IKF, and the PKO. He won his IKF FCR Cruiserweight World Title in Lowell, Massachusetts, USA, when he defeated Dick Kimber. (Lynn, Massachusetts, USA PRO: 23-3/21, AM: 25-0/25 5'9" 197 lbs) At the end of the 3rd round Wilson came alive and exploded with a flurry that eventually knocked Kimber to the floor motionless. Referee Dan Stell counted Kimber out on the floor, a count that went into the round break. Kimber never stood during the count. However by the end of Don’s third year, interest in kickboxing had hit an all-time low, with promoters unable to attract a crowd to a kickboxing event. Wilson then retired as undefeated United States Heavyweight Kickboxing champion. His record as the undisputed United States heavyweight kickboxing champion was a perfect 10-0 with 10 KO's. 2 years after this promoter Mike Anderson introduced PKA 'full-contact' karate. In the bouts, competitors wore foam hand and foot protection and fought to the knockout (Kickboxing rules allowed for leg kicks: full-contact karate rules did not permit kicks to the legs). Wilson, the retired US Heavyweight Kickboxing champion was accustomed to full contact fighting. He beat his only opponent in the new sport of full contact karate with a 2nd round ridge hand knockout over Yugoslavia's Frank Brodar in Los Angeles, California to win the Professional Karate Association (PKA) Heavyweight full-contact karate title. The original PKA world champions, including Don Wilson (heavyweight), Jeff Smith (light heavyweight) and Bill 'Superfoot' Wallace (middleweight) received so much fanfare from the PKA title wins and resultant publicity in popular martial arts magazines that their status as "legends of the karate world" was guaranteed. Wilson advanced his public persona the next year by appearing on the cover of Playgirl magazine. During that same year Don Wilson was inducted into the Black Belt magazine Hall of Fame as the full contact karate "fighter of the year". In a comeback fight in Hawaii Wilson lost a 3-round decision (non title) to Teddy Limoz in Hawaii, and in September, he lost a 7-round decision to Ross Scott after suffering a dislocated shoulder. Wilson was then stripped of the PKA World Heavyweight championship title after contract disputes. Wilson then continued with his acting career and starred in Jaguar Lives and Force: Five.
==Back On Top==
At the age of 39, Don Wilson launched a comeback which saw him earn a top-10 PKA world ranking. In his bid for a title Wilson defeated T. Morrison, Charlton Young, Melvin Cole and Curtis Crandal. On April 16, Wilson lost to Tom Hall in an upset. On August 10, Wilson suffered a disappointing 4th round technical knockout (TKO) loss to US heavyweight champion Kerry Roop for the PKA US heavyweight title. Wilson retired after the defeat. The following day after Don’s retirement he was voted the greatest fighter in karate history. Don was soon inducted to the European Matrial Arts Hall of Fame.
==War Is Hell==
A year later Don went to Vietnam to help free his cousin who was being held captive by the Vietcong. During this time he met a young boy named Yujro Hanma no older than 15. The mysterious boy fought for no flag but only with the purpose of getting stronger. Don was confronted and challenged by Yujiro after the boy single handedly storms the entire base. Don reluctantly accepts the boy’s request which makes Yujiro grin with delight. Yujiro quickly out maneuvers Don and blocks all of his attacks, Yujiro then begins to pumble Don to the ground. As Yujiro went in for the kill Don looked around and thought about his life and his friends, wife and children. Don then muttered to himself “I will not die in this hell”. Don then instinctively blocked Yujiro fatal hammer kick, and sweep kicked Yujiro who back flipped to his feet Don then kicked dirt into Yujiro’s eyes. With Yujiro now blinded Don attacked Yujiro’s mid-section, ending his combo with a high kick to the temple sending Yujiro to a knee. Don walked away telling Yujiro that the fight was over and that he now has a concussion. Yujiro then bangs his head on the ground and shoots up into the sky. Don looks back to see Yujiro nowhere in sight he then looks up to see Yujiro connect with his flying kick. Don is instantly floored and spits out blood. Yujiro then laughs and says “You mistake me the fool. A mere head injury cannot defeat the mighty Yujiro Hanma! And it will not stop my destiny to become the greatest in the world!” Don then gets up jaw broken and shows a new stance. Yujiro smiles and they battle back and forth with Don using every form of martial arts that he has learned over the years of his life. Their fight ended however before a victor could be decided as the Vietcong invaded the military base. Yujiro told Don that the next time they meet he will die. Don then spits blood onto Yujiro’s face who smiles and licks it. Don and Yujiro then go their separate ways with Don diving into the nearby river while Yujiro charges for the Vietcong. As Don returned to the main US base he was given Medical Discharge and went back to the States. As Don returned to the states he takes a year to heal and live with his family. However Don soon found himself back in the kickboxing ring were he defeated among others, world champions Branko Cikatic, James Warring, Dennis Alexio, and Bruce Irvin. Wilson also fought a draw with another champion, Jean-Yves Thériault. After this Don participates in "A Night Of Champions", I.S.K.A. Event at the Tropicana Hotel in New Jersey. In this don faces a British martial arts actor Gary Daniels who was also a former kickboxer and wins a KO (Overhand Right) in the 10th round, becoming the World Kickboxing Hall of Fame Champion. A few days after this Don was voted by the top fighters and promoters as the greatest karate fighter of all time for the second time. Don then retires one more time to focus on raising his children and loving his wife.
==Kumite==
However a year after his retirement he was invited to participate in an underground tournament in the Nassau, Bahamas called the Kumite. Don was reluctant to enter as he enjoyed being there for his family, however his wife then told him to enter saying that when he is fighting it is the only time he is truly happy. Don kisses her passionately and packs his bags. He enters the Kumite which is full contact no holds barred; Don wins it and becomes the first Kumite champion. Don was told to return in 5 years as that would be when the next kumite would take place. Don returned and found a new opponent in an up in comer named Frank Dux, whom he met in the finals. In the fight Don blinded him, the incident was purely accidental, regarding blurring his eyes with liniment. However Don did not let the accident stop him from attacking the blinded Dux. Dux however managed to recover and defeat Don. Their fight was called “The Greatest in Martial Arts History” by those humbled few that saw it and Don congratulated Dux passing the torch. However in the next Kumite, Don would enter in hopes of regaining his title. In the first round of the tournament Don was put in a match against Yujiro Hanma. It had been 13 years since they first met on the battlefield of Vietnam, and it seemed that Yujiro had only gotten stronger, deadlier, and more evil since then. As the bong rang Don assumed the stance he took when he last fought Yujiro preparing to use every style and technique he had learned in all the years of his life, while Yujiro just stared at Don with a displeased look and said “Age has made you weak, I’m no longer sure if you are worthy of death by my hand. “ Don then put on a bravado saying “I won’t be the one who dies this night” he then charges Yujiro who continues to just look at Don then smirks. Don tries to hit Yujiro but he is instead kicked in the temple sending Don to the ground immediately. Yujiro then went in for the kill preparing to hammer kick Don’s temple. However Don rolls out the way and gives Yujiro’s inner thigh a stiff kick. Yujiro is unaffected by this and smiles.
Don then attacks Yujiro with everything he has left. The onslaught rips off Yujiro’s shirt but does little to no harm to him. Yujiro then turns around and begins to walk away saying “I was wrong. You are not deserving of death by my hand” Don now frustrated with the limitations of his age and the embarrassment of begin outclassed by Yujiro then screamed “HANMA, I’M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET!!! NOT BY A LONG SHOT ITS TIME TO PROVE ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT I AM THE BEST IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Don then channeled all the chi he could muster blasted an attack he called “Flaming Dragon”. The blast was enormous however as the dust cleared Yujiro was still there now tattered and bruised. Yujiro then turned his head to look at Don and smirked saying “Wow, I must be quite the fool to be wrong twice in one day. You are worthy.” Yujiro then revealed the Demon on his back. Don was startled as he had never seen something like that. Yujiro then savagely beat Don with every attack drawing blood. With Don heavily bloody and broken he tired one more attack but was however countered by Yujiro who gave Don a devastating and fatal blow to his heart. As Don felt life slip away from him he recalled his entire life all the adventures and all the memories. He then saw a final image of Master Ryu, Allen, the street fighters and his family waving good bye, wishing him well, and Don finally passes to the other side with a smile on his face.