Born in Alton, Illinois to a Japanese mother and an American father, Wilson grew up playing football and basketball before turning to martial arts after a sparring loss to his brother; he studied Gōjū-ryū karate, then White Dragon Kung Fu under Danny K. Pai, adopting the moniker “The Dragon.” Over four decades he amassed 11 world kickboxing titles across several sanctioning bodies, recorded a 72-5…
