About Sifu Robert G. Thompson
Sifu Thompson is a native of Kingston, Jamaica. He began studying Kung Fu at age five under the daily instruction of his uncle Garth, who was known both for his fearsome fighting skills and his astonishing physical feats--including shattering a block of ice with his forehead. Garth believed in using the natural environment to strengthen one's body and mind. As a youth Sifu Thompson developed his powerful kicks by practicing them against trees rather than a heavy bag, and sparred in sand to develop his balance and endurance. He continues to use these methods in his training today, and trains outdoors year-round.
At age 11, Sifu Thompson emigrated with this family to the U.S. and as a teenager visited various American martial arts schools in
search of further knowledge. To his surprise, he discovered that his skills and physical power invariably were superior to those of
the black-belt instructors that he met. One teacher declined to continue sparring with him because his blocks were too painful. Similarly,
a middle-school bully who mistook his laid-back Caribbean manner for vulnerabilty quickly got a painful lesson in the effectiveness
of the inner-outer crescent kick combination. Word soon spread that the young immigrant had some extraordinary fighting skills.
Thus, Sifu Thompson continued training on his own, utilizing his uncle's methods. He avoided martial arts tournaments, seeing the
rules and padded gear as too artificial and limiting. Instead, he tested himself frequently through informal bouts against other kung
fu practitioners, which were organized in basements and parking lots in Washington's Chinatown section. He became widely recognized
for his fighting prowess, and was once honored with an invitation to spar with visiting Chinese kung fu masters at Dennis Brown's
Shaolin Wushu Academy. He also has been asked to demonstrate his techniques for an audience at the prestigious Wong Kung Fu tournament
in Washington, which attracts top martial artists from throughout the eastern U.S.
In addition to teaching Bungo Fu classses, Sifu Thompson also has taught Tai Chi and worked in rehabilitation with physically and mentally disabled seniors. He also has sung with a local Reggae band and enjoys dancing, cooking Jamaican cuisine, drawing and building Jamaican kites in his spare time.