Tim Wheaton of Calf Kick Sports and Beyond Kickboxing traces the journey from young talent to the professional SENSHI ring
International sports journalist Timothy Wheaton, a contributor to the specialist media outlets Calf Kick Sports and Beyond Kickboxing, has dedicated a short documentary to SENSHI and KWU SENSHI. The video provides a detailed look at the model for the development of combat sports that the two international organizations are building in Bulgaria.
In his feature, Wheaton places SENSHI within a much broader context than that of professional fight galas alone. The journalist explores how KWU SENSHI has gradually created an international environment that brings together young talent, amateur and professional fighters, coaches, and some of the greatest legends in the history of kickboxing and Kyokushin karate.
“If you want to understand how a country becomes a true hub for combat sports, look at Bulgaria,” Tim Wheaton says at the beginning of his documentary.
His focus is on a model that allows a young athlete to begin at a youth tournament, continue their development at an international training camp alongside world champions, progress through the amateur ranks, and eventually earn the opportunity to reach the professional SENSHI ring.
As the clearest example, the journalist follows the events held in Varna, Bulgaria, in July 2026, when the 20th International Martial Arts Summer Camp brought together more than 1,600 participants from 49 countries, alongside international competitions for young fighters, the KWU SENSHI World Cup for Amateurs, and the professional SENSHI 32 fight gala.
Wheaton pays particular attention to the opportunity for the next generation to train directly with legends such as Semmy Schilt, Ernesto Hoost, Albert Kraus, Andy Souwer, Sam Greco, Ray Sefo, and Nicholas Pettas.
It is precisely the combination of these different levels that makes the strongest impression on the international journalist.
“It’s not just an amateur competition. It’s not just a training camp. It’s not just a seminar. It’s not just a professional fight gala. It’s an entire ecosystem,” Wheaton points out.
The documentary also showcases the different stages on which SENSHI is developing professional combat sports in Bulgaria - from fight galas on the Black Sea coast to spectacular clashes at the Ancient Theatre in Plovdiv.
As an example of the results produced by this system, Wheaton also tells the story of Bulgarian fighter Zhulien Rikov, who progressed from the amateur ranks to winning a SENSHI Grand Prix title.
For the international journalist, this is the essence of what KWU SENSHI has built - not a series of separate events, but a clear pathway for the next generation of fighters, who can see the journey from their first competitions all the way to the major professional stage.
The documentary concludes with a look towards the future: the next talent to follow this path - from their first training sessions to a world title - may already be training on the Bulgarian coast.
You can watch the full documentary about KWU SENSHI and SENSHI, as seen through the eyes of Timothy Wheaton, at this
