Kancho McInnes began his journey in combat sports in the 1970s, initially focusing on teaching boxing.

As an accomplished martial artist, he sought to enhance his skills in boxing and trained daily with Bobby Stininato, a former sparring partner of the legendary Muhammad Ali.

During their training sessions, Stininato advised McInnes to leverage his unique ability to absorb knowledge and to become a great teacher.

He emphasized that while many aspire to be fighters, few find the right teachers, and this insight profoundly influenced McInnes’s career trajectory.

Taking Stininato’s advice to heart, McInnes shifted his focus from wanting to becoming a champion boxer to mastering the art of teaching boxing,

blending it with his extensive martial arts background. This combination allowed him to bring practicality and effectiveness to fighting techniques, shaping a unique training approach.

Over his extensive career, McInnes has trained numerous world-class fighters across various combat sports.

Among those he has mentored are renowned athletes like Stan “The Man” and three-time K-1 World Champion Peter Aerts, as well as WBC former champions Yodasan Sornatachai and Yoddumlung.

He has also worked with Muay Thai legends from the Golden Era, such as Sukmongkol Sitchuchork and Tepitak ISS, and many other champions from Thailand.

 In 1989, McInnes co-founded the ISS Boxing Gym alongside the respected Khu Yodtong to specifically teach boxing and the art of stand-up fighting.

The gym quickly gained recognition, attracting fighters from all over for its high-level training.

By 1994, as the gym flourished, McInnes relocated to Thailand full-time, where he taught military personnel martial arts during the day and managed the boxing gym in the evenings.

The ISS Boxing Gym became a training ground for champions, with notable promoters like Songchai Ratanasuban sending boxing athletes to prepare for title fights.

Under McInnes’s guidance, the gym became synonymous with excellence in boxing training.

Beyond boxing and Muay Thai, Kancho McInnes has made significant contributions to martial arts.

He Evolved the Shorin Kempo Full Contact Karate system, which has become one of the leading full-contact karate styles globally.

Since 2007, he has served as the president of the World Kumite Organization (WKO), one of the largest martial arts organizations in Japan and around the world today.

McInnes believes deeply in understanding each fighter’s unique attributes and pushing them beyond their perceived limits.

His training philosophy emphasizes the importance of mental and physical resilience, allowing fighters to harness their strengths effectively.

This approach has attracted some of the greatest fighters, including Tyson Fury, who sought McInnes’s old-school training methods.

Today, the ISS Boxing Gym in Pattaya is operated by McInnes’s son, who has followed in his father’s footsteps.

An accomplished karate world champion and Golden Gloves boxing champion, Junior McInnes has also completed the demanding 100-man Kumite, a testament to his dedication and skill.

Under Kancho’s mentorship, he has become a respected pad holder and trainer, continuing the legacy of excellence that Kancho McInnes has built over decades in the martial arts community.

Through his unwavering commitment to training and teaching, Kancho McInnes has left an indelible mark on the world of combat sports, inspiring generations of fighters and trainers alike.