About Dutch Kickboxing

What Makes Dutch Kickboxing the most dominant stand-up striking style?
Think of kickboxing first. Then add lethal low kicks and heavy hands. Drop in spinning back fists, explosive power and fighting spirit. What you get is Dutch kickboxing, one of the most dominant striking arts from one of the smallest regions in the world. 

The martial art was made popular in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Great Champions like 
Rob Kaman, Lucia Rijker, Ivan Hippolyte, Ramon Dekkers, Ernesto Hoost and Peter Aerts fought all over the world and they won most of their fights in different stand-up martial arts. 

But what separates Dutch kickboxing from other stand-up martial arts? Is it the style? 
Is it the training? Is it the philosophy? Or is it a mix of all three? 



The Beginning Of Dutch Kickboxing
Kickboxing in the Netherlands started in the late 1970s after Dutchmen traveled to Japan
to learn Japanese kickboxing, which was a mix of karate and muay thai. Also throwing  techniques where part of the Japanse style of kickboxing. The throwing techniques where very effective to stop the ‘clinch’. 

When the Dutch returned home, they began teaching what they learned in “The Land Of The Rising Sun.”. Over the years, they further refined the style by incorporating more Muay Thai and Western boxing techniques. What emerged was the Dutch kickboxing style.

Dutch Kickboxing Style
Dutch kickboxing, unlike American kickboxing, incorporates techniques from three martial arts: karate, boxing, and Muay Thai. Athletes schooled in the martial art of the Netherlands use Kyokushin-style kicks to the legs, head, and body to attack their opponents. This differs from the western variant, where kickboxers are not allowed to kick below the waist.

When most people think of kickboxing, they think of kicks. However, the Dutch have a strong reputation for mixing boxing into their art form as well. They use punching combinations to create holes in their opponent’s defense and follow in for explosive finishes.

Dutch martial artists also use techniques from muay thai. Knees, elbows and front kicks
are some of the most fearsome strikes they possess. The way the Dutch have incorporated these three arts into their kickboxing is what separates their style from other forms of
stand-up combat. That is not the only thing, however.

Training Like a Dutchman
Training also separates Dutch kickboxing from other kickboxing styles. Because they go harder than usual during training and sparring sessions, this makes Dutch kickboxers some of the more calloused martial artists in the world. Also, as opposed to Thai boxers, who work a variety of drills on the pads with their trainers, Dutch kickboxers often repeat the same drills over and over again. These drills can be up to six techniques long – sometimes more – and help practitioners internalize their skills.

The same way Dutch kickboxing is an amalgamation of striking arts, the philosophy of the sport is a combination of personal beliefs. However, at the core of that thinking, only one thing is certain for students of the game – “if it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much.” 

MEJIRO GYM TRAINING 1983


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Peter van Os, Andre Mannaart, Rob Kaman, Miloud El Geubli, Andre Brilleman, Mousafer Yamali, Fred royers and Rudy Flinkevleugel.