Chakuriki Gym is a

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

gym and headquarters of the International Chakuriki Association located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is also known as Dojo Chakuriki, Pancration Chakuriki, and Chakuriki Amsterdam. Founded in 1972, it is one of the oldest and well-established kickboxing gyms in the Netherlands. It has produced many top-level

kickboxers Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...

and including

K-1 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993, well known worldwide mainly for its heavyweight division fights and Grand Prix tournaments. In January 2012, K-1 Global Holdings Limited, a company registered in Hong Kong, acquired ...

world champions such as Peter Aerts, Branko Cikatić and Badr Hari. It also provides training in wrestling, as well as instruction in knockdown karate, judo, boxing and mixed martial arts.

History

Chakuriki Gym was founded in 1972 by Thom Harinck, who originally began teaching his own style named "Chakuriki". The word Chakuriki is derived from the word "shakuriki” (借力 - "borrowing power"), referring the original style being a mixture of techniques from boxing, Kyokushin

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

, judo, jujutsu and wrestling. Chakuriki later became a

gym as Harinck added

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

and Savate to his repertoire. In 1978, fighters from Chakuriki became the first Dutch to fight at Lumpini Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. During the late 1970s, despite their respective founders being both of the

Jon Bluming Johannes Cornelius Bluming (6 February 1933 – 17 December 2018) was a Dutch martial artist, instructor and actor. Known as a pioneer in variety of martial arts, Bluming held 9th dan in Judo, 10th dan in Karate and 10th dan in Hapkido. He was ...

lineage, Chakuriki became rivals of Mejiro Gym. While the Chakuriki fighters were known for their mental and physical toughness, Mejiro's had a reputation for their technical style. Kickboxing competitions were held regularly in the Jaap Edenhal Arena in Amsterdam and both Mejiro and Chakuriki fighters established themselves as the best in the country. This rivalry helped raise the standard of Dutch kickboxing and spawned some of the best fighters of the era. The 1980s and early 1990s saw a new generation of kickboxers rise from Chakuriki such as Peter Aerts and Branko Cikatić who helped form the history of

. Chakuriki alumni

Branko Cikatic Branko (Cyrillic script: Бранко; ) is a South Slavic male given name found in all of the former Yugoslavia. It is related to the names Branimir and Branislav, and the female equivalent is Branka. People named Branko include: * Branko Babić ...

founded "Chakuriki Tiger Gym" in his native Croatia, and also established a Japanese branch with Nobuki Hayashi as the director. Thom Harinck and his son Tommy Harinck are the main coaches, while Wrestling and mixed martial arts are handled Chris Dolman, with Branko Cikatic visiting the Dutch headquarters from Croatia. Harinck announced his retirement in April 2013 at the age of sixty-nine.

Notable fighters trained at Chakuriki

* Peter Aerts * Xhavit Bajrami * Gilbert Ballantine * Branko Cikatić * Lloyd van Dams * Hesdy Gerges * Badr Hari * Lee Hasdell * Nobu Hayashi * Sergei Lascenko *

Jérôme Le Banner Jérôme Philippe Le Banner (; born December 26, 1972) is a French kickboxer, mixed martial artist, and professional wrestler. Le Banner fought for most of his career in K-1 and became known for his aggressive fighting style and knockout power. ...

* Melvin Manhoef * Frank Muñoz * Pedro Rizzo * Rene Rooze * Anderson "Braddock" Silva * Perry Ubeda *

Amir Zeyada Amir "The Sphinx" Zeyada (born February 15, 1984) is an Egyptian- Dutch cruiserweight Muay Thai kickboxer currently fighting out of the Chakuriki Gym in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he is trained by Thom Harinck. He is a former Dutch nationa ...

* Saskia van Rijswijk

References

External

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chakuriki Gym 1972 establishments in the Netherlands Kickboxing training facilities Kickboxing in the Netherlands Sports venues in Amsterdam