| Est. | 1978 |
|---|---|
| Founded by | Jan Plas |
| Primary trainers | Jan Plas Andre Mannaart |
| Training facilities | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Website | www.mejirogym.nl |
Mejiro Gym is a kickboxing gym [1] headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [2] [3]
Mejiro Gym was founded in 1978 by Jan Plas, a Dutch kickboxer who learned kickboxing from Kenji Kurosaki, [4] a Japanese martial artist who founded the original Mejiro Gym in Mejiro, Tokyo. Vos Gym founder Johan Vos and FFC founder Lucien Carbin were among the founding members of Mejiro Gym Amsterdam.
With its well-known fighters including Rob Kaman [5] and Peter Aerts, Mejiro Gym has become one of the most famous and accomplished kickboxing gyms in the world. [1] Mejiro is regarded as one of the "big three Kickboxing Gyms" in Netherlands, alongside Chakuriki and Vos Gym. Later, the Leeuwarden branch in Friesland, Netherlands was also established.
In 2020, Mejiro Gym opened a new branch in Bali, [6] Indonesia.
Peter Aerts is a Dutch semi-retired kickboxer. Known for his devastating high kicks, which earned him the nickname "The Dutch Lumberjack", he is widely considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight kickboxers of all time.
Robert Diem Kaman was a Dutch nine-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. He was often called "Mr. Low Kick" because of his feared low kicks which he used to set up his devastating offensive attacks.
Changpuek Kiatsongrit is a Thai former professional Muay Thai fighter. He is credited as being one of the first Muay Thai fighters to go abroad and fight other fighters of other martial arts styles, often stronger and heavier than himself, bringing to the world an understanding of the effectiveness of Muay Thai. Changpuek is a seven time world champion who has fought some of the world's best fighters at middleweight to heavyweight and has wins against world class fighters such as Rob Kaman (x3), Rick Roufus, Peter Smit and Tosca Petridis. After ending his career as a professional fighter while working for Sitpholek gym in Pattaya, Thailand, he continued his employment at that gym as a Muay Thai trainer.
Johannes Cornelius Bluming was a Dutch martial artist, instructor and actor. Known as a pioneer in a variety of martial arts, Bluming held 9th dan in Judo, 10th dan in Kyokushinkai Karate and 10th dan in Hapkido. He was also the coach of two-time Olympic champion Willem Ruska.
Peter "The Hurricane" Smit was a Dutch martial artist who mastered such different fight disciplines as kyokushin karate, kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Ilonka Giovanna Elmont is a Surinamese-Dutch retired professional Muay Thai kickboxer. She is a seven-time World Champion, a European Champion and a two-time Dutch Champion in the Fly-Weight division. Elmont was a professional competitor since 1997. She competed in the 2H2H, SLAMM events, Danger Zone events and holds world titles of various fighting organizations such as WMTC, MTBN, IMKO, EPMTF, NKBB.
Frank "The Animal" Lobman was a Surinamese-Dutch kickboxer. He was a five-time European kickboxing champion and had an astonishing 90% knockout ratio. He beat many notable fighters over his career, such as Bas Rutten, Ken Shamrock, and British heavyweight kickboxing champion Steve Taberner. He fought in organizations such as Pancrase, P.K.A., W.K.A., and K-1.
Andre Mannaart is a Dutch former kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was four times world champion in kickboxing and Muay Thai, having fought against K-1 legends such as Ernesto Hoost, Branko Cikatić, Maurice Smith and Ray Sefo. He is now a trainer at the Mejiro Gym in Amsterdam, where he has coached fighters of the calibre of Peter Aerts and Remy Bonjasky.
Robert Schrijber is a Dutch former mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He currently runs his own MMA and Muay Thai team in Krommenie, Netherlands called Sports Academy Schreiber. His most famous students at the moment are UFC fighter Stefan Struve, and professional wrestler Tom Budgen.
Sergio Wielzen is a Surinamese-Dutch super lightweight Muay Thai kickboxer formerly fighting out of Amsterdam, Netherlands for Black Label and FF Carbin. Medio 2015 he switched to Sityodtong Muay Thai & Kickboxing Amsterdam to be trained by Paul and Vincent Pengel. His nickname is "Samurai" in English. Despite his deceptively small stature he is known for his explosive power - having won many of his fights by KO or TKO. He is the former It's Showtime 61MAX world champion as well as the current Lion Fight Muay Thai world lightweight champion
Thom Harinck is a Dutch kickboxer and kickboxing trainer and founder of the Chakuriki Gym in Amsterdam. He is married to Marjan Olfers, former member of the board of Ajax and from 1 May 2012 professor in sports law.
Chakuriki Gym was a kickboxing gym and headquartered the International Chakuriki Association located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It was also known as Dojo Chakuriki, Pancration Chakuriki, and Chakuriki Amsterdam. Founded in 1972, it was one of the oldest and well-established kickboxing gyms in the Netherlands. It has produced many top-level kickboxers and including K-1 world champions such as Peter Aerts, Branko Cikatić and Badr Hari. It also provided training in wrestling, as well as instruction in knockdown karate, judo, boxing and mixed martial arts.
Jan Plas was a Dutch professional kickboxer, trainer and founder of the Mejiro Gym in Amsterdam. He is considered to be the father of kickboxing in the Netherlands.
Gilbert Ballantine is a Surinamese-Dutch retired professional kickboxer and a nine-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion. He also took part in mixed martial arts competition, winning three Rings Dutch championships.
The World Muay Thai Association (WMTA) is one of the oldest amateur and professional sanctioning organizations of Muay Thai in the world for the sport.
Jordan Lutalo Evora is a Ugandan-Dutch kickboxer and mixed martial artist. He was WFCA Cruiserweight Muay Thai champion, DFC 95 kg Slam Champion, and K1 MAX World Champion, fighting out of Vos Gym Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Lucien Carbin is a Surinamese-Dutch former kickboxer, karateka and trainer. He was the first European Kyokushin karate champion, a world kickboxing champion and a European Savate and Muay Thai champion. As a trainer, he raised 49 world champions in different versions of martial arts.
Michael Percy Passenier is a Dutch kickboxing trainer who owns Mike's Gym in Oostzaan, Netherlands. He is also known by the nickname "Big Mike".
Henri Hooft, also known as Harry Hooft, is a Dutch former kickboxer and trainer. He is the head trainer at Kill Cliff FC and formerly the Blackzilians.
