Dangerous side of kickboxing in Holland.

I’m not talking about physical dangers, but the dangers of getting caught up in criminal activities being a kickboxer. I will be the first to say that this just happens to a very small percentage of all the great kickboxers we have here in Holland. I wanted to show some examples of fighters getting caught up in illegal activities some you might have heard about and some fighters could be starring in a crime film. Most of these fighters had a great future in the sport but getting caught up in the ‘’underground world’’ really wasted the potential of a great career in the sport for most. I'm not trying to promote the bad side of kickboxing but i am also not the the one trying to close my eyes and pretend that there is no truth to the argument of the Mayor of Amsterdam.      

Badr ‘’the Golden Boy’’ Hari.

Badr Hari is considered to be one of the best kickboxers in the world and also one of the most exciting fighter to watch. He describes himself as a ‘’knokker’’ (dutch for brawler) and it shows in his fights. Only thing that holding him back from being one of the greatest that he sport of Kickboxing has ever seen is due to his behaviour in and outside the ring. In the ring he is known for punching and kicking a downed opponent, twice!. Outside the ring it’s a bit more interesting not only did he got arrested twice for physical altercation, once in 2006 along with Simon Rutz and also in 2010 for assaulting a club bouncer. he was also linked to a explosion and burning of a apartment in Amsterdam, witnesses saw a man jump in to the Badr’s car. Badr had nothing to do with the burning but he knew the woman who lived there and she had ties with a known motorcycle gang  ‘’The Hells Angels’’. Badr also is friends with one of the most wanted drugdealers inHolland, Gwenette Martha, close friend and sponsor of Badr. The two were seen together partying in Marocco while Martha was a fugitive and had a bounty on his head. Badr Hari came out to one of his K1 fight wearing a T-shirt saying ‘’Gwennette for ever’’. I remember a documentary with Badr when he was just a boy and Tom Harinck told him know that he is getting known as a fighter he has to watch out for bad figures.

Entrance of Badr Hari wearing the mentioned T-shirt.

Hesdy Gerges.

The Heavyweight It’sShowtime champion was already a notorious delinqiuent outside the ring according to Tom Harinck he was ‘’even worse than Badr’’. The Egyptian kickboxer was arrested under suspicion of being part of drug deal of 280 lbs. Hesdy Gerges became a suspect when a member of his family, Ashraf Gerges and a friend were caught loading up a car with cocaine that was in a container.

 his break-out fight against Karaev

Ashwin ‘’bad boy’’ Balrak.

Ashwin Balrak a kickboxer from Surinam decent, who is known to the public as one of the most respected criminal lawyers of Rotterdam (one of the major cities in Holland) he also has his own lawfirm called ‘’Schut Advocaten’’. On the 26th of  November he was arrested along with four other man while cutting 82 kg. of cocaine up. They were caught in the act and at one of the girlfriend’s house they find 1.4 million euro’s cash. Nobody  in the kickboxing world expected a respected lawyer like Ashwin Balrak to be involved in criminal activities.

Ashwin Balrak wearing the traditional Dutch Lawyer's uniform on the right

Andre ‘’Bulldog’’ Brillenman          

Was a professional kickboxer  who in the early eighties became a champion fighting out of the the ‘’notorious’’ Mejiro Gym. Andre Brillenman was not known for his flexible legs but his trademarks were his lowkicks and especially his fighting mentality. Brillenman was also the bodyguard of Hollands biggest druglord Klaas Bruinsma. In 1982 Brillenman and a companion were ordered by Bruinsma to liquidate one of the competitors in the drugscene after failing, Brillenman and his partner tried a second attempt only to give the competitor a heads up and fake the whole murder by showing Bruinsma a photo of his competitor covered in ketchup and so earning the three hundred thousand without having to kill anybody . In 1985 (also the year he became a world champion) Brillenman was murdered by Klaas Bruinsma to give a clear signal to everyone who tried to go behind his back. His legs were cut off by chainsaw when he was still alive and they found his sawed off body parts in a barrel full of cement. Still to this year the murder hasn’t been solved. Tragic end to the life a World Champion

Ron Nyqvist

A dutch kickboxer but mostly known in the dutch kickboxing scene for being one of the founders of Team Golden Glory, a gym known for having the best fighters in the world. He used be part the ‘’Jullietgang’’ a group of violent drugdealers. In 1999 Ron bought a fitness gym along with his partner Willem Endstra (real estate agent who is known for laundry practices). The two rented the gym to the brothers Rob and Eric Driessen. On 2001 Ron and his girlfriend were the target of a carbomb when their Mercedes with two in it got blown up. Ron suspected the two brother to be behind the attack and on 20th of may 2001 Ron shot the brother during a meeting. He turned himself in and was sentenced to do 20 years in prison.

On the 22nd of may in 2010 ‘’Het Parool’’ a dutch newspaper reported that Ron Nyqvist was organizing the Glory fighting shows in the Passenger Terminal from prison.  

The Truth

The biggest part of the thousands and thousands of people who are kickboxing in Holland are no where near involved with criminal activities. Most fans of kickboxing hate it how these criminal kickboxers shed a bad light on the sport we all love and enjoy. All the people above are the exception not the rule. There are also a lot of martial artist who have done very well like kickboxer Halil Ünal who became a orthopedic surgeon or top karateka Greg Laclé who became a neurosurgeon, also It's Showtime Champion Chris Ngimbi who is following a Law study. However the sensation press only like to talk about the exception because it’s more exciting and bad news sells. That’s too bad because the sport is filled with talentfull people and not only criminals.