You’re standing in a brightly lit boxing ring. The crowd is cheering while your opponent is ready to finish you off. So you’ll have to be faster, smarter, and stronger. Renalde and Mees have been training hard these past few weeks to do just that, so they can shine at their student association’s kickboxing gala.
Mees: ‘The buildup, the training, the tension… that’s the best part’
“I’m especially looking forward to being in the ring soon, there in the main hall on campus. The moment itself is so fleeting, so I really want to savor it,” says Calo student Mees. “I often hear from others how cool they think it is that I’m participating.” His opponent at the boxing gala on March 27th is a fellow student. Like Mees, he’s fit and will do everything he can to win, but that’s precisely what motivates him. “It’s not about hitting anyone, but about fighting together. That whole buildup, the training, the tension… that’s perhaps the best part.”
22-year-old Mees has ten weeks to prepare for the competition, which meant intensive training. “I’ve done some judo and taken a kickboxing class at Calo, but other than that, I don’t really have any experience with martial arts.” These training sessions (at a boxing gym, twice a week) focus primarily on technique. Mees spars with both experienced and inexperienced boxers. “What stood out to me most is the respect everyone has for each other. People are enthusiastic about teaching me things, and the atmosphere at the gym is very pleasant.”
Sports are in Mees’ nature. Besides kickboxing, he plays soccer in a friends’ team and is training for a triathlon. “If I sit still, I get bored.” He hasn’t had to change his lifestyle much: he eats healthily, doesn’t count calories, and enjoys the occasional drink. “That’s how I lived before boxing, too.” What he has picked up besides training is skipping rope, which is essential for good footwork in the boxing ring. Laughing: “I was always looking for a reason to get better at skipping rope.” Mees believes the sudden popularity of (kick)boxing is due to well-known tv programmes like Boxing Influencers, or the boxing matches of the famous influencer Jake Paul. “That’s really helped the sport, but the self-defense aspect also plays a role. If I had studied a martial art when I was younger, it would have benefited me a lot, both physically and mentally. You become more stable, stronger, and more confident.”
What is a boxing gala?
Kickboxing galas organized by student associations have existed in the Netherlands for almost a decade. However, due to the growing fame of kickboxers like Rico Verhoeven and Jake Paul, and the rise of celebrity boxing (where social media stars compete), the phenomenon is becoming increasingly popular. During a (kick)boxing gala, multiple boxing matches take place in a single evening, often divided by weight and skill level. Supporters cheer around the boxing ring, dressed in their finest gala attire.
This spring, Zwolle is hosting two kickboxing galas for students: one on March 27th, hosted by the Vestuvalo association (which Mees is a member of), at Windesheim. The Calo members train at the Tabonon martial arts school. And on April 15th, Oikos Nomos, Renalde’s student association, hosts the gala at the Hedon music venue. Oikos Nomos is organizing the gala in collaboration with THENEXT-GEN, an organization that helps students become mentally and physically stronger through vitality programs focused on (kick)boxing. Under the guidance of trainers, students will be prepared for a fight in the ring in just a few months.
Renalde: ‘Hitting and kicking really requires strength’
“At first I thought: a boxing gala… that’s absolutely not for me,” says Renalde, a Law student at Windesheim. “But when friends signed up and I started seeing the value of martial arts, I thought: this is actually a really cool opportunity!” She laughs: “And it’s in April, so after that I’m ready for summer right away.” About twenty students at Oikos Nomos are participating in the gala, which takes place in mid-April at the Hedon music venue. For Renalde (22), it’s her first introduction to martial arts. She already went to the gym and ran occasionally, but kickboxing is new to her. “I can train five days a week, but I consciously choose three evenings of one hour each. I have to be able to combine it with work and studies.”
Each training session consists of a group warm-up. Depending on the class you take (strength and stamina or kickboxing for beginners), they do exercises to step into the ring as strong and focused as possible. “You spar with others and discuss with the trainer what you want to work on. The trainer is constantly walking around, correcting your posture and pushing you just that little bit further.” Renalde really enjoys the combination of structure and freedom. “I like the strength training the most. I already had endurance, but punching and kicking really requires strength.” Renalde is definitely nervous. Every month, she is measured to see if she is physically fit to enter the ring. “You get a baseline measurement, are assigned to a weight class, and the trainer keeps a close eye on your progress. But if in the end I say, ‘I’m too nervous to enter the ring,’ that’s okay too. I really like that thought. Everything is taken seriously and safely.”
For Renalde, kickboxing is about more than just getting fit; it’s about self-defense. During the Christmas holidays, she experienced something that changed her perspective: she was assaulted in a club. “At that moment, I had absolutely no idea what to do. Afterwards, I thought: it would have been so great if I had acted more assertively.” Kickboxing helps her regain confidence in her body and in herself. She understands why martial arts are becoming more popular among women. “It doesn’t matter what you wear or where you are; it can happen to anyone. That’s precisely why it’s important that we talk about this openly. For me, this feels like becoming stronger, both inside and out.”
text: Nynke Lautenbag
photos: Jasper van Overbeek
