Report kickboxing gala

Last weekend, Renzo Gracie Tilburg attended the annual “Brace for Impact” kickboxing gala at the Student Sports Centre in Eindhoven with a full delegation. For some members it was a baptism of fire, for others it wasn’t their first time, and one of our fighters stepped in at the very last moment to replace another. Below is a selection of the kickboxing bouts.

Kickboksgala 8000 med

Sam Jannsen

Sam clearly had the upper hand in his bout against Leonard Diehlmann. With crisp technique he demonstrated excellent preparation and went on to earn a points victory.

Kickboksgala 9108 med

Roos Vermeulen

Roos also showcased beautiful kicks and punches. Thanks to sharp movement and well-timed counters, she was always one step ahead of her opponent and secured the win on points.

Kickboksgala 8750 med

Soufian

Soufian had to step in at the eleventh hour for a boxing match against Chris Leijtens. Interestingly, this was two kickboxers fighting under boxing rules (Soufian actually trains in all disciplines). The photo reveals just how intense it got. After the second round, Chris decided he’d had enough and Soufian won by corner retirement.

Kickboksgala 9200 med

Matheusz Miecznik

Mateusz faced a significant height disadvantage against Fadi Rezkallah, especially in a kickboxing match. Unfortunately, in the first round he broke his foot during a low kick and had to withdraw.

Kickboksgala 9470 med

Michael Vermeulen

Michael also contended with a serious height difference. This was his very first kickboxing match; he performed admirably with solid defense but ultimately lost on points.

Sam Jansen en Leonard Dhielman kickboksgala

Camaraderie

During these tournaments the atmosphere is friendly and collegial—quite different from what some might imagine of boxing and kickboxing events. Naturally everyone is tense and focused beforehand, but afterwards opponents chat together and take photos side by side.

All in all, it was a great afternoon and we look forward to joining again next year!