Jon Bluming
Dutch judoka and karateka (1933–2018), pioneer of Kyokushin in Europe and founder of the Netherlands Karate Association, later head of Kyokushin Budokai.
Quick Facts
NetherlandsBiography
Jon Bluming, born Johannes Cornelius Bluming, was a Dutch judoka and karateka, a pioneer of Kyokushin in Europe. He was born on 6 February 1933 in Amsterdam and died on 17 December 2018 in De Bilt.
He began boxing at thirteen, and according to English Wikipedia he joined the marines in 1949 and fought with them in Korea. He began learning judo in Amsterdam and names Schutte as his first teacher. From February 1959 to November 1961 he trained judo, iaido, jojutsu and karate in Japan. In karate he started with Shotokan and then moved to the Kyokushin of Masutatsu Oyama.
In 1956 he coached the Dutch national judo team, which according to Wikipedia won the European championship. On 2 January 1962, authorised by Oyama, he founded the Netherlands Karate Association. In 1965 Oyama awarded him the 6th dan as the first non-Japanese practitioner, which according to Wikipedia was a controversial decision. Later he broke away from the organisation of Oyama, and in 1999 he presented himself as president of Kyokushin Budo Kai.
His students included, according to Wikipedia, Wim Ruska, Chris Dolman, Jan Kallenbach, Semmy Schilt and Gilbert Yvel. From 1966 to 1990 he appeared in fifteen films and productions. We know many details of his achievements only from Wikipedia and his own texts. We have not found a quote by Jon Bluming with a documented origin.
Early life
Jon Bluming was born on 6 February 1933 in Amsterdam as Johannes Cornelius Bluming. He began boxing at the age of thirteen. According to English Wikipedia, he joined the marines in July 1949 and in 1950 was sent to Korea, where he was wounded twice. In March 1953 he watched a demonstration by Kyuzo Mifune at the Kodokan in Tokyo. We have not found further details about his childhood in an independent source.
Training and teachers
He began to learn judo in Amsterdam at the Tung-Yang club. In a text from 1999 he himself names Schutte as his first teacher, while English Wikipedia also gives Eddy Roosterman. From February 1959 to November 1961 he trained judo, iaido, jojutsu and karate in Japan. At the Kodokan, according to Wikipedia, he learned from Toshiro Daigo, Yoshimi Osawa and Kazuo Ito, and ground fighting from Yaichihyoe Kanemitsu. By his own claim, in December 1959 he was the first European to train at the central dojo of the Korea Judo Association in Seoul and earned the 4th dan there. He learned karate from Takaji Shimizu and Ichitaro Kuroda, started with Shotokan and moved on to Kyokushin.
Contribution and innovations
In 1956 he led, as coach, the Dutch national judo team, which according to English Wikipedia won the European championship. In 1961 the Dutch federation banned him from competing at the World Judo Championships in Paris. On 2 January 1962, authorised by Masutatsu Oyama, he founded the Netherlands Karate Association. At the end of the nineteen-seventies he handed its leadership over to his students, and according to Wikipedia in 1980 he left the IKO organisation of Oyama and founded Budo Kai Kan, from 1996 International Budokai Kan. In 1999 he presented himself as president and technical director of Kyokushin Budo Kai.
Legends and documented facts
Many details about his achievements come from Wikipedia and from his own texts. We have not been able to confirm with an independent contemporary source the claim that in 1957 in Ermelo he defeated 75 judoka in 26 minutes and received the 3rd dan for it from Tokio Hirano. Wikipedia describes the match with the Korean Kwan Mo Gun as a challenge he accepted from Oyama, without a date. The grades differ in the sources. Wikipedia gives the 6th dan of Kyokushin in 1965, the 9th dan in 1989 and the 10th dan from Kenji Kurosaki in 1994, and Patrick Skerry on the Martialtalk forum discusses the unclear origin of his high dan grades in judo. In 1999 he himself stated that he had three Purple Heart decorations, which no other source confirms.
Legacy
According to English Wikipedia, his students included Wim Ruska, Chris Dolman, Otti Roethof, Jan Kallenbach, Thom Harinck, Semmy Schilt and Gilbert Yvel. Wikipedia also credits him with the foundations on which Dutch kickboxing grew up in gyms such as Mejiro Gym and Chakuriki Gym. From 1966 to 1990 he appeared in fifteen films and productions. He died on 17 December 2018 in De Bilt at the age of 85.
Teachers, students and family
Associated Martial Arts
Style of Jon Bluming that, according to its organization IBK, combines full-contact kyokushin karate with throws and ground fighting. Today it bears the name All-Round Fighting.
JudoMaster→A Japanese art of throws and grappling, Olympic since 1964; its idea is to use the opponent's strength instead of your own.
KyokushinMaster→A full-contact style of karate developed by Masutatsu Oyama. Fighting is without gloves, kicks to the head are allowed, punches and elbows to the face are not.
Ranks and titles
- 6th danKyokushin · 1965
- 10th danHapkido
- 9th danJudo