Description

Dutch judo pioneer. Took judo lessons in France after World War II with Awazu, Deherdt and Bonnet Maury, and later with Ichiro Abe in Brussels, and ran the Judo Instituut Van Der Horst on the Oudkerkhof in Utrecht in the late 1940s and the 1950s, where Anton Geesink took his first judo lessons. The school became Dutch team champion five times in that period. As national coach he led Willem Ruska to his first world title and the Dutch team to the European title; in the early 1960s he became a lecturer at the CIOS in Sittard. Van der Horst finished 1st dan in 1950 and was ultimately awarded the 9th dan for his services to judo.

Teachers (2)

• 
  Abe Ichirō

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

  The JBN memorial by Willem Visser records that van der Horst took lessons from sensei Ishiro (Ichiro) Abe in Brussels and maintained a very intensive bond with him.

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  The JBN memorial by Willem Visser records that van der Horst took lessons from sensei Ishiro (Ichiro) Abe in Brussels and maintained a very intensive bond with him.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "hij volgde lessen bij de leraren Awazu, Deherdt en Bonnet Maury in Frankrijk en later bij sensei Ishiro Abe in Brussel. Met sensei Ishiro Abe, 10e dan, onderhield hij een zeer intensieve band evenals met sensei Morioka, die vaak uit Londen overkwam."

  — Visser, Willem. (2009). Herdenking bij het overlijden van de heer Jan van der Horstlinkhistoryinfo
• 
  Jean de Herdt

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 2

  Probable

  The JBN memorial names 'Deherdt' among van der Horst's teachers in France; matched to the Jean de Herdt person entry on the strength of the name and period, though the memorial gives no first name.

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  The JBN memorial names 'Deherdt' among van der Horst's teachers in France; matched to the Jean de Herdt person entry on the strength of the name and period, though the memorial gives no first name.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "hij volgde lessen bij de leraren Awazu, Deherdt en Bonnet Maury in Frankrijk en later bij sensei Ishiro Abe in Brussel."

  — Visser, Willem. (2009). Herdenking bij het overlijden van de heer Jan van der Horstlinkhistoryinfo

Ranks (2)

• linkKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech1 dan3

  Confirmed

  Dutch Wikipedia dates the 1st dan to 1950.

  Dan-Kyu System (1950)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Dutch Wikipedia dates the 1st dan to 1950.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "In 1950 behaalde Van der Horst de 1e dan."

  — Jan van der Horst (judoka) - Wikipedia (Nederlands). Wikipedia (Dutch)linkinfo

  military_tech9 dan 2

  Probable

  Dutch Wikipedia states Van der Horst was ultimately awarded the 9th dan for his services to judo, without giving a date or granting body.

  Dan-Kyu System

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Dutch Wikipedia states Van der Horst was ultimately awarded the 9th dan for his services to judo, without giving a date or granting body.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "wegens zijn verdiensten voor het judo kreeg hij uiteindelijk de 9e dan."

  — Jan van der Horst (judoka) - Wikipedia (Nederlands). Wikipedia (Dutch)linkinfo

Students (2)

• Wi
  Wim Ruska

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

  The JBN memorial, Dutch Wikipedia and TheaterEncyclopedie all record that under van der Horst's national-coaching (bondscoachschap) Ruska won his first world title in 1967, the anchoring fact of this entry.

  (1967)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources

  fact_check

  The JBN memorial, Dutch Wikipedia and TheaterEncyclopedie all record that under van der Horst's national-coaching (bondscoachschap) Ruska won his first world title in 1967, the anchoring fact of this entry.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Als bondscoach leidde hij Willem Ruska naar zijn eerste wereldtitel."

  — Visser, Willem. (2009). Herdenking bij het overlijden van de heer Jan van der Horstlinkhistoryinfo

  "Onder zijn bondscoachschap won Wim Ruska in 1967 zijn eerste wereldtitel en werd het Europese kampioenschap behaald door het Nederlandse team."

  — Jan van der Horst (judoka) - Wikipedia (Nederlands). Wikipedia (Dutch)linkinfo

  "Onder zijn bondscoachschap won Wim Ruska zijn eerste wereldtitel in 1967 en werd het Europees kampioenschap behaald door het Nederlands judoteam."

  — Jan van der Horst - TheaterEncyclopedie linkinfo
• An
  Anton Geesink

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

  Multiple independent Dutch sources (nl.wikipedia, Verhaal van Utrecht, Utrecht City archive) agree Geesink took his first judo lessons at Van der Horst's school in Utrecht from age 14.

  sports_kabaddiVan der Horst Judo Institute badge (1948)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources

  fact_check

  Multiple independent Dutch sources (nl.wikipedia, Verhaal van Utrecht, Utrecht City archive) agree Geesink took his first judo lessons at Van der Horst's school in Utrecht from age 14.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Anton Geesink kreeg daar zijn eerste lessen."

  — Jan van der Horst (judoka) - Wikipedia (Nederlands). Wikipedia (Dutch)linkinfo

  "Op 14-jarige leeftijd ziet Anton Geesink voor het eerst een judo-demonstratie. Hij is onmiddellijk verkocht en neemt les bij Jan van der Horst aan de Amsterdamsestraatweg."

  — (2025). Anton Geesink: judoheld uit Utrecht linkinfo

  "N. Age and Ge Koning both got theirs soon after by telling the Kodokan that they were Geesink's teachers, which was not a little white lie, but a big black one because Geesink's sensei was Jan van der Horst from Utrecht."

  — Bluming, Jon. (1999). Doing Judo at the Korean Yudo Association, December 1959. Journal of Combative Sportlinkinfo

  "De heer Jan van der Horst heeft met zijn judoschool in Utrecht vele nationale individuele titels en nationale teamtitels behaald en hij was de eerste leraar van Anton Geesink."

  — Visser, Willem. (2009). Herdenking bij het overlijden van de heer Jan van der Horstlinkhistoryinfo

Sources