Description

Belgian karate pioneer and long-time coach of Jean-Claude Van Damme. With Jean De Haes he created the first karate school in Brussels in 1962, the ancestor of the Centre National de Karate (CNK). He trained in Paris alongside Tsutomu Ohshima, a disciple of Gichin Funakoshi. Goetz is credited with about a hundred coaching world titles, promoted the first full-contact karate tournament in Belgium, and remains at the head of what became the World Champion CNK.

Teachers (1)

• 
  Tsutomu Ohshima

  sports_martial_artsShotokan Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Two independent sources state Goetz trained with Ohshima; the details (period, venue) are not documented

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Two independent sources state Goetz trained with Ohshima; the details (period, venue) are not documented

  “Claude and Jacques DELCOURT [...] trained in Paris together with Tsutomu OSHIMA, disciple of Giehin FUNAKOSHI.”

  — CNK - Centre National de Karate history page link history info

  “my karate teacher Claude Goetz (the European karate pioneer who studied with Tsutomu Oshima, a disciple of Gichin Funakoshi)”

  — Warrener, Don. (2011). Jean Claude Van Damme - Behind The Public Image. FightingArts.comlink history info

Lineage

• Shotokan Tsutomu Ohshima ← Funakoshi Gichin · 2 generations

Ranks (1)

• sports_martial_artsKarate

  military_tech7 dan Probable

  Probable

  Karate 7th dan reported by UppercutMMA, a secondary source; the granting organization and date are not documented

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Dan-Kyu System

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Karate 7th dan reported by UppercutMMA, a secondary source; the granting organization and date are not documented

  “Ceinture noire d'aïkido (1e dan), de judo (2e dan), de jiu-jitsu (5e dan), de karaté (7e dan) et de full-contact”

  — Desaint, Benoit. (2023). Qui est Claude Goetz, le maitre de Jean-Claude Van Damme au palmares impressionnant ?link history info

Students (1)

• 
  Jean-Claude Van Damme

  sports_martial_artsShotokan Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Van Damme has consistently named Goetz as his original and principal instructor in multiple interviews across three decades

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  location_onCentre National de Karate badge (1971–1978)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Van Damme has consistently named Goetz as his original and principal instructor in multiple interviews across three decades

  “I started training in Brussels [Belgium] when I was 11, in 1971. [...] My original instructor, Claude Goetz, taught three styles. He adapted karate to your anatomy.”

  — Corcoran, John. (1988). Jean-Claude Van Damme Interview (Fighter International, November 1988) link history info

  “He received his black belt in Shotokan karate from Claude Goetz in 1978 and briefly studied kickboxing in Paris with French karate king Dominique Valera.”

  — Corcoran, John. (1988). Jean-Claude Van Damme Interview (Fighter International, November 1988) link history info

  “He was like my second father. His name was Claude Goetz. He's a Belgian fellow and a wonderful man.”

  — Colasanti, Rob. (2004). Up Close and Personal with Jean Claude (Martial Arts Professional)link history info

  “I enrolled in Claude Goetz's Shotokan karate school in my hometown in Belgium. I was just eleven years old at the time”

  — How Karate Changed My Life (Jean-Claude Van Damme) link history info

Sources