Description

Brussels karate club founded in 1962 by Claude Goetz and Jean De Haes as the first karate-only school in Brussels, later renamed the Centre National de Karate (CNK). Jean-Claude Van Damme trained there from 1971, earning his black belt from Goetz in 1978, and later taught handicapped students and children at Goetz's schools. The club survives today as the World Champion CNK, still headed by Goetz.

Also known as

Founder

Instructors (2)

• Cl
  Claude Goetz

  Head instructorlinkShotokan

  1962

  expand_morefact_check 2 sources

  "In 1962, Claude GOETZ and Jean DE HAES created the Karate school in Brussels, the ancestor of the CNK."

  — CNK - Centre National de Karate history page linkhistoryinfo

  Desaint, Benoit. (2023). Qui est Claude Goetz, le maitre de Jean-Claude Van Damme au palmares impressionnant ? linkinfo
• 
  Jean-Claude Van Damme

  InstructorlinkShotokan

  1977 - 1981

  expand_morefact_check 1 source

  "My instructor owned four karate schools, in the beginning two for adults and one for the handicapped. I taught the handicapped. [...] when I became seventeen years old, he opened a karate school for kids. So I started to teach for him as a helper."

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

Trained here (1)

• 
  Jean-Claude Van Damme

  linkShotokan 3

  Confirmed

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

  under Claude Goetz badge (1971 - 1978)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources

  fact_check

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

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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) linkinfo

  "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) linkinfo

  "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)linkhistoryinfo

  "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) linkhistoryinfo

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Sources