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

CNK · CNK · École de Karaté de Bruxelles

Locations (1)

• location_onIxelles

  warning No sources cited

Founder

Instructors (2)

• person
  Claude Goetz

  Head instructorsports_martial_artsShotokan

  1962

  Confirmed

  Confirmed

  The CNK history and an independent article agree.

  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

  The CNK history and an independent article agree.

  “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 link history info

  “Aujourd'hui encore, il est à la tête de sa salle qui a désormais changé de nom pour devenir le "World Champion CNK".”

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

  Instructorsports_martial_artsShotokan

  1977 – 1981

  Probable

  Probable

  His own interview; one side only.

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

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  His own interview; one side only.

  “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)link history info

Trained here (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.

  under Claude Goetz (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

Tags

karate · shotokan · belgium · brussels

Sources