Niko’s love letter to gongkwon yusul ❤
From his nickname ‘Kung Fu Panda’ from when he was young, all the way to the 2nd Dan black belt at Gongkwon Yusul. That’s the story of USC martial arts teacher Niko! With his enthusiastic and open attitude, he lights up the Universum dojo during the winter months. In this interview you’ll get to know Niko a little bit better.
Nikolai in the dojo 🤸♂️
With all USC martial arts teachers you form the USC Avengers! What is your superpower?
“Might seem a bit cliche or dull but I would love to have the superpower to turn into, and move like, water. Because just like Bruce Lee said: “Water can flow or it can crash. (But it cannot be hit!) Be water my friend.” This is also a guiding aim we pursue in Gongkwon Yusul: to become like water. Calm, one with the flow, and unstoppable. Would be great to finally get that down properly. 😉”
Gongkwon yusul is not the biggest sport in the Netherlands. How did the sport steal your heart?
“I was born in Münster (in Germany) and did martial arts there since the age of 5. In 2013 the opening ceremony of a new martial arts school took place: the German Gongkwon Yusul Headquarters. I was deeply impressed by the students’ demonstration of Gongkwon Yusul there. Never had I seen such a fluent connection of all spheres of fighting in my life. From that moment onwards I signed up and went for it.”
“When I moved to Amsterdam in 2015, my master entrusted me with the task to bring this martial art to the Netherlands. And here I am! Still!”
Boxers and kickboxers often have a cool nickname. Is this also common at gongkwon yusul, and do you have one yourself? 👀
“Usually, you do not really get a nickname like in boxing or kickboxing. However, when I was a kid, before starting Gongkwon Yusul, I did Kung Fu and had the nickname ‘Kung Fu Panda’ there haha. Because I was quite chubby, very flexible and motivated”
Which USC martial arts teacher would you like to fight an exciting duel against?
“I have two favourites. Daan (from MMA and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) because he is strong exactly where I want to improve (rolling and grappling). And Jaap (the Shorinji Kempo teacher) because we teach very different styles of martial arts, but somehow find ourselves always very likeminded in spirit and philosophy.”
What do you think makes gongkwon yusul such a fun sport for students to do?
“Gongkwon Yusul is an all-encompassing martial art, where you get to develop self-defence skills, resilience, flexibility, and confidence. I see all my students in Gongkwon Yusul really blossom as human beings, which is the most beautiful and unique thing to witness as a teacher. I see them become stronger, happier and calmer – the great increase in physical fitness is just a welcome side effect!”
Would you like to join a class of Niko? Every Monday and Wednesday he teaches gongkwon yusul in the Universum dojo! Book a spot in the My USC schedule.