Henk Meijer
Encyclopedia
Henk Meijer is a Dutch taekwondo
coach and former Olympic taekwondo competitor. He was the men's heavyweight champion at the 7th World Taekwondo Championships
in 1985, becoming the first non-Korean to win a world title in taekwondo in South Korea. He was Olympic taekwondo coach for the Netherlands at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, and was later national taekwondo coach for France. In February 2010, he began working as Head Coach for the Greek Taekwondo Federation.
, in the Netherlands. He is the fifth out of six children born in his family (he has two brothers and three sisters), and his parents divorced when he was just three years old. His mother took responsibility for raising him. Meijer trained in judo
from the ages of 7 to 11, and achieved brown belt rank in that art. From the ages of 11 to 15, he played football. He then trained briefly in Shotokan
karate
before beginning to practise taekwondo. At the time, the only style of taekwondo available in his home region was the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) style.
Meijer began training in ITF taekwondo under Jan Suiveer, and later continued under Wim Bos, one of Suiveer's students. In 1981, he began training in the World Taekwondo Federation
(WTF) style of taekwondo. The main reason he moved from the ITF to the WTF was because the latter organisation had gained Olympic recognition. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the poor standard of organisation of ITF competition in the Netherlands at the time.
in Los Angeles for a month. The following year, he competed in the WTF's World Taekwondo Championships
in Copenhagen and took third place in his division. He also took charge of the taekwondo school he had been training at from his instructor, Bos. In 1984, he took third place in the men's heavyweight division at the ITF World Championships in Glasgow.
In early September 1985, Meijer competed in the WTF's World Taekwondo Championships
in Seoul, South Korea, and won the men's heavyweight (+83 kg) title, becoming the first non-Korean to win a world title in South Korea. In 1988, he took bronze at the European Championships in Ankara and at the World Cup in Helsinki. That same year, he competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics
in Seoul, where taekwondo made its first Olympic Games appearance as a demonstration sport; this was the last time he participated as a competitor. Meijer later wrote, "Although I lost my 2nd fight against my big opponent and good friend Michael Arndt from Germany, it was a beautiful finish of my career as competitor." By the end of his competitive taekwondo career, he had won five Dutch National Championships and five Dutch Open Championships.
in taekwondo, and by 2000, he had reached 5th dan in the art. Meijer was the Dutch taekwondo team's coach for the 2000 Summer Olympics
and the 2004 Summer Olympics
. By 2006, Meijer was ranked 6th dan, but noted that rank was not particularly important to him. That year, he became Head Coach of the French Taekwondo Federation. Under his guidance, French taekwondo competitors won gold, silver, and bronze at the 2006 European Championships in Bonn
.
In 2009, he began coaching in Australia, but soon withdrew from his position due to political problems with sport taekwondo there. On 1 February 2010, Meijer took on the position of Head Coach for the Greek Taekwondo Federation, having made the decision to leave his Australian coaching commitments. Apart from his taekwondo competition experience and rank, he holds a master's degree in sports coaching
, which he earned in the Netherlands.
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
coach and former Olympic taekwondo competitor. He was the men's heavyweight champion at the 7th World Taekwondo Championships
1985 World Taekwondo Championships
The 1985 World Taekwondo Championships were the 7th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Seoul, South Korea, from September 4 to September 8, 1985. There were a total of 63 participating nations and 280 contestants, all male. Women were not invited to compete in the...
in 1985, becoming the first non-Korean to win a world title in taekwondo in South Korea. He was Olympic taekwondo coach for the Netherlands at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, and was later national taekwondo coach for France. In February 2010, he began working as Head Coach for the Greek Taekwondo Federation.
Early life
Meijer was born on 22 July 1959 in WinschotenWinschoten
Winschoten is a former municipality and city in the northeast of the Netherlands.Population : 18.497; area: 22,24 km2.The origin of the name of Winschoten is not known but it has received nicknames. One of these is Molenstad . It has also been known, in living memory, as Sodom...
, in the Netherlands. He is the fifth out of six children born in his family (he has two brothers and three sisters), and his parents divorced when he was just three years old. His mother took responsibility for raising him. Meijer trained in judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
from the ages of 7 to 11, and achieved brown belt rank in that art. From the ages of 11 to 15, he played football. He then trained briefly in Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
before beginning to practise taekwondo. At the time, the only style of taekwondo available in his home region was the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF) style.
Meijer began training in ITF taekwondo under Jan Suiveer, and later continued under Wim Bos, one of Suiveer's students. In 1981, he began training in the World Taekwondo Federation
World Taekwondo Federation
The World Taekwondo Federation is the International Federation member of the International Olympic Committee for the competition events of the martial art of taekwondo...
(WTF) style of taekwondo. The main reason he moved from the ITF to the WTF was because the latter organisation had gained Olympic recognition. He also expressed dissatisfaction with the poor standard of organisation of ITF competition in the Netherlands at the time.
Competitive taekwondo career
For a few years in the early 1980s, Meijer competed in both ITF and WTF competitions. He was listed at 191 cm (6' 3") in height and 105 kg (232 lb.) in weight. In WTF competition in 1982, he became European Heavyweight Champion, and won both the Dutch National Championships and the Dutch Open Championships. That same year, he trained under Hee Il ChoHee Il Cho
Cho Hee Il is a prominent Korean-American master of taekwondo, holding the rank of 9th dan in the martial art. He has written 11 martial art books, produced 70 martial art training videos, and has appeared on more than 70 martial arts magazine covers...
in Los Angeles for a month. The following year, he competed in the WTF's World Taekwondo Championships
1983 World Taekwondo Championships
The 1983 World Taekwondo Championships are the 6th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Copenhagen, Denmark from October 20 to October 23, 1983. A total of 353 athletes from 42 nations took part in the championships.-Medal summary:...
in Copenhagen and took third place in his division. He also took charge of the taekwondo school he had been training at from his instructor, Bos. In 1984, he took third place in the men's heavyweight division at the ITF World Championships in Glasgow.
In early September 1985, Meijer competed in the WTF's World Taekwondo Championships
1985 World Taekwondo Championships
The 1985 World Taekwondo Championships were the 7th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Seoul, South Korea, from September 4 to September 8, 1985. There were a total of 63 participating nations and 280 contestants, all male. Women were not invited to compete in the...
in Seoul, South Korea, and won the men's heavyweight (+83 kg) title, becoming the first non-Korean to win a world title in South Korea. In 1988, he took bronze at the European Championships in Ankara and at the World Cup in Helsinki. That same year, he competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
in Seoul, where taekwondo made its first Olympic Games appearance as a demonstration sport; this was the last time he participated as a competitor. Meijer later wrote, "Although I lost my 2nd fight against my big opponent and good friend Michael Arndt from Germany, it was a beautiful finish of my career as competitor." By the end of his competitive taekwondo career, he had won five Dutch National Championships and five Dutch Open Championships.
Post-competition career
From 1990 to 1994, Meijer coached the Dutch national taekwondo team. In 1994, he was ranked 4th danDan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
in taekwondo, and by 2000, he had reached 5th dan in the art. Meijer was the Dutch taekwondo team's coach for the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. By 2006, Meijer was ranked 6th dan, but noted that rank was not particularly important to him. That year, he became Head Coach of the French Taekwondo Federation. Under his guidance, French taekwondo competitors won gold, silver, and bronze at the 2006 European Championships in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
.
In 2009, he began coaching in Australia, but soon withdrew from his position due to political problems with sport taekwondo there. On 1 February 2010, Meijer took on the position of Head Coach for the Greek Taekwondo Federation, having made the decision to leave his Australian coaching commitments. Apart from his taekwondo competition experience and rank, he holds a master's degree in sports coaching
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, which he earned in the Netherlands.
See also
- European Taekwondo UnionEuropean Taekwondo UnionThe European Taekwondo Union is the official governing body for all Taekwondo matters in Europe as a regional organisation of the World Taekwondo Federation. It comprises the National Taekwondo Federations of all the European member nations and regulates all Taekwondo matters on a continental basis...
- Taekwondo at the 1988 Summer OlympicsTaekwondo at the 1988 Summer OlympicsTaekwondo was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. It was the first time that the sport was included in the Olympic program; it would become an official sport twelve years later at the 2000 Games....
- Taekwondo at the Summer OlympicsTaekwondo at the Summer OlympicsTaekwondo made its first appearance at the Summer Olympic Games as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The opening ceremony featured a mass demonstration of taekwondo with hundreds of adults and children performing moves in unison. Taekwondo was again a...