Meet… Stefan Berkenpas

The Vechtsportautoriteit (Dutch Martial Arts Authority) consists of a board, a supervisory board and an office. They are supplied with expertise by a large number of advisers who serve on five committees. But who are the people on those committees?

Each of the VA committees focuses on a theme:

– Events and galas
– Medical and health
– Quality and licences
– Technical matters
– Communication

In this series we introduce a number of members, to give a better picture of the people who are substantively involved in the work of the VA.

The committee member we present this time is Stefan Berkenpas.

‘I started judo in 1970, switched to kyokushin karate in 1977 and took up kickboxing in 1985. So I have been active in martial arts for more than 50 years.’

‘In the 1980s there were not nearly as many schools and instructors as there are now. It was still very much the pioneering era. I started teaching in 1987 at KB Sneek and Spectrum Heerenveen. In 1994 I obtained my instructor’s certificate from the NKBB (Dutch Kickboxing Association). For a long time I combined that with work as commander of the Special Support Team of the Ministry of Justice (Bijzonder Ondersteunings Team van Justitie). Since 2006 I have been a professional trainer. At Kyoku Gym in Leeuwarden we focus mainly on Dutch style kickboxing, as it was developed in the Netherlands.’

‘I became involved with the VA even before it was founded. At the time I was invited to a conference in Amsterdam, with Mayor Van der Laan and Minister Schippers. The conference was held in response to the abuses in martial arts. All the prominent figures present agreed that an overarching body was needed. The Vechtsportautoriteit was then established and I offered my services on the spot.’

‘In the Quality and Licences committee my attention goes in particular to the quality of instructors, because that is the foundation of the sport. With the Keurmerk Vechtsportautoriteit (quality mark of the Dutch Martial Arts Authority) we have taken a major step in the right direction.’

‘The quality of instructors matters because martial arts shape character. With the right guidance you learn the value of discipline, respect and resilience. That is part of the reason why martial arts have become a way of life for me personally.’

Photo: Stefan Berkenpas (fourth from the right) with students at the Kyoku Gym club in Leeuwarden

Previously in this series:

Meet… Fabrice Deters
Meet… Richard van Asdonck
Meet… Raimond Honig
Meet… Soeresh Bhatoe
Meet… Samart Prins
Meet… Marjan de Roos
Meet… Hanieh van Vilsteren Kamran
Meet… Hassan Ziani