In WeesperNieuws: ‘There’s a fighter in everyone’
In mid-September, WeesperNieuws stopped by the Achtergracht. Nikola van Krieken talked to us about the takeover, the renovation, and why kickboxing is for everyone, while Brian Elings photographed a bag work class. The article went online on September 25.
You can read it on weespernieuws.nl with a subscription. Because this is a piece of club history, we’re keeping the full article here.
WeesperNieuws
Sport
Weesp locals take over gym and launch De Vechtclub: ‘There’s a fighter in everyone’
Kevin van Zonneveld and Remy Gharib opened De Vechtclub in Weesp on August 1. The two Weesp locals took over The Kickboxing Society’s location and are giving the gym an identity of its own.
Text: Nikola van Krieken · Photos: Brian Elings
“We just want to make it more fun here.” The gym now has new heavy bags, lighting and air conditioning, among other upgrades. The ceiling has been painted black, and a new cabinet was added for training equipment. A large painting will also be installed on the wall. The owners are also working on a community wall and a compliment wall.
Both were already closely involved with the gym. Gharib taught there for five years and served as manager during the last year. When it became known that a new owner was being sought, he immediately contacted Van Zonneveld. He also knew the club well: he had taught there as a hobby for about four years. The two owners now live about five and ten minutes from the gym, respectively.
More involvement
According to the owners, the problem was not just the numbers. “You felt a little like a burden to the club,” Van Zonneveld says. He saw classes being canceled and trainers regularly leaving. “That doesn’t work. People, including the kids, also want someone they can connect with.”
The two want to change that. De Vechtclub now has eight permanent trainers, who are given plenty of freedom to shape their own classes. “You don’t have to teach according to a set formula,” Gharib explains. “If you teach well, have a strong command of the technique and can put together a good workout yourself, then we trust you to do that.”
The owners believe that local involvement should be visible everywhere. Many of the trainers are from Weesp. The people working on the renovations and the designer behind the new branding are also from Weesp. “It feels very much like Weesp,” Van Zonneveld says.
From children to Parkinson’s patients
The owners want to stand out as the most accessible kickboxing gym in Weesp. They say that comes not only from the low price, but also from the atmosphere and location. “You can combine it with picking up your children from school or running an errand,” Gharib says. “That makes training here really convenient.”
Most of the schedule consists of bag work and technique classes. The club focuses not only on fitness and strength, but also on kickboxing technique. “You really do learn kickboxing here.” Trainers who do not have a strong enough command of the sport are not hired. “You get stronger and fitter here, and you learn a real skill. Two birds with one stone.”
De Vechtclub is explicitly not just for people with experience in combat sports. The Weesp owners want to dispel the idea that kickboxing is not for everyone. “There’s a fighter in everyone,” Van Zonneveld says. “It feels great to let that fighter loose on a bag.”
The club now offers more than kickboxing. There is boxing on Thursdays and muay thai on Sundays. Personal training is also available, and the club is experimenting with afternoon classes. There are separate classes for children, taught by two permanent trainers.
There is also a class for people with Parkinson’s. “Strangely enough, kickboxing is also the best sport you can do if you have Parkinson’s,” Van Zonneveld says. “That’s what my uncle, who is also from Weesp and unfortunately knows from experience, was told by his doctor. He benefits from our classes and wants others with the condition to have the same opportunity, so we’re going to expand the program.”
Community punching bag
The owners want to strengthen the connection with the neighborhood even further. One example is the community punching bag on Sinnigvelderstraat, across from Vechtstede College. Van Zonneveld set it up during the coronavirus pandemic, when indoor sports were not possible. “By now it’s mainly a great place for people on a limited budget, or for those who simply enjoy exercising outdoors. Maintaining the site costs money every year, and with De Vechtclub as its main sponsor, we can now secure its future.”
The trainers also want to offer free workshops in the future. They are working on partnerships with the Stadspas and Jeugdfonds, among others. “Through those partnerships, we hope to keep the sport accessible to people for whom a regular membership is less affordable.”
For Gharib, it is about more than getting a gym up and running. “This is the first time in my life that I’ve had a job that doesn’t feel like a job,” he says. “And Kevin is my best training partner, and I love doing this together.”
Open house on October 31
The first goal is to make De Vechtclub financially stable, but the owners are also looking further ahead. “I hope we can open a second location in a few years,” Gharib says. “Why shouldn’t we dream bigger? Eventually, every beautiful town along the river Vecht will have its own club.” Both men burst out laughing.
The renovations are not yet completely finished. Classes are already being held, however. The official opening is on October 31. That day, the owners will hold an open house for Weesp residents: from 09.00 to 14.00 there will be free beginner classes every hour on the hour.
Anyone who wants to check it out can simply stop by. Those who want to be sure of a spot can also sign up. “All you need to bring is workout clothes and a bottle of water. We’ll take care of the rest.” More information: devecht.club/blog/open-dag-31-oktober.
Remy’s dream at the end, a club in every town along the river Vecht: we laughed about it, but we’re not ruling it out either. First up, the open day on October 31. See you on the mat!