RSC/RVSV members step into the ring during kickboxing gala: ‘Everyone has a plan until you get hit properly on the nose’

Not a dance floor, but a boxing ring in the Maassilo on Wednesday evening, 13 May. Under the watchful eye of more than a thousand spectators, sixteen students from RSC/RVSV fought eight kickboxing matches after months of intensive preparation.

At last, business administration student Sam Keijzer is standing in the ring herself, after five rounds of nerve-racking waiting. While she still had to suppress a smile during the staredown, that expression has now made way for complete concentration. It briefly falls silent in the corner where her family and friends are sitting when she takes a hard punch to the face in the very first round. As the bruise begins to appear, her expression changes into even greater determination. Sam immediately regains control and responds with a well-placed kick. Her supporters can breathe again.

Sam is one of the sixteen RSC/RVSV members who entered the ring on Wednesday evening for the association’s kickboxing gala. These galas are a relatively new phenomenon within student associations. After the first student gala in Amsterdam in 2017, the concept quickly grew into a tradition that has become inseparable from the culture of Dutch student associations. “Last year we organised more than 25 galas for student associations across the country”, says Wout Janssen, managing director of THENEXT-GEN, the organisation behind the programmes.

Better image

Janssen himself studied in Groningen, where he noticed that many fellow students struggled with mental health issues. “For me, boxing helped clear my mind and made me feel stronger both mentally and physically”, he says. That experience inspired the idea of offering boxing programs to student associations. Over the course of three months, students with no prior experience learn the basics of the sport, with the ultimate goal of stepping into the ring. “The image of the sport has improved significantly in recent years, which has also contributed to the growing popularity of boxing galas.”

The programme is intense. Participants train four times a week and even five times a week during the final weeks. Many participants drop out during the process. There were 83 registrations, from which the sixteen most suitable boxers were ultimately selected based on skill level and weight. For safety reasons, opponents may differ by no more than three kilos.

Training every day

The 21-year-old Sam first got the idea to sign up last year. “My housemate took part last year. When I saw her standing there, I immediately thought: I want to do that too.” Three months ago she signed up, without knowing whether she would actually make it into the ring in the end: first she still had to get through the selection process. “At weekends I often trained extra as well”, she says.

The programme demanded not only a lot physically, but also changes to her lifestyle. “I stopped drinking. That was strongly advised, but in the end it also has to come from yourself. I used to go out a lot, but I’ve had to cut back in recent months.” She finds that especially difficult now the weather is improving. Still, she also notices the benefits. “I actually have more time for my studies because I’m never hungover anymore. I also sleep much better.”

She is not afraid of being knocked out. “Sometimes people land hard punches, but that is part of it. Actually getting knocked out does not happen very often.”

‘Champ Sam’

On the evening of the gala, Sam nervously walks around the changing room. Her hair has been braided, her hands are being taped and her face covered in vaseline. Together with her trainer she goes through the tactics one final time: keep her guard up, keep breathing calmly, use plenty of front kicks and give everything she has. She can count on plenty of support. In the hall, family, friends and housemates are waiting for her, recognisable by caps bearing the words ‘Champ Sam’.

From the changing room she has a good view of the first matches. She herself is sixth to enter the ring. She knows her opponent well. “I think it will be an evenly matched fight. She boxes well and is very fit, but I do expect that I can win.”

“Like any other sport, it is difficult to fully master the techniques of kickboxing in three months”, explains assistant trainer Sil Fortes. “Sometimes there is a natural talent among them, but usually it looks a bit untidy technically to an experienced boxer”, he says. “But the audience hardly notices. They come for the tension and the experience.” And there is certainly no shortage of atmosphere. Fortes is visibly amazed by the student gala. “This is far more spectacular than the galas where I normally fight myself.”

More than a thousand spectators fill the hall, dressed in suits or short evening dresses. Large banners are raised into the air and flames shoot up from the stage during every entrance, sending waves of heat through the venue.

The Dutch kickboxing federation WPKL is also present at the gala, making these official matches. There are adjusted rules, however: the fights last three rounds of one and a half minutes and participants fight with heavier gloves to slightly reduce the impact of the punches. Normally rounds last three minutes and the number of rounds varies from three to a maximum of twelve.

A winner regardless

Sam turns out to be right about her match: the fight is tense and evenly balanced. In the first round she takes hard punches to the face, but manages to recover. With her cheekbone turning blue, she continues attacking relentlessly in the second round and surprises her opponent with several accurate punches. In the end she narrowly loses on points, but according to the commentator it was ‘super close’.

Still, pride outweighs disappointment. With tears in her eyes she falls into her coach’s arms. “I’m so happy I did this. It almost feels like I won, although she really got me good”, she laughs through her tears. Coach Jay da Veiga Monteiro agrees. “The moment you stepped into the ring, you were already a champion. You showed how much willpower and perseverance you have.”

In the final match of the evening, Luuk Arensman fights. Taking part had long been on his bucket list. “And of course it’s always nice to get fit just before summer”, he jokes.

First beer in months

Like Sam, Luuk found the adjustments outside training especially difficult. “I stopped smoking and drinking. Going out without alcohol was not for me, but drinking a 0.0 beer in the pub was fine.” How does he rate his chances? “Everyone has a plan until you get hit properly on the nose. I hope I can stay calm so the technique stays good, then I think I can win.”

That turns out to be an accurate assessment. In a spectacular final fight, Luuk eventually comes out on top. The crowd erupts one final time and shouts louder than at any other moment that evening. With every successful punch or kick, the noise swells even further. Although the fight is brutally hard from both sides, victory increasingly seems to be heading Luuk’s way. After the result is announced, the two fighters embrace each other sportingly – a sharp contrast to the fierce battle just minutes earlier. From inside the ring, Luuk celebrates his victory with his supporters.

After the matches the boxers are required to rest for twenty minutes before finally opening their first beer in months. Afterwards, the party erupts in the Maassilo.