ERNESTO HOOST (HOLLAND)
Interview of ERNESTO HOOST by Serge TREFEU (2009)
Serge TREFEU: Hello Ernesto Hoost, thank you for grant me this interview. You are one of the fighters of Kick boxing which had the longest career of the story (last fight in 41 years). Towards how old are you discovered the boxing?
ERNESTO HOOST: I was 13 when I wanted to start training and 15 when I started to train
You began the sport with the football, why did you stop to make of the boxing, what attracted you in this sport of contact?
I think it was the age. At that age many boys like fighting
In the district or you grew what is that there was many gym of Kick boxing?
I live about 45 km from Amsterdam but there was no kickboxing in the beginning, only from my 15th
Your first gym was the Sokundo gym, how much have you make of fights for this gym and which was your trainer of time?
My trainer was Tom Vriend and I did 14 fights for that gym
You began with the Kick boxing or with the Thai boxing?
In the beginning there was not so much difference between kick- and thai boxing but let’s say it was more kickboxing
It was at the beginning of the 80s, what is that in the time the Thai boxing was well known in Holland?
No, and if it was known it had a bad name
What were the champions of time and what is that some you’re inspired for the continuation of your career?
Lucien Carbin inspired me that time
After Sokundo Gym you were in Johan Vos Gym, it is with him that you gained your first titles in Thai boxing?
From Vos Gym I started to get titles. At Sokudo I had only the name as a talent
How long you are stayed in Johan Vos Gym?
19 years
In the time you are one of the rare boxers to fight in several disciplines, the Thai Boxing, the Kick Boxing, the Full-contact and also the Savate (French boxing), why you fought in all these disciplines, by challenges or for the money?
For the challenge and for my own development in fighting. That time there was not so much money
You trained in all these disciplines in the same gym with the same trainer?
Yes
The Savate was a sport of contact which you liked, what is that this sport was known in Holland?
Not so much, but Johan picked it up and taught us
I believe that you are the only fighter to the world must to have been World champion of Thai Boxing, World champion of Kick boxing, World champion of Full-contact, World champion of Savate and World champion K1, how you managed to adapt yourself to fight in all these different disciplines?
When I was younger it was no problem. For example, in ’88 I won 3 European titles in 5 weeks in Thai boxing, full contact and savate
What disciplines technically was for you the most difficult to control?
Savate was the most difficult
And in what disciplines you most liked fighting?
Thai Boxing and K-1 Rule
Have you not ever tried to fight in Free Fight, why?
I did not have he feeling I could become really good at it…
How much you have make of fights in all disciplines?
It made me a very all round fighter (119 fights)
In what disciplines you most fought?
Must be K-1
You had Boxing one redoubtable, you gained a lot of fight by KO with your fists, have you already fought in Boxing?
No, I never liked fighting with only fists
You had High Kick and especially destructive Low Kicks, which of these two techniques liked you him more to use in fight?
I liked the high kicks but the low kicks were easier…
Do you know French champions of the former generation and the new generation?
New generation I don’t know so much except Quarteron, old generation I know everybody from savate to thai : Leplat, Battesti, Zenaf, Ducros, Postel, Bill, Valéra, Benghafour, Panza, Younsi, Fourrier. I can go on for a while…
The European and French in particular know you well thanks to your victories about K1 but many French already knew you long ago because you had make memorable fights in France (Europe Champion of Full-contact in Havre, Europe Champion of Savate in Strasbourg, Europe Champion of Kick boxing in Strasbourg, World Champion of Savate in Paris, World Champion of Full-contact in Marseille), what were your best memory fight in France?
My fight with Postel in ’88 in Bercy and my second fight with Roufus in ’94 (Marseille)
Except Jérôme Le banner whom you met several times, you remember your French opponents of time?
Ducros (’87 , ’89), Litricin (’87), Corremans (’88), Lessaint (’88), Postel (’88), Brillant (’88), Dauvin (’89), Le Banner (’96, ’97, ’99, ’00, ’02), Berbachi (’00), Abidi (’03)
Against Jérôme Le Banner you fought five times (3 wins, 2 Losses), what of your fights in front of him was hardest?
K-1 GP final ’02
I know that there is between you and Jérôme Le Banner a profound respect, what is what you think that one day Jérôme will be a World GP Champion?
I really hope for him but I do not think he can do it anymore
Your first title of World GP Champion you gained against Andy Hug in 1997, a great fighter, many champion of the K1 say that in Japan there was a front Andy Hug and one after Andy Hug, what think of it you?
In matter of popularity of the sport it might be so, in matter of fighting I would say no, but his fighting spirit was always remarkable
The arrival of fighter “show” as Bob Sapp, Hong Man Choi, Akebono, did not distort a little the spirit “samurai of boxing rings” which reigned in the circuit of K1 since its creation?
Yes, it did. It took away the feeling of fighting spirit
The best heavyweight of the world in kick boxing come from Holland. How do you explain why there are many great heavyweight champions in Holland with regard to the other countries of the world?
Dutch people are cool and collected, and they also fight like that. Furthermore there are relatively many gyms in a small country so there is a lot of competition
For you the supremacy of the Dutch boxers on K1 GP in Japan longtime be going to continue still?
I hope there will also other countries to win the K1 GP but the Dutch fighters will be on top for a long time I think…
Japan it is a little your second country because you made more than 60 fights over there, do you interests in the Japanese culture?
I really like the country and the culture, I also like travelling in Japan
In the time or you did not still fight in heavyweight but in the light heavyweight you met great champions as Rob Kaman, Andre Manaart, Jean-Yves Thériault, Pascal Ducros, Luc Verheye, Rick Roufus, Peter Aerts, which one gave you most opposition?
Must be Kaman
You often fought in Thai Boxing but have you already fought in Thailand, do you training already over there?
I fought with Thais but I have never been there. I really need to go…
You fought in all the disciplines successfully and if Japanese K1 in 1993 had not arrived, do really that you would have stopped your career, why?
Because before K-1 there was not so much money, except in France
You gained 4 times the title of K1 GP, what was the one whose victory was the most important for you, the strongest?
’99, because that year I was knocked out badly by Filho and I came back to win the GP against Andy, Jerome and Mirko
Would you have wished to gain the fifth title?
Of course
And what is all discipline and title confused, your best memory of boxing?
The ’99 GP
You have made a lot of hard fight but what is that for example those against Bob Sapp (about 50 kilos of weighty distance) and Semmy Schilt (22 kilos more and 23 centimetres more) were the hardest?
The fights with Jerome and Mike Bernardo were harder…
Your last fights in 2006 was against Semmy Schilt, it was a little the fight of the former generation against the new generation, that can you say to us on this last fight?
I think I could have won but I should have taken risks and since my family was also in the audience I did not want to do that
In November French Patrice Quarteron is going to meet Bob Sapp in France, what advice you would give to our French champion before his confrontation in front of Bob Sapp?
Beat the sh… out of him!
You were for a long time a star in Japan in the circuit of K1, do you know the new generation the news future stars of the K1?
Yes, I know them and some of them are really good
Today you stopped your career, what is that you have your own gym, do you prepare a fighters for K1?
I teach at Sokudo gym and I have my own team of fighters
Sometimes do you organize seminar in Europe?
I do not organize myself but I am always willing to give them, so who want my seminar?
You often offered us small nice dances on the boxing ring, where from comes to you this rhythm?
It comes from Surinam, my home country
It’s really that you usually speak about 5 languages, which languages?
Dutch, Surinamese, English, French (but grammar is difficult sometimes…), German and 50% Japanese
Where from comes to you this nickname “Mr Perfect”?
I got it in Japan around ’93/’94
When what is what a bibliographic book of “Mr Perfect” take out?
Probably end of this year or beginning of next year
Thank you very much for this interview and good luck for your projects
Your welcome and thanks
Ernesto Hoost makes left the circle very closed by the alive legends of the Kick boxing in the same way as his compatriot Rob Kaman, Ramon Dekkers and Peter Aerts. He holds the record of the championships of the World K1 GP (4 times) and is one of the rare boxers any categories confused to hold the supreme title in all the disciplines feet and fists. He fought on the boxing rings of the whole world and his fighter’s longevity is phenomenal, 23 years of career!
With its magnificent techniques of legs, it also was the most redoubtable puncher of the circuit K1 with 62 KO of which 34 KO in K1 Japan only the big champion Peter Aerts outstrip him with 65 KO of which 37 KO in Japan. “Mister Perfect” has his name to etch for ever in the pantheon of the Kick boxing!
ERNESTO HOOST
Weight: 108 Kg
Height: 1m89
Gym: Vos Gym
Fighter’s record: 119. 97 wins. 21 Losses. 1 draw. 62 KO !
Title : World Champion K1 GP (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002). World Champion Full Contact ISKA (1994). World Champion Kick Boxing (1990). World Champion Thai Boxing (1989). World Champion Savate (1989). Europe Champion Kick Boxing (1988). Europe Champion Savate (1988). Europe Champion Full Contact ISKA (1988). Europe Champion Thai Boxing (1988). Dutch Champion Thai Boxing (1987).
Website : www.ernestohoost.nl