I spent a weekend in Amsterdam in my early twenties training the Dutch style of kickboxing, or trying to before I beasted so bad I had to give up a day early and come home. There's hardly shame in that considering what the Dutch style is famous for - revolutionising the striking martial arts, partially through technical synthesis and partially through unsurpassed levels of pressure testing and sparring in training. What really took me to Holland is the enormous influence of a group of ground breaking fighter who showed the world the Dutch style was strongest. For me and many others, at the very summit of that special group of athletes was Ramon Dekkers, whose fights I would watch endlessly in the short time I was fighting professionally. His style, mentality and more than anything to me, his technique, made him a legend. He died a few days ago at the awfully young age of 43. Having also trained briefly in Thailand, and knowing how high the standard is there, it remains his greatest testament that Dekkers travelled there to fight in a golden age of Thai fighters and did the near impossible, destroying his opponents. Watch the video and eat leg pies.