| Michael J. Heming |
|---|
|
Michael J. Heming, Karate Champion |
| Born |
Michael John Heming
(1961-01-24)24 January 1961
Filton, Gloucestershire, England |
|---|
| Died |
17 October 1984(1984-10-17) (aged 23) |
|---|
| Other names |
The Explosive Lean Man |
|---|
| Nationality |
 England |
|---|
| Height |
1.80 metres (5 ft 11 in) |
|---|
| Weight |
75 kg (165 lb) |
|---|
| Division |
Middleweight |
|---|
| Style |
Kickboxing, Shotokan Karate |
|---|
| Fighting out of |
Filton, Gloucestershire, England |
|---|
| Team |
Team Filton |
|---|
| Rank |
5th dan black belt in Shotokan |
|---|
| Years active |
1976–1982 (martial arts) |
|---|
|
| Kickboxing record |
|---|
| Total |
21 |
|---|
| Wins |
17 |
|---|
| By knockout |
6 |
|---|
| Losses |
4 |
|---|
| By knockout |
4 |
|---|
|
| Amateur career |
|---|
| Total |
26 |
|---|
| Wins |
22 |
|---|
| Losses |
4 |
|---|
| Other information |
|---|
| Occupation |
martial artist, |
|---|
Michael John Heming (24 January 1961 – 17 October 1984) was an English karateka and kickboxer. He was the Amateur European Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and British Semi-Contact Middleweight Champion in the 1970s, who compiled an impressive winning streak before losing to Jean-Claude Van Damme in 1980.
Biography
Early life
Michael John Heming was born in Filton, Gloucestershire, England, the son of Nancy Heming and Stephan el. Heming, a supermarket owner from Bradford on Avon. He attended Bristol Primary School and graduated from Bristol Central High School in 1979.
In 1967 Michael's mother, Nancy Heming was shot in the arm when she tried to fight off two men who were attempting to rob her husband's supermarket. Michael threw a can of creamed corn at the assalaints as they exited the store but it missed. The two men were never found. Nancy fully recovered, but Michael was left with deep feelings of helplessness and guilt.
Amateur Kickboxing/Full-Contact Karate Career
In the spring of 1968, Heming asked his father to enroll him in martial arts, and on 24 January 1969 he was enrolled at Filton Shotokan Karate School as a birthday present.
In 1976 he earned his black belt. He then started competing in kickboxing, full-contact karate, and semi-contact karate.
In 1979, Heming won the Europe Karate Association Middleweight Championship (Great Britain version). Heming's biggest victories were over Keith O'Grady, Colin Niles, and Peter Gleason.
On 16 December 1979, Heming was stopped in 1 round by Jean-Claude Van Damme and lost his title.[1]
Semi-Contact/Light-Contact Career
Heming compiled an undefeated record of 17-0-0 in point-fighting and tournament karate before losing two matches to British Karate Champion Frank Brennan in 1979.
Amateur Kickboxing record
| Result |
Record |
Opponent |
Method |
Date |
Round |
Time |
Event |
Location |
Notes |
|---|
|
| Win |
1-0-0 |
 Markus Hamilton |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
Independent Promotion |
Coventry, England |
Full-Contact |
| Win |
2-0-0 |
Markus Hamilton |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
Independent Promotion |
Coventry, England |
Full-Contact |
| Win |
3-0-0 |
George Swanson |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
|
Coventry, England |
Full-Contact |
| Win |
4-0-0 |
George Swanson |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
|
Coventry, England |
Full-Contact |
| Win |
5-0-0 |
George Swanson |
TKO |
1978 |
3 |
|
|
Coventry, England |
Full-Contact |
| Win |
6-0-0 |
Gary Daniels |
Disq |
1979 |
1 |
|
British Full-Contact Organization |
London, England |
Full-Contact[2] |
| Loss |
6-1-0 |
Gary Daniels |
KO |
1979 |
1 |
1:03 |
British Full-Contact Organization |
London, England |
Full-Contact[2] |
| Win |
7-1-0 |
Colin Niles |
PTS |
1979 |
2 |
|
British Full-Contact Elimination Tournament |
London, England |
Full-Contact: Middleweight Division |
| Win |
8-1-0 |
Lloyd Brown |
Disq |
1979 |
3 |
|
British Full-Contact Elimination Tournament |
London, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
9-1-0 |
 Thomas Sean-Barry |
TKO |
1980 Jan 01 |
1 |
0:18 |
|
London, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
10-1-0- |
Peter Gleason |
TKO |
1980 Jan 08 |
1 |
0:57 |
|
Liverpool, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
11-1-0 |
 Keith O'Grady |
Disq |
1980 Jan 15 |
1 |
0:21 |
European Karate Association |
London, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
12-1-0 |
Keith O'Grady |
Disq |
1980 Jan 22 |
1 |
0:58 |
European Karate Association |
Blackpool, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
13-1-0 |
Tom Connley |
PTS |
1980 Jan 29 |
3 |
|
European Karate Association |
Ireland |
Kickboxing
http://www.listal.com/jean--claude-van-damme |
| Win |
14-1-0 |
"Blackpool" Robert Connor |
Disq |
1980 Feb 05 |
2 |
|
European Karate Association |
Blackpool, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
15-1-0 |
Keith O'Grady |
KO (head kick) |
1980 Feb 12 |
1 |
|
P.K. A.European Middleweight Championship |
Blackpool, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
16-1-0 |
Thomas Sean-Barry |
TKO (body punch) |
1980 Feb 19 |
1 |
0:18 |
|
London, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
17-1-0 |
Peter Gleason |
TKO |
1980 Feb 21 |
1 |
0:57 |
|
Liverpool, England |
Kickboxing |
| Loss |
17-2-0 |
.svg.png) Jean-Claude Van Damme |
KO |
1980 |
1 |
0:46 |
European Middleweight Championship |
Brussels, Belgium |
Kickboxing |
| Loss |
17-3-0 |
 Nick da Costa |
TKO |
1981 Jan 19 |
2 |
|
British Full-Contact Elimination Tournament |
London, England |
Full-Contact: Middleweight Division |
| Loss |
17-4-0 |
Dev Barrett |
TKO (body kicks) |
1983 |
2 |
|
British Full-Contact Middleweight Championship |
Coventry, England |
Full-Contact |
|
Semi-Contact Record
| Result |
Record |
Opponent |
Method |
Date |
Round |
Time |
Event |
Location |
Notes |
|---|
|
| Win |
1-0-0 |
Jerome Newman |
PTS |
1976 |
3 |
|
|
Dunstable, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
2-0-0 |
William Brenner |
PTS |
1976 |
3 |
|
|
Coventry, England |
Semi-Contact: Brenner unable to continue due to injury. |
| Win |
3-0-0 |
Malcom Hough |
PTS |
1976 |
3 |
|
UK Open Karate Tournament |
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
4-0-0 |
Thomas-Sean Cullen |
PTS |
1976 |
3 |
|
UK Open Karate Tournament |
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
5-0-0 |
Danny "Boy" McNamara |
PTS |
1976 |
3 |
|
Birkenhead Karate Tournament |
Birkenhead, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
6-0-0 |
Errol Sullivan |
PTS |
1976 |
3 |
|
Birkenhead Karate Tournament |
Birkenhead, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
7-0-0 |
Abraham Jacobs |
PTS |
1977 |
|
|
|
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
8-0-0 |
Harry "Enery" Hamilton |
PTS |
1977 |
3 |
|
|
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
9-0-0 |
Michael Magan |
PTS |
1977 Dec 11 |
3 |
|
British Regional Middleweight Championship |
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
10-0-0 |
Sean Robin |
PTS |
1978 Jan 01 |
3 |
|
British Empire Regional Championships |
London, England |
Semi-Contact
http://www.listal.com/jean--claude-van-damme |
| Win |
11-0-0 |
Nigel Williams |
PTS |
1978 Jan 11 |
3 |
|
UK Open Karate Tournament |
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
12-0-0 |
Thomas Eastman |
PTS |
1978 Jan 11 |
3 |
|
UK Open Karate Tournament |
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
13-0-0 |
Gavin Rodgers |
PTS |
1978 Jan 11 |
3 |
|
UK Open Karate Tournament |
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
14-0-0 |
 Bruno Kruger |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
|
Cologne, Germany |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
15-0-0 |
Paul Palleres |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
United Kingdom Open Championship |
Blackpool, England |
Kickboxing |
| Win |
16-0-0 |
Paul Palleres |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
|
Blackpool, England |
Semi-Contact
http://www.listal.com/jean--claude-van-damme |
| Win |
17-0-0 |
Francisco Cuenca |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
|
Blackpool, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
18-0-0 |
Francisco Cuenca |
PTS |
1978 |
3 |
|
|
Bristol, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Loss |
18-1-0 |
Frank Brennan |
PTS |
1979 |
3 |
|
Grand Championship of Europe |
Belgium |
Semi-Contact |
| Loss |
18-2-0 |
Frank Brennan |
PTS |
1979 |
3 |
|
|
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
19-2-0 |
Kenneth Parnell |
PTS |
1979 |
3 |
|
British Karate Middleweight Championship |
Manchester, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
20-2-0 |
Kenneth Parnell |
PTS |
1979 |
3 |
|
British Karate Middleweight Championship |
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
21-2-0 |
Brandon Rowe |
PTS |
1979 |
3 |
|
|
Camberwell, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Win |
22-2-0 |
Herman McDonald |
PTS |
1979 |
3 |
|
Coventry Middleweight Championship |
Coventry, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Loss |
22-3-0 |
Wayne Otto |
PTS |
1982 |
3 |
|
|
London, England |
Semi-Contact |
| Loss |
22-4-0 |
Ryan Brooks |
PTS |
1983 |
3 |
|
|
Coventry, England |
Semi-Contact |
|
Retirement
Heming retired from professional Karate in 1983 after being diagnosed with hypertrophy of the ventricular myocardium.
Death
His heart continued to worsen and in September 1984 it was determined that his condition was terminal. Heming died suddenly on 17 October 1984 at his home in Filton, Bristol. He is interred at Memorial Woodlands Cemetery in Bristol, England.[1]
References