Thorsten Domke (born 17. Dezember 1970 in Lucerne is a Swiss martial artist, three-time Swiss champion, European runner-up, and winner of the 2000 World Championship in Tokyo in Kyokushin, as well as an instructor and seminar leader. For several years, he trained alongside Andy Hug and Michael Thompson. As Andy Hug increasingly focused on Thai kickboxing and international K-1 competitions in the late 1990s, Domke decided in 1998 to return to the traditional style of Kyokushinkai karate. Early in his career, Domke completed an apprenticeship as a metal fabricator and later worked as a key account manager at various Swiss companies and organizations.Metallbau Huber Stans AG, Landis+Gyr AG, ESTECH Industrie AG, RUAG AG Emmen, Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunication.

Career Thorsten Domke grew up in Stansstad with his brothers and parents. During his school and apprenticeship years, he practised various endurance sports, particularly triathlon, which laid the foundation for his later career in full-contact martial arts. At the age of 22, he began training in Kyokushinkai karate. In 1994, he transferred to the Seido Hombu Dojo in Lucerne, where he discovered the Seidokaikan style.“Impressed by Thorsten’s talent, coach Pablo Amodeo decides to mentor him. So Thorsten Domke leaves the Karate-Dojo Sachseln OW and begins training with Andy Hug at Swiss-Seido in Lucerne. This also means that Thorsten switches his style from Kyokushinkai to Seidokan karate, a blend of karate, kickboxing, and boxing.” Source: With his instructors Andy Hug and Michael Thompson he developed special techniques including the Ushiro-Geri (back kick), Mawashi geri (low kick), and Ushiro-Mawashi-Geri (spinning back roundhouse kick). He played an active role in establishing the Hombu Swiss Seido in Horw.“Andy Hug has appointed Michael Thompson, European and World Karate Vice Champion as well as European Professional Muay Thai Champion, as head coach for his karate school. At the "Swiss Seido" center at Ebnauerstrasse 8 in Horw, he has experienced fighters such as René Papais, Thorsten Domke and Pablo Amodeo, all holders of the 1st Dan, available to him as assistant coaches.” Source: As Andy Hug increasingly focused on Thai kickboxing and international K-1 competitions in the late 1990s, Domke decided in 1998 to return to the traditional style of Kyokushinkai karate. Domke works as a seminar leader and technical expert of modern full-contact martial arts styles. Mastery Levels Mastery Levels: Thorsten Domke holds a 6th dan in Kyokusinkaikan Karate, a 1st dan in Seidokaikan Karate, and has completed advanced training in Krav Maga (Amnon Maor).

Competitions 1994 1st place in the Pilatus Cup Kyokushinkai tournament in Alpnach after four matches“Thorsten Domke (Obwalden Karate Club / Seidokan Lucerne) defeated all of his opponents and advanced to the final, which he won to claim the title. Thorsten Domke’s victory is the result of the active collaboration between the Obwalden Karate Club and the Seidokan Karate School in Lucerne. The special training sessions with world champion Andy Hug have had a positive impact on Thorsten Domke’s fighting skills, and he has developed into a tough, technically and tactically skilled fighter.” Source:

1995 5th place in the “Best of Sixteen” tournament at Seidokaikan in Berlin (lost to Semmy Schilt) 16th place in the World Championship finals at the Seidokaikan in Osaka, after securing one of three spots organized by Andy Hug“The 183-cm-tall, 79-kg athlete Thorsten Domke is heading into the World Championships with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s a challenge for him; on the other, the buzz in Osaka’s 15,000-seat arena could also become a major source of pressure. “I want to be able to put into practice what I’ve learned during training,” he says, describing his personal goal for the World Championships. Domke and Markus Jund have spent three and a half weeks preparing for the World Championships.” Source. There, he trained alongside the world's best fighters, including Andy Hug, Nobuaki Kakuda, Michael Thompson, Felix Ntumazah, Taiei Kin, Toshiyuki Atokawa, and Akio Mori.

1996 1st place at the Swiss Seidokaikan Championship (middleweight) 5th place in Kyokushinkai in Valencia

1997 1st place at the Swiss Seidokaikan Championship Participation in the 1st Chur Fight Night at the Seidokaikan (middleweight)

1998 2nd place at the Copa Valencia Kyokushinkai tournament in Valencia“At the prestigious international Kyokushinkai tournament in Valencia, 27-year-old Stansstader karateka Thorsten Domke made it all the way to the final. It was only there that he was defeated by a Spanish fighter who had won every round by knockout. Domke, on the other hand, lost by a narrow margin of 2–3.” Source: 1st place at the Swiss Kyokushinkai Championship Participation in the Kyokushinkai British Open in London

1999 European Kyokushinkai Vice Champion (Middleweight) in Budapest“A moment of inattention cost him the victory: Thorsten Domke competed in the European Kyokushin Karate Championships alongside his student, Aidin Ömer. Unlike the other karatekas, the Stansstader native had to face no fewer than four full-contact opponents, defeating the first three by knockout in quick succession to secure his spot in the final. In the fourth bout, his victory seemed certain at first, but his opponent surprised him with a punch to the face, and Thorsten briefly went down. The referees’ decision came unexpectedly quickly, and Domke had to concede defeat.” Source:

2000 1st place at the Spanish Kyokushinkai Open in Barcelona, having knocked out all opponents“Thorsten Domke, from Stansstad, competed in a tournament in Barcelona as part of his preparation for the World Championships, which he won.” Source: red: “Thorsten Domke demonstrated his World Championship form – Full-contact karate: A Stansstad native at an international tournament.” Source: World Champion in Kyokushinkai in Tokyo, the first European to achieve this feat“Almost unnoticed by the public, Thorsten Domke (30) from Stansstad won the open world championship in full-contact Kyokushin karate in Toko.” Source:

2008 Winner of the Kyokushinkai Fight in Barcelona

Quotations

Trivia Andy Hug's coach, Jean-Louis Romule, a 26-year-old former kickboxer from Martinique, died on the evening of January 21, 1996, due to a congenital heart defect at Hug's training center in Lucerne, in the arms of Thorsten Domke. Thorsten Domke appeared alongside Andy Hug and Michael Thompson on the September 12, 1996, episode of “Casa Nostra,” hosted by Kurt Aeschbacher. Thorsten Domke was named Athlete of the Year in the “Men’s” category at the 4th Central Switzerland Sports Gala, which was hosted by Beni Thurnheer.Source:

References

External links