Other names The Explosive Lean Man Division Middleweight Name Michael Heming Height 1.8 m Losses 4 | Nationality England Team Team Filton Died 1984 Weight 75 kg | |
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Born Michael John Heming
24 January 1961
Filton, Gloucestershire, England ( 1961-01-24 ) Style Kickboxing, Shotokan Karate Fighting out of Filton, Gloucestershire, England | ||
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.
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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.
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.
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.