Michael J. Heming

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.