KRU ARNAUD VAN DER VEERE
Inventor of RAM Thumbless Boxing Glove | Founder of Force One | Entrepreneur | Author | Researcher | Muay Thai Specialist
Innovation, Experience and the Pursuit of Better Movement

I am Arnaud van der Veere, a Dutch entrepreneur, author, researcher, martial arts educator and sports equipment developer based in The Hague, the Netherlands. My professional life has been shaped by international travel, scientific curiosity, entrepreneurship, and decades of practical experience in boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.

Through Force One, I develop products, training concepts and research initiatives that connect human movement, physical performance and healthy aging. My current priorities are **RAM – The Thumbless Boxing Glove**, an innovative boxing equipment concept, followed by **Age Control**, my ongoing work on healthy aging and functional performance.

My guiding principle is simple:
Live by example, not by words.
RAM – The Thumbless Boxing Glove
Rethinking Traditional Boxing Equipment
One of my most important product development projects is RAM, a thumbless boxing glove designed around a different approach to hand positioning, gripping, and training functionality. Traditional boxing gloves typically use separate thumb compartments and padded structures that let the fingers form a fist.  RAM introduces an alternative construction featuring:

• A thumbless design without a separate external thumb compartment.
• An internal grip bar that provides a defined gripping position.
• Integrated all protective padding.
• A wrist-securing system.
• A combined boxing glove and training pad function.

The objective is to investigate whether boxing equipment can offer greater training versatility while addressing practical questions about grip, hand positioning, and impact management. The combined glove-and-pad function is particularly relevant for partner exercises, technical boxing drills, coordination training and controlled striking activities. RAM has undergone years of design development and prototyping. The glove has been thoroughly tested under the most demanding conditions. 

From Practical Experience to Product Innovation
RAM originated from observations and research made during decades of martial arts practice, coaching, and equipment development.
My work has repeatedly brought me into contact with athletes, instructors, and recreational participants with different physical capabilities and training needs. This experience encouraged me to question established equipment designs and investigate alternative solutions.
Instead of accepting conventional glove construction as the only option, I began exploring a different relationship between the hand, the grip, and the protective structure. RAM represents the outcome of that exploration.

[Discover RAM – The Thumbless Boxing Glove](https://forceone.nl/RAM-GLOVE-Duimloze-Bokshandschoen/)**

International Cooperation and Distribution
Through Force One, I welcome discussions with international distributors, sports equipment manufacturers, boxing organizations, training facilities, and research institutions interested in RAM. Potential cooperation includes product distribution, manufacturing development, technical evaluation, product demonstrations, and research collaboration.

Age Control – Healthy Aging and Functional Performance
Understanding Aging Through Movement and Measurement
My second major field of activity is Age Control, an ongoing research and development initiative focused on maintaining physical and functional abilities as people age. Aging is a complex biological process influenced by genetics, health conditions, environmental exposure, physical activity, nutrition, and other lifestyle factors. Although we cannot currently stop aging, research shows that appropriate interventions can influence many aspects of physical function and health. Age Control focuses on investigating practical ways to assess and support functional performance as people grow older.
Areas of interest include:

• Strength and muscular endurance.
• Balance and mobility.
• Reaction time and coordination.
• Physical activity and exercise capacity.
• Movement control and functional independence.
• Lifestyle factors associated with healthy aging.

My approach combines scientific literature, practical training experience, and the development of assessment and exercise methods.
Age Control is intended to support informed approaches to functional aging. Specific therapeutic or preventive claims require appropriate scientific validation.

Research Connected to Everyday Life (Theory to practical implication)
Scientific knowledge becomes especially valuable when it can be translated into practical activities.
My interest is not limited to understanding why physical abilities change with age.
I investigate which training methods, equipment designs, and assessment procedures actually help people maintain useful physical abilities.
This connects Age Control, martial arts training, and innovative equipment such as RAM. Each project has its own purpose, but both reflect a common interest in movement, adaptability and human performance.

My Life in Four Words
Sportsman. Entrepreneur. Writer. Scientist.
These four activities have shaped my personal and professional development. Born and partly raised in The Hague, I began exploring the world early. International travel introduced me to different cultures, educational traditions, training methods, and approaches to health. The world became my classroom. Over time, I learned that practical experience and theoretical knowledge are most valuable when they challenge and complement each other.

The Early Years: Sport, Independence and Entrepreneurship
I began martial arts in childhood, then moved on to boxing and eventually Muay Thai. At fifteen, I began intensive Muay Thai training, including periods in Thailand. Training became central to my life. Living with asthma during my youth also contributed to my interest in physical conditioning, breathing, and disciplined exercise. In 1978, I started my first two ventures: a discotheque and a gym. I developed both in a former abandoned building that had become a cooperative community with an art gallery, workshop, housing, and shared facilities. That environment taught me the importance of independence, cooperation, and practical problem-solving. It reinforced my belief that training should develop more than physical strength.

From Martial Arts to International Business
Sport and entrepreneurship became closely connected in my professional activities. Training requires suitable equipment, but equipment alone does not create good training. People also need knowledge, instruction, and an understanding of how to use their tools effectively. My early business activities involved importing and supplying sports equipment. Over time, I became increasingly involved in product development, education and writing. In 1984, I published my first kickboxing book in the Netherlands. Many other books, articles and translations followed.

Through Force One, I continued combining equipment supply with practical instruction, international contacts and the development of new training concepts. This combination eventually became central to RAM's development.

Scientific Curiosity and Independent Research
Alongside sport and business, I pursued scientific studies and research interests. My educational journey included HBO van Leeuwenhoek and Delft University of Technology. My academic career did not follow a conventional path. Following a conflict at the university in 1983, I increasingly pursued independent professional and research activities.

International travel gave me opportunities to observe different educational systems, training practices, and approaches to human health. In the years that followed, I spent considerable time in China, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Hong Kong. My research interests gradually expanded to include physical performance, aging, movement, and the relationship between lifestyle and functional health. I have been involved in academic activities in China, including work as a visiting professor. One of my topics is human relationships (several books). 

Training Around the World
Wherever I traveled, physical training remained part of my daily routine. I trained in different gyms, encountered different martial arts traditions, and learned from instructors and athletes with widely varying backgrounds. These experiences strengthened my conviction that expertise should never prevent continued learning. 

One of my guiding observations is:
Those who call themselves experts often stop learning.
In both science and sport, curiosity is essential. Knowledge develops through observation, experimentation, critical discussion, and the willingness to reconsider established assumptions.

Family, Travel and the Art of Living Simply
Between 1983 and 1997, I traveled extensively, often accompanied by my children. Those years reinforced the value of adaptability, family relationships, and independence. Living and working in different countries also showed me that personal satisfaction isn't necessarily tied to possessions or status.
One lesson remained especially important:
You do not need much to be happy. Sometimes, having more gives you less freedom.

Aging, Discipline and Lifelong Movement
My interest in healthy aging developed from both scientific curiosity and personal experience. Physical abilities change throughout life, but chronological age alone does not determine what someone can achieve. Appropriate exercise, nutrition, recovery, social participation, and preventive healthcare can all help maintain health and function. For me, discipline is an important practical foundation. However, discipline should not mean rigid repetition. Training must remain adaptable, meaningful and enjoyable. As people grow older, the purpose of training may shift from competitive achievement to mobility, strength, independence, and quality of life. The challenge isn't simply to keep training. It is to continue learning how to train.

Life Philosophy
My experiences in sport, business, research, and international travel have shaped several principles that still guide my work.
Accept differences and learn from them.
Curiosity builds knowledge. Envy wastes energy.
There is always a road ahead. https://youtu.be/IN9jsx-Iu1o?si=9TqkhU0K0tDEwcHV

Looking backward cannot change the past, but moving forward creates opportunities for the future. I believe meaningful progress comes from combining knowledge with practical action while staying open to new ideas and different perspectives.
Live with an open heart and wide-open eyes.
Breathe in today. Breathe out tomorrow.

Work With Force One
I welcome professional contact concerning:
RAM – The Thumbless Boxing Glove
International distribution, manufacturing, equipment innovation, demonstrations and research cooperation.
Age Control
Healthy aging research, functional performance assessment, training development and potential research partnerships.
Training and Education
Personal training, Muay Thai, boxing, coaching, workshops and educational programs.
Book Private Training or Education
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