ABOUT US · ESTABLISHED 2012 · NEW YORK TO THE WORLD
WELCOME TO STRIKING 101.
THE HOUSE OF CHAMPIONS.
Your goals are personal. So is our commitment.
A child discovering their confidence. An adult finding their strength again. An athlete working toward the world stage. Every journey begins with someone willing to take the first step—and a team ready to invest in what comes next.
At STRIKING 101, decades of martial arts experience, a direct Dutch kickboxing lineage and international partnerships serve one purpose: helping you discover what you can become.
- 1986
- Jonathan’s martial arts journey begins
- 2012
- STRIKING 101 is established
- PRESENT
- STRIKING 101 coaches and athletes represent Team USA in international kickboxing and Muay Thai.
OUR STORY · SENSEI JONATHAN PAUL RUIZ
A LIFETIME IN MARTIAL ARTS.
A PURPOSE BUILT AROUND YOU.
Sensei Jonathan Paul Ruiz began training in 1986, at just four years old. He founded STRIKING 101 in 2012 to share the discipline, confidence and sense of purpose that martial arts had brought to his own life. That belief still shapes the academy: the work you put in on the mats can help you approach the rest of your life with greater confidence and resolve.
Jonathan’s experience reaches from local academies to international competition. A Team USA coach in kickboxing and Muay Thai, his coaching involvement spans WKA, ISKA, WAKO and WMO. He also serves as New York Director for WAKO and WMO.
He has helped athletes compete throughout the United States and in Brazil, Italy, Thailand, the Netherlands, Colombia and Canada. Athletes he has worked with have competed in UFC, Bellator, GLORY Kickboxing and Lion Fight Muay Thai. ONE Championship is among the team’s next goals.
Those experiences shape how we teach, prepare and guide the next generation. Whether you are learning your first combination or preparing for a fight, your progress deserves attention, honest coaching and a team that cares where you want to go.
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORSOUR LINEAGE · ANDY SOUWER
DUTCH KICKBOXING.
A DIRECT CONNECTION.
Andy Souwer won the K-1 World MAX championship in 2005 and 2007, securing his place among the greats of kickboxing. His combination work, pressure and competitive experience are part of the Dutch kickboxing tradition carried by STRIKING 101.
As the highest-ranking affiliate in Andy Souwer’s worldwide network, we take that connection seriously. It represents a responsibility to keep learning, teach with purpose and pass the knowledge forward to our students.
Jonathan and Andy’s relationship also extends into ownership and partnership. Together, they co-founded World Kickboxing Series and co-own Super Seminars World Series—connecting their work in the academy with athlete development, international competition and learning from champions around the world.
Explore our Dutch kickboxing training →
CO-FOUNDED BY JONATHAN PAUL RUIZ & ANDY SOUWER
WORLD
KICKBOXING
SERIES.
A bigger stage for the next generation.
World Kickboxing Series is an international kickboxing promotion co-founded by Jonathan Paul Ruiz and Andy Souwer. Their shared ambition is to give developing fighters a pathway from amateur competition toward the professional stage, with opportunities to grow, represent their region and pursue a future in the sport.
WKS was built around a vision of national, regional, continental and world-level competition. Its international model connects emerging talent with experienced champions and regional team captains, bringing athlete development and the pursuit of competition opportunities into the same conversation.
The announced captain lineup includes Gabriel Varga, Duane Ludwig, Regian Eersel, Lerdsila, Anissa Meksen and Andy Souwer. Their involvement reflects the scale of the vision: connecting the next generation with people who understand the demands of the world stage.
For STRIKING 101, that relationship gives our work a wider purpose. We help athletes build their skills and prepare for the opportunities they want to pursue, supported by coaching experience and relationships across the fight world.
SUPER SEMINARS WORLD SERIES
LEARN FROM LEGENDS.
KEEP THE KNOWLEDGE MOVING.
Jonathan and Andy also co-own Super Seminars World Series, bringing students, superstar champions and martial arts legends together through seminars around the world. These experiences give martial artists the chance to learn from different teachers, ask questions and deepen their understanding of the craft.
Their work includes a multimillion-dollar agreement with Princess Cruises, a major international cruise line within the Carnival Corporation group, to bring martial arts training experiences to sea. The partnership takes their seminar vision beyond the academy and into an international travel setting.
Our wider seminar history includes Saenchai, Pakorn, Jonathan Di Bella and Regian Eersel. Across those experiences, the purpose stays consistent: share knowledge, build relationships and keep creating ways for students and instructors to learn.
Meet the legends and explore our connections →OUR STORY, SHARED WITH WIDER AUDIENCES
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
TO A WIDER WORLD.
- ESPN
- SPORTS ILLUSTRATED
- HOT 97
- LA MEGA 97.9
- UNIVISION
Since its founding in 2012, STRIKING 101 and its athletes have been featured across sports, radio and television media, including ESPN, Sports Illustrated, HOT 97, La Mega 97.9 and Univision. Jonathan has also worked with celebrities on their own martial arts journeys.
That wider reach gives us another way to share the people, dedication and possibilities behind martial arts. We take pride in the recognition, and bring that same commitment back to the work happening in our academies every day.
Whether you are a public figure, a local parent or someone trying martial arts for the first time, we begin with your goals. Your story matters here, and we want to help you take the next step in it.
YOUR GOALS. YOUR JOURNEY.
FIND YOUR PLACE.
BUILD WHAT COMES NEXT.
We teach boxing, Dutch kickboxing, Muay Thai, submission grappling and MMA. Each discipline offers something to learn, and every student arrives with a different reason for training. We help you find a starting point that fits your age, experience and ambitions.
For a young person, progress can mean finding the courage to try, learning to focus and taking responsibility. For an adult, it can mean building confidence from within through challenging training, greater fitness and a supportive community. For an athlete, it means purposeful preparation and a team invested in their development.
Our community includes students recognized as Student of the Month, on the Principal’s List and honor rolls, and as valedictorians. It also includes adults from all walks of life, including law enforcement officers and government personnel. We celebrate those different paths while sharing the same values: respect, consistent effort and pride in progress.
OUR GROWING NETWORK · 2027 VISION
ONE MISSION.
A GROWING REACH.
From our New York roots to the communities ahead. Explore our operating academies and planned locations, connected through Forest Hills Headquarters.
3 OPERATING ACADEMIES · 4 PLANNED LOCATIONSForest Hills, Brewster and Brooklyn are now training. Las Vegas, Maryland, Georgia and Uniondale are planned locations. Expansion and partnership launch details will be announced.
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER STARTS HERE
Your first class begins with your story: what you want to learn, what you hope to change and where you want to go.
Whatever your goal, we’re here to help you work toward it. Let’s take that first step together.