A white dobok and a pair of bold boxing gloves might seem like two different worlds at first glance. At XPRT Fight Gear, they share the same roots. The Dutch martial arts brand grew out of the sporting experience behind Fight2Win, with ITF Taekwon-do as one of its earliest starting points.
From this came a product line for people who train: children practicing their first combinations, adults who go to the gym several times a week and practitioners of traditional martial arts. The common thread has remained clear: a commitment to the sport, distinctive design and gear accessible to a broad audience.
The beginning: a martial artist with an idea
The story begins in 2005. While studying, Robin started the business that would grow into Fight2Win from his study. At the time, he also taught in Rotterdam South. Training, teaching and running a business were closely connected from the start.
His experience spans ITF Taekwon-do, karate and kickboxing. Training camps and seminars were also part of his sporting background. The idea for a store grew from a desire to make martial arts gear easily available to other practitioners.
The sport was the starting point for the gear. That idea first took shape in Taekwon-do.nl. Later, as Fight2Win developed, the brand XPRT Fight Gear was created. The store and the brand therefore share their origins in the same martial arts practice.
Doboks, protective gear and the dojang
The initial range consisted of doboks and protective gear. This gave the business a clear focus on Taekwon-do from the start: the uniform you train in, the gear for sparring and the day-to-day reality of classes.
It is a familiar setting for anyone who practices traditional martial arts. Putting on a dobok, tying your belt and entering the dojang are all part of getting ready. The clothing is part of the sport’s culture, alongside the techniques you learn.
Those origins remain visible in XPRT. ITF doboks are still part of the brand, alongside uniforms for karate, kempo, hapkido and Tang Soo Do, among others. The connection to martial arts continues through a range that has since become much broader.
The birth of a brand of its own
The store’s first name described a single discipline. Fight2Win offered a broader identity that made room for different martial arts. As it developed, the next step was a product line of its own, with its own name and a recognizable look.
When XPRT was created, martial artists and graphic designers helped shape its identity. They developed a name and logo that appeared on the gear itself. That is how XPRT Fight Gear became a brand within the store, with design as part of its distinctive character.
Fight2Win brings different brands together; XPRT gives our own gear a name. That distinction explains the close connection between the two. The specialist shop offers a wider range and direct contact with athletes. XPRT is the in-house line that grew out of that same background.
The journey in four steps
- 2005 - The foundation. Robin starts the business from his study, offering the first products through Taekwon-do.nl.
- Doboks and protective gear. The focused start in Taekwon-do establishes a connection with the dojang and training practice.
- A distinct brand identity. With help from martial artists and graphic designers, the XPRT Fight Gear name and visual identity take shape.
- Today - More disciplines and generations. Traditional uniforms sit alongside boxing and kickboxing gear for children and adults.
A bridge between the dojang and the boxing gym
The initial Taekwon-do range opened the way for other martial arts. At XPRT, you’ll therefore find traditional uniforms alongside boxing gloves, shin guards and shorts. That breadth brings together the varied backgrounds of the athletes behind the business.
A dobok carries its own tradition. A boxing glove has its place in punching combinations, pad work and practising with a partner. MMA shorts, in turn, suit training that combines different types of movement. Each piece has its own role in the sport.
XPRT brings these worlds together under one name. The emphasis shifts between disciplines, while the commitment to training stays the same. This gives the brand a character that feels at home in both the dojang and the boxing and kickboxing gym.
A brand takes on a face, too
Design has been part of XPRT’s brand identity from the beginning. A name only becomes truly recognisable when you see it on the gear: on a cuff, along a glove or on the waistband of a pair of shorts.
Today’s gear expresses that identity in different ways. The Bordeaux version of the Pro V3 uses a warm, dark red shade. Spirit King II shows just how much character an exuberant black-and-white pattern can add. One version keeps its colours subdued; the other draws attention with contrast and illustration.
This also leaves room for each athlete’s personal taste. A sleek, understated combination and a more striking design can both suit the same approach to training. The design makes the gear something you enjoy taking out of your sports bag and feel at home wearing on the training floor.
For the next generation of martial artists
The original idea of making martial arts equipment accessible takes on a very concrete meaning for children. A first lesson is a new adventure. Putting on gloves, remembering a combination and practising together become familiar step by step.
That is why young athletes have their own place within XPRT. Children’s boxing gloves such as the Competitor V1 are part of the range, alongside children’s clothing and other equipment. This gives young athletes options suited to their stage of training.
Children and adults share an interest in the sport, but each is at a different stage. A first youth class and the regular training week of an experienced athlete both belong to the world in which XPRT has developed. The brand grows with these different generations.
You got the motivation, we got the gear
The XPRT slogan sums up the idea behind the brand in one sentence: You got the motivation, we got the gear. You bring the motivation, we bring the equipment.
There is a clear division in that. The athlete does the work: going to class, repeating techniques, building fitness and trying again when something does not yet come naturally. The equipment is part of that daily routine, from the uniform you put on to the gloves you fasten before a round.
That idea connects the different sides of the brand. A Taekwon-do practitioner and a kickboxer train differently, but both recognize the importance of focus, effort and repetition. The slogan therefore speaks to the motivation people bring to their martial art.
A brand of its own, close to the athlete
Its connection with Fight2Win gives XPRT a direct place in the specialist shop. The brand is part of the same environment as the people asking about their first set of equipment, their next pair of training gloves or clothing for their discipline.
Online, that connection takes shape through product information and images. In the showroom in Waddinxveen, you can see and buy equipment up close and ask questions about the different options. The brand and the shop remain closely connected.
It reflects the original combination of sport and entrepreneurship. What began with a martial artist and an idea grew into a shop name, a brand of its own and a wider audience. As part of that journey, XPRT became the name on the equipment itself.
From a sporting start to an identity of its own
The story of XPRT runs from early doboks and protective equipment to a martial arts brand of its own, covering different disciplines. Its ITF background, the collaboration on the name and design, and the expansion into boxing and kickboxing equipment are all part of the same journey.
That combination gives XPRT its own identity: Dutch roots, a close connection with Fight2Win and equipment for different generations on the training floor. The motivation comes from the athlete. The name on the equipment tells you where the brand comes from.
