Chris John was born as Yohannes Christian John in Banjarnegara, on 14 September 1979. He is the second son of four siblings of Johan Tjahjadi (real name: Tjia Foek Sem) who is of Chinese descent and Maria Warsini. Boxing has been a part of John's life since his childhood. John's father was a former amateur boxer in Indonesia. He introduced boxing to his sons, John and his younger brother Adrian, at an early age of 5. John's Father inspired him by regaling with stories of hard fought battles and triumphant victories. Given the choice to fight or pursue other sports, John chose boxing and became an amateur champion in Banjarnegara.
