He wins GOLD!

My ever-so-talented husband fought at the National Qualifier Tae Kwon Do tournament this past weekend in Kansas City, Missouri. Jesse never ceases to amaze me! Not only did he make weight again at 136.4 lbs, but he also fought like I have never seen him before. He was a bit nervous when he was about to fight, but as soon as he stepped in the ring...he was in his zone. He kicked incredibly well and scored 5 punches. It is very difficult to score punches in Olympic style Tae Kwon Do because there is the rule to score a punch is that it has to cause "trembling shock and displace the opponent". Most fighters can't do it even once and Jesse did it 5 times! All the spectators were saying "Man, that guy can REALLY punch!" And in my head I was thinking "That guy is MY husband" :)

Jesse was coached by the new Texas A&M Coach Chris Smith. I have to admit, I was impressed with his coaching skills. What I found impressive was not his ability to read Jesse's opponent (which was incredible) but his genuine warmth toward his athletes. He carried Jesse's bags so that he wouldn't have to worry about them before his fight. He made sure to scout Jesse's opponents in other fights to gather a game plan and then shared it with Jesse. During Jesse's fight, he continuously reinforced his moves with "Perfect" or "Beautiful, do it again!". Lastly, when Jesse won, I could see it in his eyes, that he was proud of Jesse, genuinely. He gave him a big hug and told him he was GREAT. Here is a man with a genius ability to coach, extensive knowledge of the sport, and a heart of gold. I am glad he is the new coach of Texas A&M Tae Kwon Do. Jesse has also decided to train with him in Houston next year. Chris Smith doesn't demand respect. He doesn't have to. He earns it by treating his athletes with that same respect.
And now....

...the Kuhns are off to San Jose, California July 10-13 to fight at Senior Nationals, World Class Division, where the top 2 fighters go to Olympic Qualifiers.