Karate training with a sensei who pushes you is everything. Jakob is incredibly lucky to train kumite with Sensei Amy Sherring, and watching him bow before each session reminds me why we do all of this.
The Moment Before Training Begins
This photograph captures something I see every single week. Jakob standing in front of the mirror, head bowed, gloves on, ready to work. It is not a pose. It is not for the camera. It is respect. The kind of respect that martial arts teaches you before anything else.
Sensei Amy does not take it easy on him. She never has. That is exactly why we are so grateful to have her at the dojo. Kumite is hard. It is fast and physical and mentally exhausting. You need someone who will push you properly, someone who knows how to bring the best out of a young athlete without breaking their confidence.
Why Good Coaching Matters
I have watched Jakob train for years now. I have seen coaches who were good and coaches who were great. Sensei Amy is one of the great ones. She sees what he needs before he even knows it himself. She pushes him when he is tired and pulls him back when he is overthinking.
As a parent you cannot teach your child everything. You can give them opportunities but you cannot be their coach, their mentor, their guide on the mat. That is why finding the right people matters so much. And we have found some of the right people.
Still Learning Every Day
Jakob is 13. He is a 2nd Dan Black Belt. He competes for England. But he is still learning. Every single session. Every bow before training begins. Every correction from his coaches. He takes it all in.
This journey to Brazil and the JKS World Championships is not just about competing. It is about all the moments like this one. The quiet discipline. The respect. The hard work that nobody sees.
We are so grateful for everyone supporting this journey. If you want to help Jakob get to Brazil, please consider donating to our GoFundMe at gofundme.com/f/support-young-karateka-jakob-de-brum. Every contribution means the world to us.
Follow Jakob’s journey on TikTok at tiktok.com/@jakob.de.brum and subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more behind the scenes training footage.
