Training with Jon Xue Zhang was honestly the highlight of my whole month. I have been working hard on my kumite for ages now but this session was something completely different. The master is incredible.

When you train with someone like Jon you realise how much there still is to learn. Every kick, every movement, every bit of feedback he gave me made sense straight away. He sees things I do not even notice myself doing wrong.

Learning From The Best

We worked on pad drills for most of the session. Sounds simple right? But it was not. He pushed me to be sharper, faster, more precise with every single kick. My legs were burning by the end but in a good way. The kind of tired that means you actually worked hard.

What I loved most was how he explained things. Not complicated, just clear. He would show me something once and I could feel the difference straight away when I tried it. That does not happen often. Most of the time I need loads of practice to get something new but with Jon it just clicked.

Why Sessions Like This Matter

Since becoming World Champion in Brazil I know I cannot just coast. Everyone will be watching next time. Everyone will be training harder to beat me. So I have to keep pushing myself even more than before. Sessions like this one with Jon are exactly what I need to stay sharp and keep improving.

This is what the journey looks like. Not just the medals and the big competition days but the quiet training halls, the tired legs, the learning. This is where the real work happens.

My dad always says the training you do when no one is watching is what makes the difference. Today felt like proof of that.

Be Part Of The Journey

If you want to support what we are building you can help here: https://gofund.me/1727dc4e6. Every bit of support means the world and helps me keep training with the best coaches out there.

Follow my journey on TikTok: @jakob.de.brum