• Damián Quintero A silver against the pressure of the "safe medal"

  • Silver Defeat in the final with local Ryo Kiyuna

  • An imaginary rival, three minutes, seven judges and not a single failure This is kata, the form of karate in which Spain sweeps

  • Sandra Sánchez The intrahistory of a gold without past or future: an anniversary, many 'burpees' and some suspicions

Behind the scenes, Jesus always waits serenely, with his red mask, who does not raise his voice much, who does not gesticulate or scream. "It's that thanks to Jesus ...". "If it weren't for Jesus ...". "I owe it to Jesus ...". And Jesus finally smiles with pride when his two pupils wear their Olympic medals around their necks. But who is Jesus?

Jesús del Moral

(Utrera, 1971) is the national kata selector since 2016, the miracle man, the one who has promoted to the maximum a gold and silver specialty.

He is also

Sandra Sánchez's

husband

- they were exactly married for five years on Thursday - although that was later.

After he gave enough lengths to the insistence of the talaverana that he be his technician.

Because he was 'burned' with "disappointments" and "ungrateful" competitors.

"I did not want to get involved again, but she is very persistent," he admits to EL MUNDO from the bowels of the Budokan, looking askance at the Olympic champion.

It's not just these two hits from Tokyo.

Since President

Antonio Moreno

He put him at the head of the national team - before that of Castilla la Mancha - there are almost thirty international medals. A boom as it is not remembered. The secret? "I tried to provide structure, order and intensity to the work, because we needed it," he says, who did not hesitate to resort to other sports such as gymnastics or taekwondo who did know what an Olympic cycle was. And in the face to face with the karate fighter, in addition, something simple, to return to the origins. "In young people who start there is a lot of influence from YouTube. But if the basic work is not done, in high competition it shows. I incorporated the sports part to the martial part that already existed", says who, after being a " competitor of the lot ", was formed in Sports Sciences, Pilates, quiromassage and even sports coaching.

Because, that, the mental part, is another of the pillars of his method.

"We do a lot of control of breathing, stress, tension, a lot of visualization exercises ...", he says.

And also discipline.

"I am tough because I take everything very seriously. I ask for 100%, it is not worth it for people to slacken."

ANNEGRET HILSEREUTERS

Such is his obsession with improvement that Jesus regularly goes to the sources of karate, to the country where it was invented, where this martial art is purest. There are already more than 10 occasions in which he traveled to Japan. "In kumite (fights), I think that the rest of the countries are already ahead. But in kata you have to keep coming here. And that which has evolved, that of five years ago is not the same as it is now. There is a facet It has given him a boost. Now he is much more athletic. They are almost like gymnasts. That fusion has benefited. "

But where does the love affair with Jesus karate come from?

"Because of the movies! I was in love with Chinese movies. I used to go with my brother to the summer cinema in Alcalá [de Henares]. When we came back we would open my parents' closets and start kicking them. five or six years they targeted us. "

So now applaud the Cobra kai phenomenon.

"In every era there has been something on martial arts television. Karate Kid, Chuck Norris ... It's a positive thing. And the results of Sandra and Damián, in the face of society, contribute what karate is: respect, work. If the kids have them as references, we have met the objectives. "

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

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