On July 20, 2025, Kaan Gümüs leaves his books on business informatics on the shelf and puts on his protective gear: That's when the UAS student will step onto the fighting mats in Hall 6 at Messe Essen and face his opponents in taekwondo at the "FISU World University Games".
This is the first time that 19-year-old Kaan Gümüs from Iserlohn has taken part in this tournament. Around 8500 top student athletes from up to 150 countries will be competing for medals in 18 different sports. Three of these are martial arts: judo, fencing and taekwondo. Kaan Gümüs is competing in the weight class up to 80 kilos. All fights from the first duel to the final are on July 20.
Explosive fighter
Kaan Gümüs has been training in the sport of fast punches and artistic kicks since 2014. In 2019, he became German Youth Champion, then several times German Vice Champion in his weight class. In November 2024, he won the title of German University Champion in Hildburghausen and thus a ticket to the University Games.
His coach Carlos Estevez sees him as an explosive fighter, stronger than most in his weight class, who can interrupt and counter his opponents' attacks early on, especially with his strong left front leg. One of his favorite attacks is the spinning kick with his back leg - a demanding technique that requires precision and timing. Kaan Gümüs says that he particularly enjoys sparring, i.e. free training with a partner close to competition.
What he does has hand and foot
Stamina is the most important thing in taekwondo, says the 19-year-old. Because the training is hard. Because his coach is very good, "Carlos always gets an extra ten percent out of me." He also showed that he can persevere in the final of a German championship.
He was ahead on points when a kick from his opponent broke his wrist. Kaan Gümüs continued to fight, but his hand was no longer working optimally. If his opponent had not noticed this and had not concentrated his attacks on it, he would probably even have been able to finish the fight victoriously.
He does not yet know who he will be fighting on July 20, but he is naturally excited. He doesn't have any special rituals before important fights. For him, says Kaan Gümüs, only one rule applies: "Get a good night's sleep the night before. Then I'm fit."