Shaker Heights High School senior Matthew Klein gets his kicks by studying Taekwondo, a form of Korean martial arts he has practiced since the age of seven. This past October, his intense training under Master Keun Moo Ryu paid off with a gold medal win at the Trinidad and Tobago Taekwondo Open.
Competing for the first time against adults, Klein beat out a 27-year-old Trinidadian National Team Member for the top spot in the 18- to 32-year-old lightweight division.
Says Klein, “This was a result that no one in the entire arena expected. Even when I came home to my fellow instructors and athletes, they still couldn’t believe that I won. I still can’t believe it, five weeks later.”
Klein qualified for the tournament after winning the American Taekwondo United National Tournament and National Team Trial in the 14- to 17-year-old division last summer. He maintains a grueling training schedule year-round, in addition to running varsity cross country and track and managing a heavy course load during the school year.
“In my typical week I train in Taekwondo for 12 to 17 hours, not taking into account running, which is an additional 14 hours. Since I have a very busy schedule and my training gym is 45 minutes away from where I live, I train in short, intense sessions. On average I lose five pounds of water weight during each training,” say Klein. At his level of competition, most Taekwondo athletes train for four hours a day, every day.
Klein plans to continue training and competing when he attends college next year. He says, “Since Taekwondo is not yet a NCAA sport, I plan on training with a club or finding a coach in the area, or training myself.”
He hopes to compete in the U.S. Taekwondo Open in Las Vegas next February, as well as the U.S. Taekwondo Nationals. “Someday, I hope to become a National Team Member of the 18- to 32-year-old senior division,” says Klein.