World Champion and European Champion, Great Britain’s Jordan Thomas has announced his retirement from karate and martial arts. Karate Enthusiast and Martial Arts Instructor Rob DiNoto shares why Thomas decided to hang up his gi officially:
Failing to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics placed a major block in the road for Jordan Thomas, Karate and Martial Arts Athlete. Ultimately, the event redirected his focus and changed the trajectory of his focus in Martial Arts. The Karate World Champion and European Champion made the decision to transfer to Great Britain’s Taekwondo World Class Performance Programme. Rob DiNoto, a longtime fan of Jordan Thomas and a Martial Artist in his own right, has closely followed Thomas’ career. He is sad to hear that the Karate Athlete has decided to officially retire from the sport at 32 years old.
When Jordan Thomas did not qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, he made the bold decision to switch sports. As an all-around Martial Arts Enthusiast, Rob DiNoto was interested to see how the transition from Karate to Taekwondo would go for Thomas. The athlete and former karate champion explained that the transition was “very, very difficult.” In an interview with BBC Sport’s Jamdes Burridge, Thomas stated that he was at the “bottom of the pile” as he took on the challenge of learning an entirely new sport and developing new skills. Although his transition to the martial arts style certainly seemed promising, he has ultimately decided to step down. He expressed that the decision comes after setting his sights on a new focus in life: fatherhood. The family man has one daughter already and another baby soon on the way.
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