It is difficult to consider C.J. Nickolas as one of the world’s most deadly fighters. He’s got a yellow Pikachu backpack on and is sporting pink socks and baggy jeans with big colorful patches. His radiant smile lights up the skyline of New York City behind him.
And yet, at the age of 22, he represents the strongest opportunity for the United States to win a gold medal in taekwondo, a Korean martial art in which competitors primarily use their hands and feet.
After a full day of media commitments, he arrives at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the evening, just before sunset. Despite his slight build and 6-foot-1 stature, he exudes energy like a skyscraper. He quickly changes into his American combat uniform to perform his famous and lethal flying midair double kick, which deals his opponent a first attack while he’s in the air and a second strike while his body is twisted and hangs parallel to the ground.
Because he is not competing, he performs this clever move and others with a smile and a carefree demeanor. Nickolas ranked second in the world in his weight class, transforms from a carefree and gregarious opponent into a determined and aggressive fighter during a battle.
His mother, Denise Nickolas, who first introduced him to the sport when he was three years old, remarked, “He becomes this other person in the ring.” It isn’t at all like the man he is.
Nickolas became the first American to win a medal in the 80-kilogram (176-pound) weight class since 2009 when he won gold in the Pan American Games the previous year and the silver medal at the 2023 World Championships. In January, he shot up to the No. 2 spot in the world rankings, qualifying for the Olympics. It was the realization of a dream he had when he begged his mother to sign him up for karate lessons as a child after growing up watching Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on television.
“My mother was intelligent. When she searched for combat sports as a child, she discovered martial arts, which are competitive and offer job opportunities,” he said. “And she enrolled me in this random taekwondo school that she found.”
Before she resigned a few years ago, Denise Nickolas entered as well and attained the rank of black belt. She has been observing her son for years, usually with admiration but initially with anxiety. The truth is, she has been proud of her son for more than simply his competitive accomplishments.
“I appreciate C.J.’s accomplishments. However, my favorite times with him and taekwondo aren’t when he’s standing there announcing his wins, said Denise Nickolas, 62.
A young C.J. showed kindness and heart beyond his years from the beginning. He had already qualified for a national competition when he was nine or ten years old and had one more match to go. However, he wished to have a teammate accompany him. In order to help his friend and teammate qualify for the national championship, he walked into the stands and begged his mother if he could forfeit his final game.
And with that, she remembered, he bowed out. “That he thought of that gesture by himself, at that age, and in that exact moment was shocking.”
When he was around seventeen, he witnessed one of his teammates cry after she lost a gold medal match. As his mother watched, her son consoled her before removing his gold medal and exchanging it for her silver one.
That, she continued, “is the core of who he is.”
“Every single time I’ve seen him, he runs to get ice for the person trying to talk to him after the fight is finished and sits down with them,” said the individual who witnessed Nickolas seriously injure an opponent.
On another occasion, he was denied entry to the rear of the arena following a knockout win so that he could not inquire about the opponent’s health. “‘Can you kindly go check on him, since I don’t think he has any family or friends here with him,’ he said to me. I also did. That only applies to him. It so raises the question, “Who even is this person when he’s in the ring?” It doesn’t exactly reflect who he is outside of the ring.
Nickolas becomes a determined, purposeful, and laser-focused combatant.
For the past few years, Jose Villalpando, who works for the Performance Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, has accompanied Nickolas on trips throughout the globe. He has also observed the change.
He remarked, “I find that dichotomy—that kind of personality switching—to be humorous.” I believe that he navigates many environments with ease since he possesses excellent equilibrium in his life. He doesn’t allow his genuine kindness and lovely personality to stand in the way of defeating everyone in the world.
The statement about the contradiction in his behavior makes Nickolas smile. He remarked, “When you quarrel, you’re not in a comfortable place.” Nothing feels quite like it. That’s a nice thing. Growth is only seen when you’re not comfortable. And you have to get back up and try again after losing.
Outside of the US, taekwondo is more common, especially in Europe, South America, China, and Korea. Nickolas is a celebrity in those regions of the world, attracting attention from the media and fans everywhere he travels. According to Villalpando, he manages the focus with elegance.
“He values equilibrium,” he remarked. He is aware that having a life outside of taekwondo is necessary for him to be a great contender. He does that by being a happy child, being artistic, dancing, and listening to music. He is morally upright in every way. Amazingly, all he wants is what’s best for other people. And his treatment of others reflects that.
He is not a pushover, though. Nickolas claimed to have an unexplainable sense of satisfaction when he “cracks,” or precisely and violently strikes an opponent in the face, weakening him. He compared it to a baseball player hitting a home run.
He said that he had been “cracked a couple of times,” adding that if he wanted to continue, he quickly learned how to avoid it.
For Nickolas, however, the competitive aspect of the game has not proven to be the most thrilling aspect. His talents lie in his agility, his ability to hit opponents from unusual angles, and his cunning defense.
“The most fulfilling aspect of his journey has been traveling,” he remarked. “It’s exciting to have seen so much of the world at such a young age.” He has competed in Asia, South America, and Europe. “Being able to experience cultures from around the world is a blessing.”
He does, however, anticipate returning home this summer with a gold medal. He declared, “I fully intend to do just that.”