The martial artist is a candidate in the election “Sports Scholarship Holder: of the Year” / Deutsche Bank and Sporthilfe award for top performance in sports and studies / Top 5 in public online voting at www.sportstipendiat.de
Ju-Jutsu fighter Simon Attenberger became world champion last year and is studying mathematics and physics to become a teacher while doing sport. From sport, he learned how to deal with stress at university, and conversely, the 23-year-old benefits from the scientifically structured approach of his course during training – a win-win situation for the successful martial artist from Bavaria.
Simon, everyone can imagine something about rowing, about gymnastics, swimming or skiing. How do you explain your sport Ju-Jutsu to strangers?
We hit, we grab, we throw, we’re allowed to hit the opponent, but of course we don’t injure them. It’s basically a mix of karate and judo. The original “mother sport” Jiu-Jitsu was practiced by Japanese samurai. This led to the development of various sports that specialized in techniques such as hitting and kicking in karate or grabbing and throwing in judo. In Europe, these sports were eventually reassembled and developed into a self-defense and competitive sport.
What is the attraction for you?
Above all, it is the variety of elements from different martial arts. The permitted techniques open up a significantly wider field of possibilities, which makes it very complex, but also fascinating. You have to be an all-rounder, know everything and specialize in some areas in order to score points there.
You come from a Ju-Jutsu family – was there ever a serious alternative in competitive sports for you?
My brother started it, then I tried it too and found it fun. My sister was also successful as a ju-jutsu fighter and was also supported by the German Sports Aid. Of course I also played football as a boy and tried other sports, but there were no serious alternatives.
Do you sometimes look enviously at the representatives of other martial arts who get more attention?
In any case. But I’m less interested in the attention than in the promotion, which is much better in an Olympic sport like judo. We don’t have Olympic bases, for example, so we’re much more on our own. But the IOC is also involved in the rules for Olympic sports, for example it has eliminated judo techniques to make the sport more spectator-friendly. At the same time, however, it also makes it less fun to fight yourself.
You are studying maths and physics to become a teacher – why is it important to you to keep an eye on your professional career while you are still active?
It was never an option for me to pursue my studies after I had completed my competitive sports career. You can’t live from Ju-Jutsu alone, that’s why it was always a “hobby”. School and studies come first, but I didn’t want to give up my competitive sport hobby.
Which skills from your everyday student life help you in sports and vice versa?
Definitely stress management from sport. I can deal with exam stress quite well, you learn very quickly in sport that after good and intensive training you don’t have to be nervous to be successful. On the other hand, during my studies I learned a lot about scientifically structured work. My trainer is also a physicist and has worked with me a lot. If I want to try something new in strength training, for example, I make plans beforehand, test them and question them if I fail.
This seems to be having an increasing effect on sport, in 2021 you first won bronze at the European Championships and then gold at the World Championships. How do you classify this huge success?
For the German Ju-Jutsu Association, it was the most successful World Championships of all time with several medals. For me personally it was of course a great result. I went into the day of the competition with the aim of definitely making it to the final. That was within the realm of possibility and I was lucky that day – everything went well.
You will be supported by Deutsche Sporthilfe and will also receive the Deutsche Bank sports grant. What does this support mean to you?
For me this is extremely important. Besides studying and doing sports, there is very little time to work, so I need other support. Unfortunately, sponsors are rarely interested in fringe sports that first have to be explained to them. That’s why Deutsche Sporthilfe is very important to me, as the only funding program that supports me.
How long do you want to continue at this high level?
I’m still quite young to be a martial artist. It depends very much on how the next few years go, I haven’t set myself a goal. I’m in my fourth semester at university and still have a few semesters ahead of me, including the state exam.
Characteristics
Simon Attenberger (born September 5, 1998 in Burghausen)
Sportart: Ju-Jutsu
Residence: Uttenreuth/Bavaria
Club: SV Gendorf Burgkirchen
Greatest successes: World Champion 2021, third place in the 2019 World Cup, third place in the 2021 and 2019 European Championships
Studies: Mathematics and physics to become a teacher
University: Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Deutsche Bank, which has been a national sponsor of Deutsche Sporthilfe since 2008, supports top athletes studying with the Deutsche Bank Sport Scholarship as part of the Sporthilfe funding. Around 300 athletes supported by Sporthilfe are currently benefiting from the program, which is granted with a time bonus beyond the standard period of study. The special achievements of the student athletes are also recognized with the election “Sports Scholarship Holder of the Year”. Deutsche Bank doubles the winner’s scholarship for 18 months. The four other finalists will receive additional funding of 50 percent of the monthly grant for the same period.
These athletes are up for election: Simon Attenberger (ju-jutsu/mathematics & physics), Valentin Baus (para-table tennis/business administration), Emily Bölk (handball/business administration & business psychology), Leonie Beck (swimming/media communication) and Selin Oruz (hockey/human medicine). Until July 10, 2022, anyone can choose the successor to Leonie Meyer, kitesurfer and prospective doctor, at www.sportstipendiat.de. An iPad will be raffled off among all participants in the online voting.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Deutsche Sporthilfe offers video and photo material free of charge and without rights:
– a video contribution edited and set to music that introduces the finalists both as athletes and as students: https://youtu.be/o3wROuhsh2Y
– Photos of all five candidates: for download… (https://www.sporthilfe.de/ueber-uns/auszeichnungen/sport-stipendiat-des- Jahres/download-2022)
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“National sponsors” are Mercedes-Benz, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Telekom, Deutsche Post and Generali & DVAG. They support the German Sports Aid, the athletes they support and the socio-political goals of the foundation in an outstanding way.
Press contact:
German Sports Aid Foundation
Fabian Mueller
Otto Fleck-Schneise 8
60528 Frankfurt am Main
Tel: 069/67803 – 514
Fax: 069/67803 – 599
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.sporthilfe.de and www.sportstipendiat.de
Original content from: Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe, transmitted by news aktuell
Original message: https://www.presseportal.de/pm/51413/5258752
