By Kathryn Lorz

Brothers like to tussle – that’s a given. But that “messing around” led to success in mixed martial arts for Jake Kuhner of Pickerington.

Kuhner defeated J.P. Felty by technical knock out to earn the 170-pound title at the Arnold Amateur MMA Festival, a new event included within the Arnold Sports Festival. The event was held March 5 at the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Columbus.

Kuhner’s win adds to his unblemished, sanctioned amateur 5-0 record.

The 25-year-old Kuhner said his brother Jon, 27, was a great sparring partner and inspiration, and helped him become interested in MMA.

Kuhner played football and competed in track events at Miami University in Oxford, where he majored in physical education and special education. Now he teaches special education students in Whitehall.

Kuhner is around kids all day. Any antics came to a halt when they figured out his pastime, he says.

“Being into MMA is a good thing,” he says. “Some of the kids know and I get an extra measure of respect from them.”
In working with special education student, Kuhner takes his teaching role seriously. He teaches math, social studies and language arts. But more than that, he teaches life lessons.

“I want the kids to be ready to do something after school. I teach them social skills, too. They need good manners to function after high school,” he says. “I want them to find something they are good at, something they can do and be productive.”

Besides teaching sixth graders, Kuhner is a wrestling and track coach in Whitehall. He’s also proud that his sister, Sarah, is a teacher and coach in Lancaster. Kuhner hopes to someday become a professional MMA fighter, but he loves teaching and isn’t ready to quit his day job any time soon.

Kathryn Lorz is a contributing writer for Pickerington Magazine.