PUKALANI, Maui — Maybe it is burning desire. Perhaps it is his world-class skill and knowledge. Or it could be his diminutive size that carries deceptive power.

Whatever it is, Grant Nakamura is giving all that he can to the King Kekaulike High School wrestling program. The 20-plus wrestlers on the mat at Na Ali'i practice Tuesday hung on every word Nakamura spoke.

Nakamura was a state champion for Baldwin in 2001 at 125 pounds before becoming a three-time NCAA qualifier for national powerhouse Iowa State and a national contender on the international front after that.

Fresh off a disappointing seventh-place finish at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 55-kilogram (121 pounds) class, Nakamura is up to about 150 pounds on his 5-foot-7 frame as he prepares his team for the season-opening Tapout Maui Invitational Tournament that starts its two-day run at the Lahaina Civic Center today.

''Enjoying life, eating a lot of food, hanging out with the family, the girlfriend, that's about it,'' Nakamura said to The Maui News.

He is using his ISU degree as a freshman counselor at King Kekaulike, and taking time off from competing, but he says he still has some wrestling of his own left.

The man who beat him at the Olympic trials was 20-year-old Henry Cejudo, who won the only gold for the U.S. in wrestling at Beijing.

''At the trials I had a pretty good idea that I was going to come up here and coach,'' Nakamura said. ''It wasn't set in stone. I was just looking around because I knew I was going to move back, but this was one of the options and I am glad I am here now. I love it.''

He is a link to the big-time that doesn't exist otherwise on Maui.

''Grant, taking just his work ethic alone, the time he is putting in with the kids, just his game plan, it is all something that no other program on Maui has,'' said Mike Donahoo, Nakamura's coach at Baldwin who is now helping as an assistant at King Kekaulike. ''I mean not taking nothing away from the past programs, but Grant is going to instill some things we just don't have the ability to do otherwise. Just his experience, his knowledge — this guy has been all over the world in this sport and is a six-time All-American at different levels.

''You know how close he was when you realize that it took the only gold medalist the U.S. had to beat him for a spot on the (national) team.''

With coaches like Bobby Motooka and King Kekaulike athletic director Kurtis Saiki also in the wrestling room helping Nakamura, the experience level is noteworthy for a school that has lagged behind the rest of the MIL recently.

''He is going to be coaching for a long time, and we are here to support what he is doing,'' Donahoo said. ''Over the years with what the youth and high school coaches have done here on Maui is good, but Grant has done it as a passion. He brings a whole different level. The game has changed, like any sport, and Grant brings the latest knowledge. He had (former Olympic champion and unbeaten collegian) Cael Sanderson as his lightweight clinician (at Iowa State), so the knowledge is the best there is.''

Nakamura said he is happy to be home.

''I have been away for seven years now and it feels good to be back and give back, especially for the Upcountry kids because I am from Upcountry and my house is five minutes away,'' Nakamura said. ''So it is awesome.''

Nakamura said that having the experience of his assistants around him has made his coaching debut easy so far.

''It is huge,'' he said. ''I mean I have my athletic director here, so I know we have the support of the school. Coach Mike and coach Bobby, I mean those were my high school coaches — we do all the drills I did in high school — so it is great. I feel like I'm home.''

Nakamura watched Cejudo win the gold medal in August, and it fueled his fire to return for a shot at the Olympics in 2012. Nakamura won the Northwest Regional title to get to the trials.

''I was disappointed,'' Nakamura said of his trials finish. ''I believed I could have won. I went out there and gave 110 percent. I just fell short. All I know is I tried my hardest.

''It is still there for me, especially because the guy I lost to at the trials ended up winning the Olympic gold. It hurts me. I mean, I'm happy for the kid, but I mean, I want to get mine. It is still in me.''

He will take a break from competition this year and ''we will just see where it goes from there.''

Donahoo, who had several long telephone conversations when Nakamura was homesick in Ames, Iowa, during his college days, said he believes Nakamura can still reach the top of the podium.

''He is still going to compete, and he can,'' Donahoo said. ''Getting workout partners is going to be the tough thing on Maui. We have to come up with a new game plan. He wanted to come home and settle down and enjoy life for a while, but when he wants to get going again, we will get him ready.''

The Maui Style youth program has helped develop several college grapplers from the Valley Isle, and Donahoo said Nakamura will only vault that to greater heights.

''He wants to instill in the kids what they need to get them into school,'' Donahoo said. ''He knows how tough it was to get a scholarship — nobody believed in him but us — then he excelled at a program like Iowa State. Coming out of Iowa State, he is going to pass along some things myself and (Baldwin) coach (Garner) Ivey instilled in him at Baldwin. The next level is there for the whole island, not just King Kekaulike. We will see that in the offseason.''

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