This weekend was relatively quiet with just one show. However, still great fun and another match under the belt for 2016. It's fantastic I've done 7 shows already this month and 14 coming up in February. This time last year I was doing not very much at all and working a full time job completely unrelated to wrestling. Sometimes you do just need to stick at it.
On that note, I often find wrestling trainees feeling dejected by their lack of progress or worse they work sub-par shows (often for free!) in order to make themselves feel like they are a wrestler. In my opinion you don't need to do this and when you are ready you will find work and you will be busy. I hope my slow, but ever increasing progress over the last two years provides some evidence of that. The wrestlers who go for option one and rush into things often stay that way and never amount to anything other than working low quality shows once or twice a month. Don't do it, you're better than that!
Fight in North Ferriby
The show this weekend was in a small village named North Ferriby for Megaslam. I would be against Paul Malen, a talented and experienced wrestler who has managed to make this his full time living for the last 5 years or so.
Apparently I was meant to face Paul about 10 years ago on a show. I have no recollection of ever being asked to do this and do hope no one has ever accused me of no showing an event! That said this is the perfect excuse to now announce this match as 'A Decade in the Making!!'
With no microphone for the ring announcer or I, we both found ourselves shouting very loudly in this particular village hall. I did my usual rendition of the Russian National Anthem and soon had the patriotic children of the North East chanting away for England (don't worry they were fully on board and accepting of El Ligero later in the evening - the xenophobia only appears to be sent my way!).
Malen entered to the cheers of the crowd and soon the verbal jibes became physical strikes. This match was hard-hitting and very back and forth. It certainly didn't feel like a cold January night as we threw each other about the place and came crashing down onto the hard wooden boards of the ring. Another match I greatly enjoyed even if once again England triumphed over mother Russia!
Keep on Grappling
The Grapple show at Fibbers went so well the other week and we are all looking forward to the next show there on the 3rd April. We have also booked three more shows for Grapple; we are in Morley on the 19th March, Bradford on the 30th April and Bradford on the 7th May.
Our quest for new equipment at Grapple continues. You may recall the Leeds floods destroyed our last ring and mats. With no insurance payment being paid out to us (or the many other unfortunate victims of the floods on Kirkstall road) this was a massive hit to the business.
At the time of writing we currently have £617 with quite a bit more coming in soon from the raffle money we received at Fibbers. No-where near the cost of a new ring yet, but the rate funds are coming in I remain confident. If you can spare anything at all for us it would be massively appreciated (link below). Thank you for all of the ones received so far and apologies for turning my blog into a temporary charity plea - it is only because it is so important to us!
Final Thoughts
I need to be in both the gym and wrestling gym more than ever now to make sure I'm in shape for all these upcoming shows. You may recall I damaged a muscle in my back the other week during a match. However, I can still work my chest, legs, or anything else that my back will allow. I bring it up as I often see people finding excuses to not train. Unless you have a very serious injury you should be looking for excuses of how you can train even when you are hurt, tired, ill, busy etc etc. There's usually ways round it if you want it enough.
That's my opinion anyway and my second point to trainees this week - go the gym! Grapple is starting to look more professional than ever, but we still have loads of students whose only exercise appears to consist of the wrestling training itself once or twice a week. This is an athletic business and you need to be an athlete to do it. I have my pitfalls I will admit, my mobility and flexibility suck! However, I stay strong, stay fit and am constantly working on my weak points. If you want to improve, you should be doing the same and the results will come. And finally please do not take this personally if you fall into this category. I only say it as I want to see people do well.
Right on that note, I should probably stop typing and get to the gym myself....
Thanks for reading!
JCT