God bless H.S. Wrestling...

[Bubble Boy]

...and I'm not a religious guy at all. But I just walked out of the High School gym after watching a wrestling meet for the first time ever and now I'm born again. Whatever the hell that means.

I've been taking judo for a while, and have tinkered in everything else (mostly TMA crap) for at least 20 years. I'm an aquaintance of the H.S. wrestling coach, and this year started volunteering my time to help out with the team (at this point I'm just observing).

I could go on about the work ethic of wrestlers (they train at least 3 hours a session 6 days a week, and that's not including weight room and extra cardio stuff). Their "rest day" workout the night before the competition was as grueling as a real tough night at my judo club. Not to be too much of a nuthugger here, but it is impressive.

And the meet tonight was so cool.
There was a single huge light hanging over the center of the mat. All the other lights were out. So everything was black except the big circle of the wrestling mat.
The crowd was small, but very vocal and enthusiastic.
After watching and competing in a bunch of judo tournaments, where there's usually 2 to 3 mats going at the same time, it was refreshing to have all the action focused on one match at a time.
The action was non-stop.

LISTEN. I'm telling you guys who are in H.S. and involved in Judo or BJJ or whatever: go join the wrestling team NOW! It's free, you'll have excellent coaching, lot's of mat time, and your shoots and positioning will be outstanding. Even though the season has already started, wake up tomorrow and walk into your H.S. wrestling coaches office and tell him you want to join wrestling. You will never, ever, ever regret it.

You other guys who are into BJJ or Judo but are older, and never did wrestling, go to your local H.S. wrestling coach and ask him how you can become involved. He'll probably be very glad to have the help. Really. The coach I'm dealing with now wanted me to get on the mat the very first day to give his guys someone new to roll with.

If nothing else, go support your local H.S. or College wrestling team. If you're into grappling at all, and have never been to a wrestling meet, you'll kick yourself for having waited so long to go watch one. They're a lot of fun, and pretty damned inspiring.

God bless H.S. Wrestling.

 

[pitviper259]

grats man i know that there is nothing better than that feeling...... but wait till you go to your first tourney, where the kids wrestle all day and those good enough to make the finals get the same spotlight...... but in front of 30+ schools and their fans (depending on the size of the tournament) Now that is something that really gets the blood flowing

 

[Cornsloth]

I've been wanting to do this very thing for awhile, but I just don't have time. Now I really wish I hadn't quite HS wrestling so soon...

 

[Diligent]

I wish I woulda joined the wrestling team in high school rather than play ice hockey. I just didn't really know too many people in wrestling, and being in Texas, wrestling isn't exactly a popular sport. Ice hockey is cool and tough ... but either way, wrestling >>> ice hockey!

 

[Jimmy Cerra]

Not all wrestling meets are like that; there is much variety in quality. However, I agree it is an awesome experience in most cases. Even if you just take the work ethic from wrestling and apply it to your BJJ, it will help you 10x. My short time wrestling in high school is one of the best times of my life.

 

[Bubble Boy]

...take the work ethic from wrestling and apply it to your BJJ, it will help you 10x...

That's it in a nutshell.

I think one thing that really struck me was that these kids were really putting it all out on the line in their matches. Having observed these guys for a little over a month now, I got a general feel for their "on the mat" personas in training. But a lot came in to play at tournament time. Kids who were animals in training let their mind get the best of them and were pacifists during the meet. Other guys who just quietly trained under the radar in the gym came out of their shells and schooled their opponent.
I mean, whatever the outcome of the match, each individual fighter went out there and was willing to expose a part of themselves to their team mates, the crowd, their parents, and their coaches. I suppose it's the universal story of grappling or fighting in general through out history...but it just seemed so clear tonight.
Sorry guys, I'm rambling.

 

[Masakatsu Funaki #1]

I hate you Bubble Boy. I really do. First off, you never, EVER, AND I MEAN NEVER! descrbie a wrestling meet in such a in-depth manner, with wrestlers who dont wrestle any more. I serisouly almost shed a tear knowing I had my final wrestling season last year in high school, and stacked on top of that was the fact that I was in a slump for over half the wrestling season. Atleast I have Judo and Submission Wrestling :/ It sure isn't the same though....The atmosphere is just so amazing. I remember having a match just liked you described. It was in the finals of a local tournament. I ended up pinning the guy I was wrestling via banana split, and got a huge pop from the crowd. It was great having all the lights off, beside the center one and having all the attention. On top of that it was the first tournament I had ever gotten 1st place in. I still treasure the death out of that medal. DAMNIT! I NEED WRESTLING! I am going to make a serious effort to try and get a Freestyle or Greco-Roman club going! GAHHHH

 

[killer_kicks88]

i have been battling with weather or not i was going to join the team or not, and our highschool always places top 3 in the state, i really should join but i just have so much more on my plate right now, it's a crappy excuse but i have been with my gf for over 2 years now and i need to spend time with her too, it would make it next to impossible if i joined the team, here's to regreting it when im older =P

 

[Masakatsu Funaki #1]

i have been battling with weather or not i was going to join the team or not, and our highschool always places top 3 in the state, i really should join but i just have so much more on my plate right now, it's a crappy excuse but i have been with my gf for over 2 years now and i need to spend time with her too, it would make it next to impossible if i joined the team, here's to regreting it when im older =P

Your so not serious right? This has to be a joke right????

Wrestling > Your G/F

Trust me. I was kinda in your boat last year, which is probably one of the leading reasons why I was in a slump. Once you figure out that she isn't all thats important to you, you will realize you should have wrestled. Plus, if she cant handle that you're wrestling and you wont be anble to spend as much time with her, tell her to find boy who has no life and infinte amount of money. She aint ready for no wrestler! Plus you get mad play on the wrestling team. Lost of cute chicks go to the tournaments and matches :redface:

Thank goodness, my g/f pwns, and deals with my wrestlingness. I am attempting to now teach her alittle. She actully isn't half bad :/

 

[killer_kicks88]

actually my gf trains at the same school i do, she only does the submission grappling though, no striking, so she understands the love of it and is totally cool with me joining, it's more of me just being a pussy and wanting to spend time with her...but she's down with the idea

 

[kimura594]

wrestling is the base of all grappling arts , and its true the work ethic of wrestlers is unserpassed

 

[knoxpk]

WoW Bubble, ANOTHER great Read!

Your description took me back to my baby brothers 1st tournament of his Sophmore year.
A pudgy heavyweight standing around 5'10" , 235-240lbs going against MONSTERS.
The lights were on b/c they had mats going all over and there were 16 schools involved.

It was a great feeling as he made upset after upset in that tourney, eventually beating a kid (and the #2 seed in the tourney) from New jersye to make it to finals.

In the finals it was JUST like you described, SPOTLIGHT, Noisy Gym and 2 wrestlers,
One my baby bro and the other the #1 seed who won the event the prior year.

I tell you what I got goose bumps rewatching the tape remembering the feeling and intensity.
It was more special for me b/c my brother won in a comeback situation in the final minute.

AWESOME, JUST AWESOME!!!

 

[b0b]

I wish I woulda joined the wrestling team in high school rather than play ice hockey. I just didn't really know too many people in wrestling, and being in Texas, wrestling isn't exactly a popular sport. Ice hockey is cool and tough ... but either way, wrestling >>> ice hockey!

Ice Hockey is less popular than Wrestling here in Texas bud.

 

[bacon]

Not many schools in California use a mat light like the one Bubble described. Its sad, because it looks so damn cool when all the light in the gym is over the mat.

"The sight I adore on the basketball floor is wrestling mats from door to door..." amen

 

[knoxpk]

Anybody ever see VISION QUEST. If you haven't gone to a match that movie is about a love story but there are several wrrestling scenes in it and they have it set up to where the lights are just on the mat.

 

[b0b]

What help would you be to a wrestling team if you have never wrestled? I don't really understand. It would also be wierd to be a 30 year old guy observing high school wrestlers at practice.

 

[knoxpk]

bob, He is saying he has BJJ and Judo exp. that is grappling.

When you practice in the training room you generally are going against the same 4 or 5 guys all season, depending how many kids are near your weight calss.
To have someone come in with a little differnt style is VERY helpful to the wrestlers to help round out the game.

its just like in BJJ class if all you grapple against are guard players and you enter a tourney and face good takedown guys with good guard passes you will be at a slight disadvantage.

Here you are going live with guardplayers who really dont play too much top game now you are in a toruney facing the opposite type of grappler.

Thats an extreme example but you get the point.

 

[b0b]

BJJ and Judo, by way of rules, are very different than wrestling. You can use wrestling in Judo and BJJ sport competition, but I don't think the other 2 translate very well into wrestling.

 

[knoxpk]

bob , there was a young man who came to florida VIA Cuba who was on the cuban junior olympic judo team. He made it to state tournament his 1st year of wrestling , 2nd year of wrestling and by the 3rd year he went undefeated and won the state title.

Judo translates quite well to wrestling once you get more time to practice mat work.

 

[bumma]

Some judo can work well in wrestling i.e armspin, hiptoss, even a headlock. I liked to throw back when in my high school wrestling days and training judo in korea helped out alot. Of course that was just for fun though, nothing beats wrestling camp if you want to get better during the off season. Oh and Bubble Boy, if you think normal high school wrestling practices are impressive you should check out camps like J Robinson or college wrestling. Collegiate wrestling is just a whooole another level.