Guest Article: Running the Ropes with Marc P - Part 2

For anyone who didn't get the chance to read Part 1 (shame on you) let me bring you quickly up to speed. I attended an open day at the Futureshock Wrestling School back in September and despite having being very very nervous I loved it. 3 days later I was back again, loving it again but a freak accident meant that I tore the MCL in my left knee. My Doctor recommended 6 weeks rest. Anyone who knows me knew that that was never going to happen, and that's where we begin this time...


I did plan to rest! Stop laughing I really did. I thought I'd take a few weeks off from the gym and forget about wrestling. That was until I saw a tweet from CJ Banks that read:" When I was 16 I tore ligament fibres playing football. I still went to wrestling training every Saturday and Sunday and took notes, no excuses!" I couldn't really argue with that could I? So, despite being on crutches, I hobbled up the stairs to the school to watch the guys train and to take notes. I must confess friends, that it was not the most enjoyable experience. That sounds awful so let me explain why. Dave Rayne took the class that night and taught the class about a thing called "Hope Spots". Now I know a lot about the wrestling world and consider myself to be your generic "smart fan" but I had no idea about a hope spot, what it entailed or how it was performed. So I sat leaning on my crutches being well and truly schooled, and loving it. The reason I say I didn't enjoy this is because it hurt that I couldn't join in with such an interesting session 

DAVE RAYNE!

Dave also showed the class how to throw a punch and a chop correctly. Now, I can sit and take my notes and watch the guys do the hope spots but there is absolutely no way I'm was not going to join in with that bit! Fortunately, my friend Chris was there to watch as well and was a willing guinea pig for me to practice said chops and punches on, I loved that, sorry for being a little snug with you, matey! Watching, and joining it a little was great but on the flipside it was horrible not being able to join in with the majority of what looked like a really fun class. 


I resumed my normal workout routine a week later as my MCL felt fine (6 weeks! More like 3!) In doing so I decided to attend a seminar at the school with TNA Wrestler Rockstar Spud. The night before the seminar I was once again my usual bundle of nerves and I barely slept as the prospect of making a fool of myself in front of a man who I admire greatly filled me with blind terror! Fortunately, I had nothing to worry about. Spud's seminar was mainly talking. If you wanted to get in the ring and do something you could, but, of the 23 of us there I'd say that only 10-12 actually got up and did anything in the ring, to which I was very grateful. The day was made up of Spud asking 2 people to get into the ring and getting them to tell a story, I didn't matter what the story was, just do something. Spud would watch the 2 men or woman wrestle until stopping them at a point and explaining either what he liked, where they were going wrong or suggesting a way to improve. It would take many pages to cover everything Spud talked about or showed us in those 3 hours. Suffice to say I learned so much, a lot of things that I had never even thought of, and a lot of things that hopefully I can look back on in a few months and think to myself "so that's what Spud meant"!

Three days later I was back at the school with a new challenge to face, a new teacher -  "The Man For All Seasons"  Xander Cooper! Now I had heard that Xander's warm ups could be used by Governments as torture on terror suspects so was just a little bit nervous going into this one. After a few stretches we had to do 140 squats. I can do about 60 before I start to flag so this was tough. Then we were paired up and had to do 50 squat lock ups (making 190 total squats, 190!), then high five press ups, leg raises and a nuts type of reverse sit up over the ring apron!!! I was a tired boy after all that, BUT, I got through it, which I was very proud of myself for as it meant that my fitness is slowly improving. 


Xander's theme for the class was trust. Trusting your body in the hands of your opponent. To do this we would be learning how to do a stalling suplex and a crossbody off the ropes!!! 
As someone who has never performed a suplex or a crossbody, the familiar nerves began to creep in. Xander paired us up and I was picked to work with a young lady called Hollie. I've liked Hollie since my first session, she has a permanent smile on her face which I love. It's actually quite funny watching Hollie get chopped and see that she's still smiling. She's also got bags of talent, a great attitude  and I predict that she'll go a long way in the business. As Hollie is currently studying her GCSE's I was really scared that I would mess up my suplex and end up dropping her on her head. Fortunately Hollie didn't share this fear, confidently telling me that she probably wouldn't mind if I did. That put me at ease and on our second attempt I hoisted her high into the air and was able to hold her up! Fortunately for both of us Hollie didn't have to lift me. A nice young man called Dan was given the unenviable task. But, with the theme of the class being Trust, I wasn't afraid, I jumped when told, pushed off hard off Dan's teigh and he held me up. I felt elated and to be honest with you, a part of me wanted him to fall backwards so we could finish the suplex, but a suplex bump is for another day. 

THE MAN FOR ALL SEASONS!

Next up was crossbodies off Bret's Ropes (the second and most dangerous of all ropes). Xander showed us how to catch your opponent then put down a crash mat in case we needed it. I was determined to show that I do have some strength and actually catch Hollie but my first 2 attempts saw us both crash to the mat, don't get me wrong I caught her fine I just really wanted to be able to hold her upright.  Attempt three though saw me feeling like Lex Luger as I caught her in my arms and held her there. If I was impressed with myself it was nothing to how impressed I was a few minutes later when I dived off the ropes only to be caught first time by wrestler, Henry T. Grodd! Even with my weight loss I'm still in the 14-15 stone range and he caught me like I was half that! We finished the session doing standing crossbodies which again was a lot of fun. 
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At the end of the session I drove home and a couple of times I actually giggled! Because I'm getting to know my classmates a little bit more I was so full of confidence in myself which in turn made me so happy that I was able to train again! Even better, I'm starting to believe in myself, something I've always had an issue with. So much so than 5 days after this class I was stood in front of 150 people working as the new ring announcer for Southcoast Wrestling! If you had told me I would be doing something like that when I started back in September I would have told you that you were crazy. But training is helping me come out of my shell and for that I am so thankful. The best part is that I'm only a few weeks into this crazy journey, and I know its only going to get better. 


Ever wanted to be a wrestler? Give it a try! Seriously its great. For all the details about Futureshock and it's school check out http://www.futureshockwrestling.co.uk/