Post by Jack Tillman on Apr 13, 2017 19:15:38 GMT -5
Chapter 2
12 June 2012
Mexico City, Mexico
Age 16
I hate flipy shit. I hate high spots. I hate wrestlers flying all over the place. Super fast and extremely agile. That's the best I can say about Mexican wrestlers. The Lucha style is a form of wrestling that I really don't care to much because at any moment you can break your neck by your own form of offense. To many ways to end a career with their style of wrestling because it's nothing but flying in the air and landing awkwardly on your neck, spine, or legs. It's all based on the here and now and fuck about your future. It's all about getting that adrenaline rush. To hear the crowds cheer and get that satisfaction when they pop. It's just like putting that needle into your arm with your drug of choice.....those fans will eventually kill you at the end because the fans will never be satisfied with what you put out. They'll want more each and every time they step in that ring. That one time that you don't feed their addiction.....you're hated, vilified, and looked down on.
One good thing about about their wrestling is that their mat skills are some of the best around the world. It's like dancing when they apply an arm bar on someone. It's all in the hips. It's also all about the transition. One minute they can go from your arm, and before you can think of a way to get out of the predicament, they've moved to your legs and you didn't even know it happen.
Kurt sent me to Mexico for the summer to train under Senior Red Demono and his students. Kurt said that he trained under Demono when he was younger so that he could master the Lucha style. But I'm not here to learn the Lucha style. I'm here to learn how to defend myself against it. To find the weaknesses of it and defeat it so that when I do face a Lucha Wrestler in the future that I'd be able to defend myself.
Problem with all of this is that Kurt never told me how to defend myself against Lucha wrestling. He also didn't tell me that Demono and his students don't speak a lick of English and hate Americans. And of course they aren't going to tell me how to defend myself because fuck you whitey. So for the past two months I've sweated my ass off in the Mexican heat while getting my ass kicked on a daily basis by guys that don't want me there. Each morning I wake up sore with dry blood formed around my nose. Each night I draw up game plans in my head on to how to defeat them. It's a slow process but I'm improving each and every day. Plus I love the challenge. The pain fuels me. Let's me know I'm still alive.
I'm starting to finally get it though. I'm able to find their tell signs. I'm able to understand that the best way to defend myself is to keep the Luchas down on the ground and to cut off momentum, the main source of strength of Lucha wrestling. Work on their backs, necks, and mostly legs.....because legs are the only way that they can move and jump around. The problem with trying to keep them down is what I said before hand about Lucha wrestlers, their technical skills on the mate is on par or even better than American or British mate wrestling. But like I said before, it's all art. It's all about showing off. So when they show off to the crowd, that's when you attack. Use my body weight to my advantage because most of the Lucha wrestlers are small compared to me.
Tomorrow morning is a new day. Continue to learn. Use what Kurt and my old man taught me. Learn from my beatings. Learn from the bruises. Wrap yourself in the pain and welcome it as a friend. You don't lose Jack.....you learn. That's what Kurt has taught me. Thats what Chris Constantine has taught me. That's what my dad taught me. Losing is not an option......not any more.
12 June 2012
Mexico City, Mexico
Age 16
I hate flipy shit. I hate high spots. I hate wrestlers flying all over the place. Super fast and extremely agile. That's the best I can say about Mexican wrestlers. The Lucha style is a form of wrestling that I really don't care to much because at any moment you can break your neck by your own form of offense. To many ways to end a career with their style of wrestling because it's nothing but flying in the air and landing awkwardly on your neck, spine, or legs. It's all based on the here and now and fuck about your future. It's all about getting that adrenaline rush. To hear the crowds cheer and get that satisfaction when they pop. It's just like putting that needle into your arm with your drug of choice.....those fans will eventually kill you at the end because the fans will never be satisfied with what you put out. They'll want more each and every time they step in that ring. That one time that you don't feed their addiction.....you're hated, vilified, and looked down on.
One good thing about about their wrestling is that their mat skills are some of the best around the world. It's like dancing when they apply an arm bar on someone. It's all in the hips. It's also all about the transition. One minute they can go from your arm, and before you can think of a way to get out of the predicament, they've moved to your legs and you didn't even know it happen.
Kurt sent me to Mexico for the summer to train under Senior Red Demono and his students. Kurt said that he trained under Demono when he was younger so that he could master the Lucha style. But I'm not here to learn the Lucha style. I'm here to learn how to defend myself against it. To find the weaknesses of it and defeat it so that when I do face a Lucha Wrestler in the future that I'd be able to defend myself.
Problem with all of this is that Kurt never told me how to defend myself against Lucha wrestling. He also didn't tell me that Demono and his students don't speak a lick of English and hate Americans. And of course they aren't going to tell me how to defend myself because fuck you whitey. So for the past two months I've sweated my ass off in the Mexican heat while getting my ass kicked on a daily basis by guys that don't want me there. Each morning I wake up sore with dry blood formed around my nose. Each night I draw up game plans in my head on to how to defeat them. It's a slow process but I'm improving each and every day. Plus I love the challenge. The pain fuels me. Let's me know I'm still alive.
I'm starting to finally get it though. I'm able to find their tell signs. I'm able to understand that the best way to defend myself is to keep the Luchas down on the ground and to cut off momentum, the main source of strength of Lucha wrestling. Work on their backs, necks, and mostly legs.....because legs are the only way that they can move and jump around. The problem with trying to keep them down is what I said before hand about Lucha wrestlers, their technical skills on the mate is on par or even better than American or British mate wrestling. But like I said before, it's all art. It's all about showing off. So when they show off to the crowd, that's when you attack. Use my body weight to my advantage because most of the Lucha wrestlers are small compared to me.
Tomorrow morning is a new day. Continue to learn. Use what Kurt and my old man taught me. Learn from my beatings. Learn from the bruises. Wrap yourself in the pain and welcome it as a friend. You don't lose Jack.....you learn. That's what Kurt has taught me. Thats what Chris Constantine has taught me. That's what my dad taught me. Losing is not an option......not any more.
