Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 1:35:26 GMT -6
"What the fuck are you doing, Hal?"
I fully expect to hear those very words come tomorrow morning, when the trainers find out I've signed up for Missouri State Wrestling.
"You're gonna' be in way over your head, kid."
Truth be told, they're probably right. The fact of the matter is, I've only just begun to train as a wrestler. If ever someone was green behind the ears, it's me. I've passed the safety lessons, and picked up a few moves - both from watching the greats on TV, and also practicing them in the ring.
But should MSW accept my application, and if they decide to put me in a match, it'll be my first official match ever. And no matter who they put me up against, the whole roster will have more experience than me coming in.
So like my trainers are surely going to say, what the fuck am I doing?
Well, for starters, I'm not completely devoid of fighting skills. Picked up some things while in the Home Guard's Rapid Reaction Force back home in Norway. On top of that, I have quite a bit of experience as a bouncer in some of the rowdiest bars in Norway and New York City. I've had to face down men and women of all shapes and sizes. I've had to deal with switchblades, pepper spray, pool cues, and then some.
And there hasn't been one fight that's gotten out of my control.
So even though I'm severely lacking in wrestling experience, I make up for it in real world experience - both as a bouncer and in the military. Now I fully expect to get my ass handed to me on a regular basis early on, but at the same time, each and every last one of my opponents will have to work for it. 'Cause I'm not one to back down from a fight, no matter how outmatched I am.
Now my trainers will surely tell me to hold off for now. "Wait a year or two, until you can pose a greater threat and stand a better chance of not getting hurt."
And maybe they're right. Maybe I will pose a better threat once I get a year or two of training under my belt. Maybe I'll stand a better chance of avoiding injury once I've been doing body hardening for that long. Again, maybe they're right.
Here's the thing... I'm not just going into this with the sole intention of simply winging it and learning from my mistakes. I know some folks have done it that way, but it's a long, hard road with a whole lotta' bumps along the way, and few sunsets to enjoy up on the mountaintop. Sure you build a lotta' experience, and gradually get better over time, but you also run the risk of far greater injuries that way.
I'm not looking to cut my legs out from under me before I even get started down the long road that will hopefully be my career. Rather, I'm still training. And in doing so, I'm also signing up for the Emerald Academy as well, expanding my knowledge base further. Things will be rough at first, but my progression will be much quicker. I'll continue the body hardening, and continue broadening my scope of understanding. Besides...
Why wait for tomorrow to start my wrestling career like those trainers would prefer, when I could get started today; and get a big leg up on my fellow rookies with more in-ring experience to go along with the training? They'll surely call me stupid, or irrational, or maybe just impatient. And they're probably right on all counts. Thing is...
I've got to do this my way. Wish me luck.
- Hal Vinter
I fully expect to hear those very words come tomorrow morning, when the trainers find out I've signed up for Missouri State Wrestling.
"You're gonna' be in way over your head, kid."
Truth be told, they're probably right. The fact of the matter is, I've only just begun to train as a wrestler. If ever someone was green behind the ears, it's me. I've passed the safety lessons, and picked up a few moves - both from watching the greats on TV, and also practicing them in the ring.
But should MSW accept my application, and if they decide to put me in a match, it'll be my first official match ever. And no matter who they put me up against, the whole roster will have more experience than me coming in.
So like my trainers are surely going to say, what the fuck am I doing?
Well, for starters, I'm not completely devoid of fighting skills. Picked up some things while in the Home Guard's Rapid Reaction Force back home in Norway. On top of that, I have quite a bit of experience as a bouncer in some of the rowdiest bars in Norway and New York City. I've had to face down men and women of all shapes and sizes. I've had to deal with switchblades, pepper spray, pool cues, and then some.
And there hasn't been one fight that's gotten out of my control.
So even though I'm severely lacking in wrestling experience, I make up for it in real world experience - both as a bouncer and in the military. Now I fully expect to get my ass handed to me on a regular basis early on, but at the same time, each and every last one of my opponents will have to work for it. 'Cause I'm not one to back down from a fight, no matter how outmatched I am.
Now my trainers will surely tell me to hold off for now. "Wait a year or two, until you can pose a greater threat and stand a better chance of not getting hurt."
And maybe they're right. Maybe I will pose a better threat once I get a year or two of training under my belt. Maybe I'll stand a better chance of avoiding injury once I've been doing body hardening for that long. Again, maybe they're right.
Here's the thing... I'm not just going into this with the sole intention of simply winging it and learning from my mistakes. I know some folks have done it that way, but it's a long, hard road with a whole lotta' bumps along the way, and few sunsets to enjoy up on the mountaintop. Sure you build a lotta' experience, and gradually get better over time, but you also run the risk of far greater injuries that way.
I'm not looking to cut my legs out from under me before I even get started down the long road that will hopefully be my career. Rather, I'm still training. And in doing so, I'm also signing up for the Emerald Academy as well, expanding my knowledge base further. Things will be rough at first, but my progression will be much quicker. I'll continue the body hardening, and continue broadening my scope of understanding. Besides...
Why wait for tomorrow to start my wrestling career like those trainers would prefer, when I could get started today; and get a big leg up on my fellow rookies with more in-ring experience to go along with the training? They'll surely call me stupid, or irrational, or maybe just impatient. And they're probably right on all counts. Thing is...
I've got to do this my way. Wish me luck.
- Hal Vinter