Imagine (Me) Wrestling The Fellowship of the Ring

[03Jun2019]  

Welcome to another entry in Imagine (Me) Wrestling.  Those who have been following along know this will be the 3rd entry of a series which details my journey into the world of professional wrestling.  Coincidentally, the writing of this entry (the 3rd entry) also falls upon the 3rd day of June, which happens to be my birthday.  I am happy to have spent quality time with friends and family earlier today, and I am likewise happy to channel the positive energy from today into sharing more of my story with all of you.  Though, before working my way to the meat of today’s thoughts, I have a few housekeeping items to address.

In reviewing my second entry, I came to the realization I had made a mistake with the date, having listed it as “05May27.”  While being a blogger from the future who had been sent back in time to save the world using professional wrestling would be awesome, that is not the case.  With such an obvious mistake on my part concerning a day to which I have a personal connection (as a combat veteran), I wanted to make sure the date was correct and in the correct format.  

The correct date for my previous entry should have been Monday, May 27, 2019 –Memorial Day.  As such, the format I used (a variation of military format) should have listed the date as “27May19.”  In the event any readers found offense in my mistake, given the importance of the day, I sincerely apologize.  My own personal connection with Memorial Day (and everything it entails on a personal and mental level) lead to being less observant than I would have otherwise been.  I strive to uphold a standard of being a professional, a warrior, and a scholar; likewise, I have full confidence that Imagine Wrestling aims to highlight the “professional” part of professional wrestling.  With that in mind, I personally apologize for falling short of a set standard on both accounts.  In support of fellow veterans, I will be taking personal initiative to donate tickets for Imagine Wrestling’s upcoming show –Imagine Wrestling: Volune 3, taking place Saturday, June 22, at the Juniata Civic Association.

[The Fellowship of the Ring]

In some ways, I have found my brief time in the world of professional wrestling to have similarities to my time as a soldier.  One particular similarity is that the vast majority of in-ring work requires trusting the other people in the ring with you.  While, no, a wrestling match does not (or at least should not) involve being on the receiving end of enemy gunfire, mortar attacks, and things of that nature, risk is involved.  Injuries are real, and some of the movements performed in a wrestling ring carry the real possibility of serious life-altering injury.  In no way is it an overstatement or an exaggeration to state that part of a professional wrestling match requires having confidence in the guys (and girls) around you to protect your life and well-being. Over time, it becomes more than being acquainted with somebody or friendship; it is a brotherhood –a fellowship.

There are days when I am covered in sweat as I hobble down the steps of the training facility.  Legs aching and burning from the various cardio drills, I internally curse the name Manny Fernandez.  Other days, I am roiled, annoyed, and aggravated as I toss my knee pads into the back of my vehicle because Kato still was not happy with my hundredth attempt at a Steamboat armdrag.  But, as I look back at how far I have come since my first day, and as I consider the trust which has grown between myself and the other trainees, I am thankful for every one of those days.  I am thankful for those days because I know that the standard set for me is the same standard which is set for every trainee who has picked me up for a slam or a suplex since day one.  

Sure, the risk of accident or mishap still exists, but I have confidence that both of my trainers are teaching me what I need to know as a professional wrestler.  Having confidence in what I am being taught also means that I have confidence in what the other trainees are being taught.  I recently gained a self-awareness of this constructed confidence, the trust to put my health in someone else’s hands, during a practice match with one of the other Imagine Wrestling trainees.  During the match, the other trainee (who is more experienced than myself) wanted to attempt a wrestling technique which I had never done, and I was completely on board with giving it a go, without a second thought.  I had absolutely no qualms.  I knew the knowledge instilled in the other trainee and the standard of quality drilled into him (by the same days I had occasion to curse) meant that I would be fine, and I was.

On the other side of the trust and confidence I have gained, I have to admit that I carry some amount of anxiety concerning what the future may hold in terms of working with guys (or girls) who may not have had the same level of training.  As a self-made student of the art, sport, and technique of professional wrestling, I have taken the initiative to travel and observe wrestlers from other schools, promotions, and areas.  I have put in the extra study which accompanies watching what others have to offer with a pen and a notebook in my hand or accompanying a more-experienced worker on a road trip with a mind toward opening my ears more than my mouth.  In some cases, what I have seen has been thoroughly impressive, and I would jump at the chance to work with many.  In other cases, even if I were offered free access to a particular way of doing things or learning to do things, I feel it would be in my best interest to decline.  Not everyone has the same standard of doing things.

To put things into a perspective which may be more relatable to a general audience, consider the convenience store chain which is famously based in the Altoona area.  (I am opting to not name said chain, so as to imply neither that I do or do not endorse their brand.)  At one branch of the chain, I place an order for two hotdogs (typically with cheddar cheese, ketchup, mustard, and hot sauce); the hotdogs are promptly made, and the amount of condiments would be perfect for Goldie Locks –just right.  At the same branch, I have placed the same order during a different shift; twenty minutes later, I am eating cold hotdogs, which are drenched with so much ketchup that the bun is pasted to the dog.  Across town, at a different branch of the same chain, the results of the same order include dry bread, with a hint of color suggesting possibly some attempt at putting condiments on the hotdogs.  …Imagine Hotdogs.

Naturally, a question which grows like a neon beanstalk from the realization of different standards is the question of what I am supposed to do in the event my prospective career in wrestling places me across from (or beside) someone with limited knowledge of hammerlocks and hotdogs.  At this point, my best guess is that I would inquire about ordering something else, doing my best to walk them through the same process of rolling a burrito which has been taught to me.  Wrestling is a learning experience, and I am doing my best to pay attention to the recipes available to me.  In the event that I end up being clueless about helping grill a burger or how much mustard to use, hopefully those with whom I happen to be working at that time are among the fellowship of the ring –professional wrestlers,living up to the professional standard of being able to walk me through fiery volcanic heat and then safely home …having survived the ring …there and back again.