# Pro Wrestlers



## Master of Blades (Jul 17, 2002)

What do you feel on Pro Wrestling. Do you think that you should take away that some of them are great athletes and great competiters and Martial Artists? Im just wondering cuz I know a lot of martial artists who dont like it cuz its fixed and there not real martial artists. I mean what bout Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman. I mean a lot of these guys have extensive Martial Arts backrounds! so why do so many martial artists have problems with it?


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## tshadowchaser (Jul 17, 2002)

I have watched it since I was a youngster and the Wrestlers would come to the local fair grounds or town hall and have all of 50-75 people in the crowd.   When I was old enough to know it was fake i still watched, it was and is a great way to relax .  
 Yes I can see the punch pulled or the kick that isnt on target but what the hell its entertainment .
 Shadow:asian:


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## fist of fury (Jul 19, 2002)

It's no worse than an action movie with fight scenes. It just doesn't have all that needless plot and story getting in the way of the action.


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## Cruentus (Jul 19, 2002)

He wrestles of Independent groups in Michigan and Canada.
A lot of pro's in the WWE got started in independent venue's.

A lot of people don't realize the athleticism and choreography that goes into pro-wrestling. It takes an extreme amount of cordination, timing, and endurance to pull off some of the stuff. I did one show with him before (as the "Rude Crude Irish Dude"), and I was impressed with the amount of work that actually goes into it.

This coordination needed has helped my brother with his Martial art techniques. 

But, of course, Pro Wrestling is only entertainment. It's not real fighting, and the only ones who believe that it is are Canidates for Jerry Springer! I think that comparing wrestling to fighting would be like comparing an apple and an orange.

In terms of fighters, how a wrestler (like shamrock or blackman) performs outside of  the ring cannot be determined by there actions inside of the ring. They may be good, or crap. I'd have to practice with them myself to find out.


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## cdhall (Jul 19, 2002)

I basically agree with Paul.
The Pros are great athletes and I think many of them would be formidable in a fight but it is hard to tell.

The reason I "turned on them" was because they always insisted that it was "real" but now they admit that it never was. 

When you see on TV some of the margins of error they have (missing a punch by several inches) I wonder about their accuracy, but then again, they have to be accurate to get some of their moves off.  I understand some of their "techniques" are 12-15 moves long and go all over the ring.  In this respect they are doing a Self-Defense technique I guess.

I would have to say that now that I think about it, they certainly have all the skills to be good martial artists but I don't know how they train relative to a real fight.  I think any Pro-Wrestler could pick up a formal martial art rather quickly though because of their condition, reflexes, etc.

I don't know if any of that made any sense.


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## fist of fury (Jul 19, 2002)

> _Originally posted by PAUL _
> 
> *Canidates for Jerry Springer! I think that comparing wrestling to fighting would be like comparing an apple and an orange.
> 
> *



In a way Jerry Springer is like the wwf of talk shows


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## Bob Hubbard (Jul 19, 2002)

Now now guys....get the info right... its WW*E* now.  

Seriously, what these guys do takes a lot of training, practice and trust.  Do the move wrong (say a backbreaker) and you've just crippled someone.  Timing is off, you've ended a carrer.  

With the times changing, so has the style.  The older guys use alot of modified judo.  The newer guys are more gymnastic.  Some have legitimate martial arts training.  Mr. Fuji, Ricky Steamboat for examples.  Stan Lane is/was a certified Savate instructor.  Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbott have done NHB.

Its all on the showmanship on making a real move into something non damaging while retaining the 'real' look.  Oh, and being -very- outgoing helps.


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## tshadowchaser (Jul 19, 2002)

My biggest complaint is that thr WWE has turned into a T&A show Now that might be ok for me but there are a LOT of kids watching . 
 The other complaint is that I watch to see wrestling /entertainment not % minutes of action , then 25  of talking and building of charture through poor acting.


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## Master of Blades (Jul 21, 2002)

I dunno Im starting to enjoy the storylines now. They certainly have got better. And as for the T&A thing Im sorry to say I hasve to agree with you. Before they wouldnt swear or insinuate anything with sex. Now thats all it is. Its even the use of stupid petty words like "horny" that they wouldnt have used before!


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## LanceWildcat1 (Jul 21, 2002)

I have watched professional wrestling for over 30 years, starting in Alabama when I was in the Army.  Starting from the little "bull rings" in local communities all over the country, the good one's have worked themselves up in stature, moving higher and higher in the genre.  As they got better, they were picked up by the larger federations, etc.  Eventually, if they were good enough, and stayed healthy, they made it into the 'big time' WCW, WWF, and other groups.  These wrestler's all started at a local level, working 40 hour weeks at a 'regular' job, and wrestling on weekend and weeknights.  Most come from amateur wrestling or MA backgrounds.  The pace of the wrestling work is grueling, to say the least.  At the beginning, they are expected to travel, at their own expense, from town to town, sometimes hundreds of miles apart, to wrestle each night.  Once they get into the 'big time', the travel pace may slow, but the level of skill must increase in order to put on a 'good show' and keep the injuries down.  On the subject of keeping the injuries down, any martial artist knows that conditioning is the key to keeping the injuries down and keeping the body in shape.  We, the MA's, know that in order to be able to continue practicing and being able to compete, we MUST keep our conditioning up, each and every day!  As far as the conditioning of professional wrestler's, just watch them in the ring.  Their level of intensity has to remain high in order to keep the crowd cheering/booing.  There is a lot of choreograpy and acting that goes on in pro wrestling today-but realize that in order to be able to do this on a night-to-night basis, those bodies have to be in shape to avoid injury and pain.:soapbox:  Having said all that, I now retire to read my 'mail'.


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## ace (Oct 2, 2002)

Pro Wrestling is verry much a Martial Art.
These Guy/Gal's train hard!

They have to know how to fall
how to react how to make it
Artistic.

No!! im not saying it is practical selfdefence.
But the time they spend on what they do
is verry simalar to anyone climing up the belt ranks.

Not all but some show Submisson technique as well.
Other's show side kicks & pretty puch everyone
Throws punches Or chops.
No they don't try to realy kill each other.
Nut most M.A. when striking for practise stop with in inches 
of let's say the face or a body shot.

In Japan they have so it looks more like a fight.
They show tons of Martial Art Technique's

Yes  Pro Wrestling is a Martial Arts:hammer: :hammer: :hammer: 
:cheers: Primo


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## arnisador (Jan 12, 2006)

The WWE is popular in Italy:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060112/lf_nm/italy_wrestling_dc


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## Nanalo74 (Jan 12, 2006)

I did it for 4 years and let me tell you, it was the most greuling training I'd ever done.

Similar to Jiu Jitsu, all we did for the first couple of months was learn how to roll and fall. Then we were "stretched" by the veterans, meaning we were twisted into pretzels for a couple of more months. A typical training session lasts about 4 hours. And we trained 3 to 4 days a week. 

Eventually, we started to learn how to run the ropes and lock up. Then we were taught some stand-up chain wrestling (headlock, reversal, waist lock, wrist lock, reversals, etc.). Then you take it to the ground where you live for the next few months. 

After a while, once the boys felt they could trust you, you were allowed to try to execute moves on them. But this usually didn't happen for at least a year. After all, you don't want any jabroni who walks in the door trying to execute a piledriver on you if you're not sure he knows what he's doing.

My trainer, The Unpredictable Johnny Rodz, was from the old school, where you learned how to wrestle the right way before they taught you how to work (do the TV stuff). The training was greuling and I was in the best shape of my life. I reached a point where I could get in that ring and go full tilt for 4 straight hours without blowing up (getting winded). 

I enjoyed it very much, but after a while realized that I wasn't willing to make the sacrifices neccessary to make it to the big time. I was getting older, had a career and a family, and really wanted to focus my energy on building up my martial arts career, the website, articles, DVDs, teaching, etc. 

I firmly believe that my pro wrestling training made me a better martial artist and is the reason I was able to complete my certification and become a Senior Instructor in my system.

Vic
www.combatartsusa.com


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## Eric Daniel (Jan 24, 2006)

fist of fury said:
			
		

> It's no worse than an action movie with fight scenes. It just doesn't have all that needless plot and story getting in the way of the action.


I agree with this idea simply because that is what I think as well.


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## Grenadier (Jan 25, 2006)

Think of it as a soap opera for guys.  

As for the 'rasslers themselves, I'd be willing to be that most of them could do very well in a real fight, since they're trained to grapple, take falls (unless they have "no lose contracts"), and are generally in good health.  Some of the grappling techniques used on-screen aren't too far away from the real thing, simply that they're not applying any real pressure.


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## arnisador (Jan 25, 2006)

Grenadier said:
			
		

> Think of it as a soap opera for guys.


 
Heh.


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## jujutsu_indonesia (Jan 25, 2006)

Master of Blades said:
			
		

> What do you feel on Pro Wrestling. Do you think that you should take away that some of them are great athletes and great competiters and Martial Artists? Im just wondering cuz I know a lot of martial artists who dont like it cuz its fixed and there not real martial artists. I mean what bout Ken Shamrock and Steve Blackman. I mean a lot of these guys have extensive Martial Arts backrounds! so why do so many martial artists have problems with it?


 
I have no problems at all with pro wrestling, in fact I think it is also a form of martial art. I am sure many pro wrestlers can handle themselves well in real fighting. Just ask Gene Le Bell   he was a pro wrestler too, y'know :asian:


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## celtic_crippler (Jan 25, 2006)

I think you would find that wrestling purist follow it because they appreciate what goes on to put on a show. They appreciate the skill of the heel to make the crowd hate him and the ability of the face to have the crowd eating out of their hands. 

They appreciate great mic work (you know, smack talk) and the athleticism required to pull of the moves. 

They appreciate a good back story to promote fueds and the creativity of the wrestlers to invent new moves.


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## hong kong fooey (May 1, 2006)

to me wrestling is kinda like watching a movie the wrestlers are the actors and we are the fans. when you watch a soap opera you know it's fake when you watch a movie you know thats fake. yea wrestlings fake but who cares it's fun to watch


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