I remember walking through the hallways of my high school and suddenly feeling someone grab my bicep with what felt like an iron claw. A gruff voice would bellow from behind me, “Swanson! Why don’t you join the wrestling team? Look at this wiry muscle, let’s get you on the mats!” As much as our coach would try, I had no interest in wrestling at the time. I unfortunately didn’t discover athletics or fitness until my mid 20’s, and have always regretted not wrestling in high school. When I started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 23, I loved it but also found it to be physically challenging. Some of the more powerful athletes that I trained with were guys who had wrestling experience, some even current high school or collegiate wrestlers. My Brazilian jiu-jitsu coach Brian always placed an emphasis on wrestling. He speaks about it frequently, encourages students to start rolling on the feet and includes wrestling in many of his jiu-jitsu classes. In addition, there’s a weekly wrestling class that focuses entirely on folk-style wrestling, not just wrestling for jiu-jitsu.
Although I found it to be difficult and exhausting, I really began to enjoy wrestling. It was tough, but I felt like I had accomplished something after finishing a wrestling class. I wanted to join a wrestling club or take lessons with someone but I couldn’t find any local wrestling for adults. After speaking to coach Brian about his path towards wrestling, he told me that he never wrestled scholastically and he was able to recommend a wrestling coach to me who could teach private lessons. Eric Amato; one of Brian’s wrestling coaches would meet with me and his nephew in his matted basement a couple times a week for grueling wrestling sessions. Eric was tough but he was patient with my lack of experience because I was consistent and always came ready to work. Wrestling with Eric not only improved my physical strength and overall athleticism, but it also allowed me to tap into a new level of mental fortitude. It conditioned me to narrow my focus during my sessions and to give every ounce of effort that I had. To get good sleep the night prior and make sure that I was eating enough to give my best effort. That mentality followed me to the jiu-jitsu mats, into the boxing ring and into Muay Thai class.
Here at Precision Boxing and MMA, we make sure to include the physical and mental practices that wrestling has to offer in our classes. Check out the video at the top of the article to hear more about what Coach Brian has gotten out of his wrestling experience. Come grapple with us, give Precision a call at (845)392-8495 or click HERE!
About the Author
Oliver Swanson is a lifelong Hudson Valley resident and avid martial arts practitioner. He’s a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and coaches boxing classes throughout the week at Precision Boxing and MMA in Poughkeepsie, NY.
