Post by Matt Pulver on Jul 5, 2018 14:17:51 GMT -5
“Through understanding we gain true freedom.”
Matt Pulver tries to take in the words of his old mentor as he grabs a wristlock out of the lock-up. Four years ago Hachirou Yamashita saw something in Matt that others didn't and took the young gaijin under his wing. When Matt signed with Lion's Road and moved back to Minnesota, they lost touch, but the old mat-wrestling master was still exactly like Matt remembered him.
“You have a thirst for knowledge - soaking up what you can about body control, momentum, leverage and movement at large from amateur wrestling, jujutsu and catch wrestling, and absorbing them into your own style. That's why I started training you.”
“This principle is especially important now. To win the Pyramid Grappling League, you must truly understand the sport form rules, your opponents and yourself.”
Yamashita reverses the wristlock into a hammerlock.
“The rules are tailor made for you. All you need to do is wear them, fully immerse yourself in them and make them move with you. Like clothes move with the body. Like the boat moves with the sailor. Like the ocean moves with the wind.”
Matt pulls him into a headlock.
“As for your opponents, Mike Musket is like earth; solid, immovable, and in perfect harmony with his nature. It will not just be speed versus power, it will be youthful passion versus mature experience. And the thing about experience is that muscle memory works even when the mind doesn’t.”
Yamashita trips Matt’s leg and takes him down to the training mats.
“Nakama on the other hand is like fire; aggressive, ruthless and destroys everything it comes into contact with. You may have a larger array of moves and a larger set of skills, but fire doesn’t need to be versatile to burn down a forest. It only needs to do one thing; burn.”
With Matt on his back, Yamashita puts pressure on the wrist with both hands.
“You are like Water; adaptable, shapeless and always moving.”
Pulver kicks Yamashitas hands with the sole of his foot to break the grip, but before Matt even realises that he's broken the rules, Yamashita’s palm strikes his face.
“But water has no self-control. Something else has to steer it, be it gravity, momentum or the wind.”
Matt holds his hurting face and listens.
“You have to be like the wind. The wind is adaptable and shapeless like water, but moves on its own terms. Both Musket’s and Nakama’s strengths rely on muscle memory, but like I just showed you, muscle memory is not always a strength. If Musket takes control, he will eventually smother you with his superior experience. If Nakama takes control, he will eventually destroy you with his deadly offense. But if you take control, you can put them in situations where they will hesitate and make mistakes. And once they stumble, you simply have to be the gust of wind that makes them fall.”
Matt nods slowly, before standing up.
“Alright. Round two.”
Matt Pulver tries to take in the words of his old mentor as he grabs a wristlock out of the lock-up. Four years ago Hachirou Yamashita saw something in Matt that others didn't and took the young gaijin under his wing. When Matt signed with Lion's Road and moved back to Minnesota, they lost touch, but the old mat-wrestling master was still exactly like Matt remembered him.
“You have a thirst for knowledge - soaking up what you can about body control, momentum, leverage and movement at large from amateur wrestling, jujutsu and catch wrestling, and absorbing them into your own style. That's why I started training you.”
“This principle is especially important now. To win the Pyramid Grappling League, you must truly understand the sport form rules, your opponents and yourself.”
Yamashita reverses the wristlock into a hammerlock.
“The rules are tailor made for you. All you need to do is wear them, fully immerse yourself in them and make them move with you. Like clothes move with the body. Like the boat moves with the sailor. Like the ocean moves with the wind.”
Matt pulls him into a headlock.
“As for your opponents, Mike Musket is like earth; solid, immovable, and in perfect harmony with his nature. It will not just be speed versus power, it will be youthful passion versus mature experience. And the thing about experience is that muscle memory works even when the mind doesn’t.”
Yamashita trips Matt’s leg and takes him down to the training mats.
“Nakama on the other hand is like fire; aggressive, ruthless and destroys everything it comes into contact with. You may have a larger array of moves and a larger set of skills, but fire doesn’t need to be versatile to burn down a forest. It only needs to do one thing; burn.”
With Matt on his back, Yamashita puts pressure on the wrist with both hands.
“You are like Water; adaptable, shapeless and always moving.”
Pulver kicks Yamashitas hands with the sole of his foot to break the grip, but before Matt even realises that he's broken the rules, Yamashita’s palm strikes his face.
“But water has no self-control. Something else has to steer it, be it gravity, momentum or the wind.”
Matt holds his hurting face and listens.
“You have to be like the wind. The wind is adaptable and shapeless like water, but moves on its own terms. Both Musket’s and Nakama’s strengths rely on muscle memory, but like I just showed you, muscle memory is not always a strength. If Musket takes control, he will eventually smother you with his superior experience. If Nakama takes control, he will eventually destroy you with his deadly offense. But if you take control, you can put them in situations where they will hesitate and make mistakes. And once they stumble, you simply have to be the gust of wind that makes them fall.”
Matt nods slowly, before standing up.
“Alright. Round two.”