learning wrestling at an older age

[Brent Smith]

I really need to work my wrestling because I'd rather not pull guard or go for a sloppy shot, get stuffed then just pull guard anyways. Unfortunately I never wrestled in high school which I regret now. I've looked to a lot of the club but a lot of times there's an age limit of 18. Not sure why people don't want to keep this art going since it seems to be dying out now that more and more colleges are dropping their wrestling programs for better money making sports.
Anyways what I'm looking for is, are there any alternatives for learning wrestling besides trying to find an MMA gym that will prob teach wrestling once a week?

[Xsimon]

Yeah adult clubs are hard to find... and most clubs are for ranking wrestlers or they're like naked gay clubs. Depending on your age.. if you're in college you can talk to the coaches at your school and they're usually ok with accepting rag dolls for practice :P.. but they won't take outsiders from what I know. If not I know at least sometimes you can go to your local high school and usually the coaches are looking for volunteers for the team etc.. Be an active volunteer :P most wrestling coaches will never have a problem with teaching etc.. and you can practice with some of the people in your weight range as well as help keep the sport alive.

Other then that their is nothing I know of.. If you want to learn through experience lol.. you can look for wrestling opens.. their are more then you would think.. then just compete lol..

[Brent Smith]

That's a pretty good suggestion. Ill have to hit up these high schools and see if I can't convince them to let me help out.
Its just strange to me there's nothing for adults. I can't be the only one looking to learn!

[Nate Hollyfield]

the high school thing is a good suggestion, especially during the summer, before school starts when they are doing their conditioning.

[Rene "Zendokan" Gysenbergs]

I would suggest that you follow some Judo first, to be exactly the breakfalls (ukemi) before you start wrestling. It has the best structured approach to teaching breakfalls and you are going to need that because Wrestling (especially Freestyle) has got some nasty throws.

From experience with our Chechen inhouse wrestlers and the Americans that visit our club I get the notion that learning breakfalls in Wrestling is more a personal try-and-error approach than a codified system.

I also see that people who have an active wrestling career after their 22nd birthday are prown to injuries, especially of the spine. Maybe that's one of the reasons why wrestling stops after the college years and you can't find "adult" wrestling clubs.

just my $0.02 (or in my case €0,02)

[Brent Smith]

I've got my yonkyu in kodokan judo, so I've taken many throws My buddy laughs everytime I slap the mat when he double legs me. Says its silly. I don't care if its silly the impact sucks less when you slap out

[Xsimon]

I would suggest that you follow some Judo first, to be exactly the breakfalls (ukemi) before you start wrestling. It has the best structured approach to teaching breakfalls and you are going to need that because Wrestling (especially Freestyle) has got some nasty throws.

From experience with our Chechen inhouse wrestlers and the Americans that visit our club I get the notion that learning breakfalls in Wrestling is more a personal try-and-error approach than a codified system.

I also see that people who have an active wrestling career after their 22nd birthday are prown to injuries, especially of the spine. Maybe that's one of the reasons why wrestling stops after the college years and you can't find "adult" wrestling clubs.

just my $0.02 (or in my case €0,02)

The majority of my friend’s male/female still wrestle across the country in college and they're all "crippled" coming back from knee surgeries, or having spine injuries... But they still love the sport and compete even though they know they'll damage themselves more. There is really no way to compete at a high level in the sport without crippling yourself in the long run. Of course this isn’t always the case and you’ll have people living injury free for a long time.. another friend going strong in his 80s and he’s been part of the sport sense he was a child.. Of course he doesn’t compete anymore: P

The reason wrestlers are crippled more so then other athletes in their early 20s.. isn't because they aren't taught how to land(you'll teach a 5 year old in freestyle how to land) it's because of the nature of the sport. It’s a very aggressive and abusive sport compared to all others.. especially the training. They abuse their bodies understanding the consequences they will face in their later years. Spine injures, knee injuries, you'll even see shoulder which are all part of the sport and an understood consequence.(there is nothing I love more than wrestling.. that’s why I do jujitsu even though they are completely different especially in approach.. it helps me feel that I still have the connection)

Why adult clubs aren’t prominent whether it be casual-semi competitive which could easily be done without injury, or full on competitive.. In my opinion is because there is almost zero market for it.. It takes a certain type of person to enjoy the sport.. and the aggressive nature of the sport isn’t going to bring older clients who’ve never done it before. But I bet the injury prone ex wrestlers will happily continue their careers after college if there was the opportunity at an adult club.

edit:You are right in saying judo has a much more structured approach to break-falls.. thats just at least in my opinion not even close to the reason wrestlers are injury prone.

Also my apologies for the wall of text.

[Shellby Connelly]

Brent - you can always ask mike

[Rene "Zendokan" Gysenbergs]

I see that my text is a little bit confusing (sorry, English isn't my first language).

Paragrafe 1 and 2 are together (the do-Judo-breakfalls and trial-and-error approach by Wrestlers).
paragrafe 3: Is more about that there aren't much adult Wrestling clubs because Wrestlers are prown to injuries more than other grappling sports. That was the 'maybe' that I was refering too.
Why Wrestlers are more prown to injuries is indeed because it's a 'brutal' sport that abuses the body and yes, the nature of the game.

That's why I'm re-educating myself from Shoot Wrestling to 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. I'm a recreant sporter with a dayjob and walking around limping for 5 days isn't anymore for me.
Unfortunally I still sometimes go 'ball to the wall' with the Chechen Wrestlers, they are 21,22 en 24, I'm 34 hitting 35 still this year. It's a blast for six minutes, but a hassle for 5 days.

[Brent Smith]

Brent - you can always ask mike

Yeah but he likes to wear dresses during the lessons and that just makes me a little uncomfortable