First thing first, make absolute sure you want to do this because once you jump into this world it is very hard to make a retreat. Also be very physically fit, wrestling is a lot less fake than you think it is. You must be logical about your situation. Do you have the body and charisma to make it to the WWE or do you just want to be a part of a much smaller local federation. The chances of actually making it to the WWE or TNA are very slim and you should think logically. Pro wrestling is an intricate science that is definitely not easy to learn. Very rarely does someone come into the business and instantly grasp everything. It is going to be physically and emotionally demanding. You will be asked to continue when you dont think you can. You will be asked to take moves that terrify you. You will get injured..bruises, scratches, sprains, twists, are all part of this journey. If you are not willing to get banged up to learn your craft (not broken, just banged up) then this is not for you. Just because you have watched wrestling since you were 5 and all you have ever thought about was being a wrestler doesnt mean you will be able to do this. Be prepared for the toughest most rewarding experience of your life. Truly becoming a trained pro wrestler is a dream come true for me and it can come true for you also...
A few things to remember,
#1.
do not be scared!!!!
They are professionals and the absolute last thing they want to do is hurt a potential "customer"....because you are a customer of their school...they want you to stay and have fun and give them money to train. Also its a definite bonus if the school is attached to a federation that has shows. There is no reason to go to pro wrestling school if there are no shows anywhere near you. You will be asked to do things you dont think you can and you will be asked to take risks. Can you? I did!
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#2.
Do not be a mark.
A Mark is someone who gets overly excited about wrestlers and wrestling to the point of looking like a dumb ass. A mark is someone who cannot control themselves in front of wrestling stars. The key to survival is to shut up and do what they say, keep your opinions to yourself. If you go to a legit wrestling school and really get trained, chances are you will eventually meet some of your idols. People you look up to and have only seen on TV mainstream wrestling. I know for the new person coming into the business, getting ready for your match and having Xpac come introduce himself to you is rather shocking. You have no choice, handle yourself with professionalism and just relax. They know who they are, they dont need you to remind them they are famous. Here is a short list of thing to NEVER do to a "name" working the same show as you:
1. NEVER ask for an autograph or a picture with them!! (I realize I say this and then I post pictures with 2 names however there is one exception to this rule - The exception is if the entire locker room is taking pics with each other and other workers senior to you start taking pictures, in short if you see your trainer and other people all taking pics with Xpac its ok if you get one too. Whatever you do, do NOT be the one single person to go up to the guy and ask for a pic)
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#3.
If you are a backyard wrestler...please do yourself a favor and keep it as your little secret.
Do not walk into a pro wrestling school bragging that you are a backyarder. Real professional wrestlers are disgusted by all forms of backyard wrestling and no matter what their opinion of you is it will be instantly tarnished if they find out. It is best to go into the school completely new and blind to the world of wrestling. If you know how to do an elbow drop, and they havent shown you yet...do not offer the information that you already know..they will not like that. If you have had 500 backyard wrestling matches, to a real pro wrestler you have never had a match. Its not good practice, its unsafe and makes you look like a fool.
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| Pro Wrestlers find it extremely pathetic that you are proud of this |
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#4.
Do not sign up if you are not able to attend the training on a regular basis
You must attend the training classes, period end of story. I have seen so many people start training and as soon as they realize wrestling doesnt tickle they stop coming. As soon as they realize that they are not going to be overnight sensations they give up. They make every excuse in the book not to go. If you have a regular job which most indy wrestlers do, you can almost certainly work around your schedule to get 2 nights a week to attend training. Do not waste the trainers time by coming 3 times and never showing back up.
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#5 Aside from the payment for the school you will need the following items to begin your training. All of these items are a MUST:
Ankle supporting boots.
Combat boots from Academy will be fine for beginners. Do NOT buy wrestling shooter shoes if you are new. You will be making mistakes and landing wrong, shooters have zero ankle support therefore only experienced wrestlers should wear them. If you insist on getting shooters, please buy separate ankle braces to go under them. Breaking your ankle isnt a good way to start your career. Here is a link to academy's boots, any of these will work fine.
http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearch?Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&storeId=10151&N=895447678
Knee pads
Yes academy also has knee pads however they are made more for volleyball and conventional sports. They do not have the support you need for pro wrestling. The price is not very much more expensive to just order real pro wrestling kneepads. Here is a link to highspots.com which is a one stop shop for all your pro wrestling needs. If you just want to buy real wrestling boots Highspots.com is the cheapest and best way to go for beginners. These trace kneepads are very inexpensive and are perfect for trainees.
http://www.highspots.com/knee+pads-instock/1457.html
Spandex under trunks
For guys, seriously nobody wants to body slam you with your junk loose and flopping around. Wearing boxers under your workout shorts is just unexceptable. Please for hygiene and weird nuts on ya arm moments buy some undertights (also known as biker shorts). Academy is great for this.
http://www.academy.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearch?langId=-1&storeId=10151&N=628476103&catalogId=10051
For girls, i be you thought i wasnt going to mention female wrestlers. We have some of the best here in Texas and with that being said here are some tips that I have noticed. Wear 2 sports bras and also wear long pants to train in. Why the long pants? Honestly you are a female and you are in the ring with a bunch of guys who are going to be grabbing you all over...wear long pants! No link for this because girls are much more versatile and experienced with clothing than guys so I assume you already know where to get what you need.
Deodorant
I would think this goes without saying but if you smell like a urinal in a Portuguese cat house there is gonna be an issue finding someone to train with you. Guys I hate to break it to you, but if you wanna be a pro wrestler, you are gonna have to shave your armpits. I am serious! Please smell good and bring whatever items you need to keep that going for the entire training.
