Post by Merlot Ayano on Jun 28, 2017 12:55:27 GMT
What is a wrestler’s greatest asset?
Is Charisma? It is what many would refer to as that “It Factor.” While lack of charisma may not hinder a talented wrestler’s journey, it’s existence certainly can do wonders. The magical gift of gab will sometimes times open up the correct doors and opportunities. A sharp tongue allows you to retort and return fire, and also turns heads. And just being a likable person? That coupled with a wrestler’s in-ring ability could lead to infinite fame and fortune.
Is it Speed? A person who is crisp, fleet of foot, and is able to maintain full control of their body is a very dangerous opponent. Speed is something that can be built upon and improved, however, some people are just naturally faster than others. That can provide a significant advantage inside the ring.
Is it Power and Strength? Those are two traits that have been sought after since the beginning of time itself. How does one combat a woman who can effortlessly hoist you upon her shoulders toss you about like a sack of flour? How do you stop a man who has the ability to impose will on you and do whatever his heart desires?
Is it Wit and Cunningness? The sharpness of the mind is just as important as the sharpness of one’s skills. Combine them both, and victory is certainly in your favor…
I have had the honor and privilege of having a long-lasting career in the sport of professional wrestling. And once my time in the ring began to wane, I began to have the honor and privilege of training many, many future joshi. Therefore, it is safe to say I am qualified to speak upon what makes a great wrestler. Based on that invaluable experience and knowledge, I can say that the “best of the best” exhibit bits of all those characteristics and traits.
—So, what is the answer to the opening question? What is a wrestler’s greatest asset?
Would you be surprised to know that it is not listed above?
You see, based on my time in and around the sport, I would definitely state that the greatest asset that a wrestler can possess is confidence.
A wrestler who is confident will rarely falter. Their confidence in their skills and in themselves will often result in the cultivating and employing the other vital assets listed above. He or she will normally be driven and motivated be all that they can be. Their belief in themselves allows them to rise and stand up against adversity, and to pick themselves up during trying times.
When a warrior is skilled and he or she knows it, then the sky's the limit.
Does my student, Merlot Ayano, exhibit that very confidence. The answer is yes, sometimes. That sometimes is the very reason why I’ve asked her to train with me once again.
Merlot’s career has not been an easy one. It started off promising. She was steadily improving. She was winning matches. She was making a new for herself. Back then, her confidence was quite high…
And then tragedy struck. A debilitating leg injury forced her to the sidelines.
That day shall be forever ingrained into my memory. It was a money match up for Shooto Elite, a high-profile independent promotion back home in Japan. Merlot was tasked with facing a behemoth and brute of a woman named MEGUMI. The veteran MEGUMI had a nasty reputation of being bitter and sore when it came to how she was viewed in Shooto Elite and professional wrestling as a whole. Her skills? Decent at best; but, she believe that she was the cream of the crop.
Merlot was a rising start at the time, and MEGUMI saw an opportunity to snuff her out and claim the glory for herself.
The injury came as result of a high flying move. Merlot is very efficient and crisp wrestler; she performed the move to perfection. Nevertheless, MEGUMI rolled and lifted her knees. Given her massive size, the bone-on-bone collusion didn’t favor Merlot. Some say it was a freaky accident—those people were not in the arena that night…
I remember, I remember sitting in the crowd watching as she was taken to the back. You never want to your student get harmed, especially not intentionally. The agony on her face, it cut me to the core. And there was nothing I could about it.
That day changed Merlot, as a person and a wrestler. Beforehand, her confidence hand planted firm roots inside her body and mind. But that injury acted as a bulldozer.
It took Merlot far greater than it should have to re-enter the ring, and that was because of her confidence. She was fearful and tentative of getting hurt once more. Furthermore, she developed a deep distrust of this sport’s so called “elders.”
However, in her heart of hearts, Merlot is a fighter. She is a honorable and proud woman. Therefore, she mustered up enough courage and eventually did return to the ring…
...Hmm. Would you like to know something truly fascinating?
When Merlot braved that hellacious tournament in Seishin, she still had deep disdain and distrust of this sport. She constantly wondered with she’d made the right decision. As a result of that decision, she became the first and only Champion of Seishin.
So what does that mean?
It means that in even a low state of confidence, Merlot Ayano is still a world champion caliber wrestler.
Do you know what would happen if that confidence were at one hundred percent?
...So what of her confidence level at this very moment?
Merlot is a few days removed from last Proving Grounds match. She isn’t depressed. She’s still smiling. And yet, I know that her confidence is a bit lower than before that bell rang.
However, I’m going to get her to where she needs to be.
There’s a strange dichotomy in the mind of Merlot Ayano. She’s a mighty warrior in the ring. However, her degree is in humanitarian studies. She’s a caring soul, a woman of the people.
Ebbs and flows of emotion are natural; they make us human. Oh, but that confidence—that should always be at one hundred percent. No circumstance and no one should dictate how you feel about yourself.
—Merlot is at about seventy-five percent as we speak. But when she’s standing across from her opponent at Collateral Damage, she’s be at one hundred perfect. That is my word. And I suspect, ha, well, I know people will see a different side of Merlot that night. A peak of that side was seen when she faced off against Avalon. The fierceness. The brutality. And that was just a regular match. This will be a title defense. And I know Merlot will not be content with merely being the first Valor Champion—she wants to be the best…
And I’m going to raise those skills and confidence so that she has a chance to accomplish that goal.
Is Charisma? It is what many would refer to as that “It Factor.” While lack of charisma may not hinder a talented wrestler’s journey, it’s existence certainly can do wonders. The magical gift of gab will sometimes times open up the correct doors and opportunities. A sharp tongue allows you to retort and return fire, and also turns heads. And just being a likable person? That coupled with a wrestler’s in-ring ability could lead to infinite fame and fortune.
Is it Speed? A person who is crisp, fleet of foot, and is able to maintain full control of their body is a very dangerous opponent. Speed is something that can be built upon and improved, however, some people are just naturally faster than others. That can provide a significant advantage inside the ring.
Is it Power and Strength? Those are two traits that have been sought after since the beginning of time itself. How does one combat a woman who can effortlessly hoist you upon her shoulders toss you about like a sack of flour? How do you stop a man who has the ability to impose will on you and do whatever his heart desires?
Is it Wit and Cunningness? The sharpness of the mind is just as important as the sharpness of one’s skills. Combine them both, and victory is certainly in your favor…
I have had the honor and privilege of having a long-lasting career in the sport of professional wrestling. And once my time in the ring began to wane, I began to have the honor and privilege of training many, many future joshi. Therefore, it is safe to say I am qualified to speak upon what makes a great wrestler. Based on that invaluable experience and knowledge, I can say that the “best of the best” exhibit bits of all those characteristics and traits.
—So, what is the answer to the opening question? What is a wrestler’s greatest asset?
Would you be surprised to know that it is not listed above?
You see, based on my time in and around the sport, I would definitely state that the greatest asset that a wrestler can possess is confidence.
A wrestler who is confident will rarely falter. Their confidence in their skills and in themselves will often result in the cultivating and employing the other vital assets listed above. He or she will normally be driven and motivated be all that they can be. Their belief in themselves allows them to rise and stand up against adversity, and to pick themselves up during trying times.
When a warrior is skilled and he or she knows it, then the sky's the limit.
Does my student, Merlot Ayano, exhibit that very confidence. The answer is yes, sometimes. That sometimes is the very reason why I’ve asked her to train with me once again.
Merlot’s career has not been an easy one. It started off promising. She was steadily improving. She was winning matches. She was making a new for herself. Back then, her confidence was quite high…
And then tragedy struck. A debilitating leg injury forced her to the sidelines.
That day shall be forever ingrained into my memory. It was a money match up for Shooto Elite, a high-profile independent promotion back home in Japan. Merlot was tasked with facing a behemoth and brute of a woman named MEGUMI. The veteran MEGUMI had a nasty reputation of being bitter and sore when it came to how she was viewed in Shooto Elite and professional wrestling as a whole. Her skills? Decent at best; but, she believe that she was the cream of the crop.
Merlot was a rising start at the time, and MEGUMI saw an opportunity to snuff her out and claim the glory for herself.
The injury came as result of a high flying move. Merlot is very efficient and crisp wrestler; she performed the move to perfection. Nevertheless, MEGUMI rolled and lifted her knees. Given her massive size, the bone-on-bone collusion didn’t favor Merlot. Some say it was a freaky accident—those people were not in the arena that night…
I remember, I remember sitting in the crowd watching as she was taken to the back. You never want to your student get harmed, especially not intentionally. The agony on her face, it cut me to the core. And there was nothing I could about it.
That day changed Merlot, as a person and a wrestler. Beforehand, her confidence hand planted firm roots inside her body and mind. But that injury acted as a bulldozer.
It took Merlot far greater than it should have to re-enter the ring, and that was because of her confidence. She was fearful and tentative of getting hurt once more. Furthermore, she developed a deep distrust of this sport’s so called “elders.”
However, in her heart of hearts, Merlot is a fighter. She is a honorable and proud woman. Therefore, she mustered up enough courage and eventually did return to the ring…
...Hmm. Would you like to know something truly fascinating?
When Merlot braved that hellacious tournament in Seishin, she still had deep disdain and distrust of this sport. She constantly wondered with she’d made the right decision. As a result of that decision, she became the first and only Champion of Seishin.
So what does that mean?
It means that in even a low state of confidence, Merlot Ayano is still a world champion caliber wrestler.
Do you know what would happen if that confidence were at one hundred percent?
...So what of her confidence level at this very moment?
Merlot is a few days removed from last Proving Grounds match. She isn’t depressed. She’s still smiling. And yet, I know that her confidence is a bit lower than before that bell rang.
However, I’m going to get her to where she needs to be.
There’s a strange dichotomy in the mind of Merlot Ayano. She’s a mighty warrior in the ring. However, her degree is in humanitarian studies. She’s a caring soul, a woman of the people.
Ebbs and flows of emotion are natural; they make us human. Oh, but that confidence—that should always be at one hundred percent. No circumstance and no one should dictate how you feel about yourself.
—Merlot is at about seventy-five percent as we speak. But when she’s standing across from her opponent at Collateral Damage, she’s be at one hundred perfect. That is my word. And I suspect, ha, well, I know people will see a different side of Merlot that night. A peak of that side was seen when she faced off against Avalon. The fierceness. The brutality. And that was just a regular match. This will be a title defense. And I know Merlot will not be content with merely being the first Valor Champion—she wants to be the best…
And I’m going to raise those skills and confidence so that she has a chance to accomplish that goal.