What Wrestling Means to Me (by Chris Hwang)

I just want to start off this blog by saying that wrestling isn’t an easy sport, nor is it a fun sport. It is not mentally easy, nor physically easy. Now you may be asking yourself, “Well if it isn’t fun, then why wrestle?” My answer - wrestling is a sport like no other. Wrestling teaches one how to overcome challenges and push oneself to the absolute limits both mentally and physically. It teaches one how to persevere through the pain, and get through the most difficult of times. In a recent definition essay, I had the opportunity to describe the power of grit. The dictionary definition of grit is firmness of mind and spirit:  unyielding courage.  My definition of grit is a character trait that is learned from the stamina and state of mind developed from sticking with my long-term goals day in and day out in the face of hardships, setbacks, and uncertainties. Wrestling provides me with a plethora of obstacles, challenges, and uncertainties to develop that grit.

Since the sport of wrestling is often misunderstood, I’d like to take the opportunity to provide others with additional insight into this grueling sport and lifestyle. First, the sport of wrestling is not what we see during WWE events on television. Ironically, that’s the first thing that comes to mind for some when I mention that I am a wrestler. I can assure you that I look nothing like Triple H, The Undertaker, or CM Punk. Nor do I “perform” wrestling moves such as the Stone Cold Stunner, Spine Buster, or the Swanton Bomb! I practice the sport of folkstyle wrestling where the objective is to pin my opponent or score points in a legal and safe manner.

Because wrestlers know the struggles faced on and off the mat, we have an instant connection, a bond like no other. Wrestlers know what it is like to barely eat all day 24/7 throughout the duration of the wrestling season as we try to “make weight.” We are always yearning for food and our growling stomachs reverberate incessantly until we fall into a deep sleep. In fact, sleep and competition is our only solace for our hunger pangs. I once learned to lick my lasagna instead of chewing and ingesting it. And ice chips become our best friend during the long drives to our tournaments. We are a hungry and thirsty bunch.

We know what it’s like to win, and we certainly know what it feels like to lose (individually and as a team). We know what it’s like to have to wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning, just to head over to a wrestling tournament and we learn how to convert our gym bags and sweatshirts into pillows so that we can eek out 15 minutes of sleep on the bleachers in between matches. Because we learn to cope with all these struggles and sacrifices, we are inherently tough and resilient.

            

       One pet peeve of mine is the verbal abuse that wrestlers take every day, especially at school. You can imagine how offended we get when peer athletes of  different sports portray wrestling as an activity “that gives us an excuse to touch each other.” Another dig is when we hear non-wrestlers refer to our uniforms as leotards. We wear singlets, not leotards. The singlet is tight fitting so as not to get grasped accidentally by one's opponent, and allows the referee to see each wrestler's body clearly when awarding points or a pin.

             

        Now that I’m done ranting about those pet peeves, I will continue to give you more insight into the lifestyle of a wrestler. Now, the first and probably the most difficult aspect of wrestling is the weight watching. As a wrestler, you must learn to monitor your weight habitually. For example, in the morning after I wake up and take care of my business, I hop on the scale (hoping I’m underweight, but unfortunately I’m usually not). For breakfast, I’ll usually have eggs, since they are not salty, light, and are filled with tons of protein. For lunch, I usually have a salad (with minimal dressing) or a protein shake, and last but not least, for dinner, I will usually have a small piece of steak or chicken. Throughout the day, I try to drink close to two gallons of water in attempt to flush out my system, meaning the more I drink, the more I urinate, resulting in a loss of the excess sodium (which retains water weight) from my body. If for some reason I were to find myself overweight the day of a match (which I thankfully have never experienced), I would need to put on multiple layers of clothes, run like the wind, and pray really hard that I sweat the excess weight off my body.

            

       After wrestlers have weighed in at the match/tournament, the wrestling begins. As you look around, you see wrestlers intently pacing back and forth. This is how wrestlers like to “get in the zone” before their matches. They are very eager, yet very nervous. The sport of wrestling affords each wrestler to put forth their best performance. All the laborious efforts put into practices translate to success on the mat. During a match, there are no half times, no substitutions, no timeouts, no hiding behind a team of other players, and certainly no excuses. We win or we lose and there is nobody to blame but ourselves. That’s what makes the sport of wrestling so basic, pure, and gratifying.

            

       I am so grateful that I was introduced to wrestling at such a young age. Wrestling has significantly shaped me as an athlete, and even as a student. My “drive” is evident both on and off the mat. All of the skills that I have learned from the sport of wrestling have helped me to become a better individual and citizen. As I enter adulthood, I intend to give back to my community to share and instill the privilege and love of wrestling in the lives of others.