I was recently fortunate enough to visit the wXw Wrestling Academy for my very first attempt at wrestling training.
The wXw Wrestling Academy became the successor to the wXw Dojo in 2015.
Since then, numerous stars of the pro wrestling scene have visited the sacred halls of the training school.
From Robbie Brookside, to Ultimo Dragon, Gangrel, Nigel McGuiness, Alexander Wolfe (Axel Tischer), everyone has paid a visit to the Academy to give a seminar.
The current and longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion Gunther was the inaugural Head Coach.
Since 2015, the Academy has produced the likes of Killer Kelly, Norman Harras and Danny Fray, and aided the careers of Toni Storm, Lyra Valkyria, Wheeler Yuta, and Tyler Bate just to name a few.
The current Head Coach is the current wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion Robert Dreissker.
The Academy was based in Essen, Germany until 2022 and moved into the FightClub in Gelsenkirchen just a little bit over a year ago.
Dreissker took over the Coaching job in late 2019 and told me he is happy with the new location.
As well as the wrestling training, a membership at the Academy also includes the FightClub gym, something that was not possible in the old location.
In addition, wXw was able to transfer their offices, which were also located in Essen, into the home office.
Everything at the wXw Wrestling Academy is designed for a full training experience.
Something I will go into further detail on the next page, when I describe my experience between the ropes…
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Learning The Basics
To be honest, I was quite nervous.
But: I was in great hands! Not only was wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion Robert Dreissker observing, but my training buddy was Elijah Blum!
Blum just won the wXw Shotgun Championship the day before and is a graduate of the wXw Wrestling Academy himself.
We started out with an intense warm-up session that was structured around a card game.
The number on the card meant the number of repeats of the exercise, and the symbol told you what exercise it is going to be.
I struggled through Squats, Push-Ups, Sit-Ups, and Jumping Jacks.
There’s no shame in dropping out before the two major European wrestling champions, but I tried my best.
“His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy” from Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself’ perfectly describes what I was feeling just after the warm-up.
But: I was not ready to lose myself! It was time to get between the ropes.
After a short session to prepare my neck for the upcoming 90 minutes, it was time to learn how to roll!
Forwards, backwards, and over the shoulder. Suddenly ‘being dizzy’ was added to the mix.
Believe me when I tell you: Landing is just as difficult as getting up!
Now we got into what WWE’s MVP wasn’t allowed to do anymore after January 2022: The Hurt Business.
It was time to take my very first bump. And again: Forwards and Backwards.
I needed to understand that there is a difference between falling and lying down. Plus, it was super scary!
Thinking of all the right body parts having to be in the right position before you fall is something that led to me gaining even more respect for the profession than I had before.
My biggest mental challenge however was the flip bump. Luckily, Robert and Elijah took good care of me and I was able to take my first (assisted) flip bump.
But my journey did not end there…
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Having A Wrestle
If you’ve ever watched a wrestling match in your life, you know there is much more than falling down and rolling around.
But you have to be good at A, before you can get to B.
I would not say that I was doing good, but Robert and Elijah were kind enough to let me continue a little bit more.
Much to my surprise: My body let me go that extra mile, too.
So it was run the ropes. And DAMN they hurt!
Something I did not realize is that you pull the rope towards yourself a bit before you actually run into them.
Just after that, it was time for a lock-up and head-lock session.
As you can see above, I was able to get the wXw Shotgun Champion to almost submit.
Unfortunately, though, the bell never rang.
Of course, I am just kidding. Blum showed the true heart of a champion as he patiently walked me through the positions.
Again, a lot of body parts are in motion and you have to be aware of your opponent and yourself.
A headlock isn’t just squeezing someone’s head, it much much more than that.
From start to finish, you need to move your arms, legs, and ultimately your entire body to keep the flow of the move going.
And time for the finish it was, but there was one more thing left to say…
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It’s Your Turn Now!
It was fun. A lot of fun.
As I am writing this I am hurting, I am feeling parts of my body I didn’t know existed.
The bottom line however is: I am happy.
Happy that I did this and had this incredible experience – I might do it again!
I am thankful for the patience and especially grateful for the opportunity provided by wXw, Robert Dreissker, and Elijah Blum.
They took great care of me and I can recommend this to everyone that is willing to get into pro wrestling training.
I was never pushed to do this, so do not feel forced to do anything. This is something that would never happen at the wXw Academy.
You are welcome to join when YOU want to!
As Robert Dreissker told me before the session, having a realistic attitude is going to help you advance in a healthy pace.
Just like every student in the Academy ever from the one who just started to the likes of Anil Marik, Danny Fray, or Elijah Blum: They faced trials.
Even the Academy itself did during their move. If you’ve ever moved homes, you know what I am talking about. Add in two major injuries during that move and you have yourself a turbulent time.
If you are still here reading this, then you may be ready to be trained by the likes of The Rotation, Peter Tihanyi, Norman Harras, or Robert Dreissker.
Get more information on how you can start a membership at one of Europe’s biggest wrestling facilities here: https://www.wrestling-academy.de/pages/en/start.php
Want to know more about what goes on outside the ring? WrestleTalk proudly presents Wrestling Unmasked, a new book that explores the untold stories, the politics, and the endless drama that unfolds behind the scenes. It’s time to experience wrestling like never before! Buy your copy here!
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