alpinisto's blog

28 months earlier I had planned to visit Alain in Paris, but even though I then had booked the flight to Paris I had had to cancel that visit because of strikes in France and the risk of flooding of Paris area because of heavy rains. But this time I succeded and arrived at Alain's place on Saturday afternoon. Alain was a strong guy who knew what he was doing - but what else could I expect from a guy having more than 200 past opponents on his belt.

In his house in the outskirts of Paris he had changed his garage to his private in-house matroom, and it was being used several times a week. So of course he was more experienced than me, who could only wish for a single wrestling match a month. So I could not be surprised when I learned that he was strong as a bull. I am usually pretty good to keep the position on the mat, but naturally Alain had his own technique so he could deal with this - and suddenly the table was turned. Literally! When I had managed to get on top of him he also had his way when digging his toes in under my legs and force them to the sides, like an inversed leg split.

I had three rounds with him, and he successfully won all of them. Then we stopped, for I should keep some powers for another guy coming by in the afternoon. This guy was bikermanrr, who also had three times as many opponents as I had, though being 20 kilos lighter. When I wrestle lighter guys I try not to make use of my weight advantage, but after having met up with Alain I had got the impression that all French wrestlers were Olympic champions!

This guy gave me probably the best match of all here in Paris, for once I had shed my need to not use my weight advantage we had a quite good fight; his experience levelling out my weight advantage. I was surprised how strong French wrestlers were, but this guy seemed to wrestle Alain every so often. We seemed to take turns in getting on top of the other, and it always was good fighting back the position. Could be that I scored more points than my opponent did, but today this was not what it was about. Most important was it that we had a good fight, and this fight became probably the one where I was shedding the most sweat. Which for me is a sign that I've had a good fight.

Sunday morning we were visited by French Novice coming for a wrestle! Well, that was his profile name, but to me there wasn't so much novice about this guy. I had been told that after the two guys I had wrestled on Saturday the next guys would be easier, but certainly this wasn't the case with this novice, who also had 30 more opponents than I had. I managed to get on top of him several times, but had to work hard to keep that position, and he seemed to control me more than I did controlling him. But this would only be a test before the afternoon, when three more guys would show up.

Those three guys were lutte95, militaire and Freestyler, but I only got to wrestle the first of those three. For while one of those other two was unable to wrestle because he had a problem with his back, the other one simply refused to wrestle me! Not that he was not physically fit for it, for he sure could wrestle the other guys, but not me! So I had five rounds with this lutte95, a guy my age with twice as many opponents, so naturally I didn't have much chances against him. I normally don't mind wrestling guys more experienced than me, but this slowly was becoming tedious. Maybe French wrestlers actually are Olympic champions anyway. Just so it wouldn't be too tedious for me wrestling the same guy round after round Alain stepped in so I could have a few rounds with him in the end.

On Tuesday I had the last match here in Paris before I should board the flight home the next day. This guy was Sylvain, who had come here to Paris from the French Riviera to do some wrestling, and I was happy that I this way also got the chance to wrestle him. Sylvain was clearly lighter than I was, and another member of the 100's club. Sure he could use that experience as a weapon, for we had barely started our match before he virtually jumped over my head and settled on my back, making my head a target for his headscissors. I had read from his recommandations that he had some dangerous scissors, and this I got to feel now - he almost gave me a headache! It was impressive that such small body could contain muscles this strong!

We had two rounds, and certainly Sylvain won them both. But we also had planned a final round where we could test the strength of each other's scissors. Inspired by the match I had had six months earlier with an Italian guy I was now to introduce him to my neoprene sleepsack. He had never been in one such, but I had several times enjoyed being held restrained in it. And now I could pay back from his hefty headscissors, feeling his hot body under the neoprene cover. This way I finally could bodyscissor him right, for it seems that I until then had made the scissors too high on my opponent's body.

This way I finally made him give in - for in a sleepsack you are not able to tap out - but I also knew that my victory would be short-lived, for right after Sylvain naturally also wanted to take me for a ride. So in the end he sure got his way with me!

Next month there should be plenty of chances to wrestle, for I am to meet a wrestling buddy in Munich, and there are also two of my past opponents coming to Copenhagen, and those I'd also like to wrestle again.