alpinisto's blog

For half a year Tuviaz had planned to visit Copenhagen, and when he finally did I was lucky to be able to wrestle him in his hotel room, as the few other wrestlers here in Denmark apparently did not have much interest in wrestling this hunky guy. Also this gave me the opportunity to have some wrestling in the month of December, which I had never had before. So I felt a bit selected when I met him in his hotel room between Christmas and New Year.

Tuviaz had about the same weight and height as I had, so in theory we were quite equal. But there were some differences I had not been prepared for: that he was both stronger and way more experienced than I was. I have never avoided wrestling more experienced or stronger guys, even if I might get squashed, for I have a sturdy body and thus should be able to cope with this. Also I think I can only learn from the more experienced guys, but maybe the difference was too big in this case. We seemed pretty equal in scissors and bearhugs, which were the only holds I had practised, but on all other holds he was superior. I soon was to find out that he had practised BJJ regularily for five years, which I had no experience with, as I for ethical reasons had focused on wrestling and didn't want to mix the various styles. Thus in our first round it didn't take him many seconds before I had to tap out.

The following rounds were quite similar, though I noticed that I could eliminate some of my opponent's stings by using a technique that I had learned when wrestling GymGladiator the previous month. Not that this had any major effect, but it gave me the feeling that I could last a bit longer in the rounds, which now lasted several minutes. I noticed that Tuviaz was breathing heavier, and maybe I had more stamina than he had and therefore might have a chance to win one of the rounds in the end. Just like I had succeeded with, when wrestling one of the Berlin guys there this summer.

Well, I never got that far, for after three or four rounds I had to throw in the towel, now soaked with sweat. Being soaked with sweat I have always seen as a positive sign that I have had a good workout and fun when wrestling, even though I for a great part of the time had felt like a wrestling toy in Tuviaz' hands - or more like Bambi after having slipped on the icy pond in the cartoon film when Thumper asks him if he is having fun. But Tuviaz would be staying three more nights here in Copenhagen, so maybe I could get the chance to wrestle him again before he left.

Luckily this appeared to be possible, and two days later I returned to his hotel. The previous time he had proposed that we should have five rounds in wrestling and I had only been able to take three or four. This time he proposed that we should have ten rounds, though I thought that ten rounds would be just as ridiculous as five rounds. But let us just get started so we wouldn't waste any time.

The rounds this time were much similar to the ones we had done a few days before, but maybe I now knew what I would be up to. Already from the start the rounds were considerably longer, maybe it was just like the Berlin sessions where I always lose the first round because I don't do any warm-up practise, the following rounds were then more dubious. It seemed that we both were determined not to give up, though my body sometimes told me it would be better to give up to avoid further damage - and my brains sometimes told me that it would be better to give up and conserve the energy for the next round. So of course Tuviaz won all seven rounds we managed to do. I was just content that I had been able to stand up to a strong guy like Tuviaz for seven rounds. And perhaps this wasn't the last time we have wrestled, for before I left he told me that I should be welcome to visit him at his place for a few days so we can wrestle and have fun together in Israel.

I had been pretty exhausted after the battle, but I might have to consider this invitation, right now I am more focusing on my coming January match which will be another visit to kleiner kerl in Berlin. And hopefully he also this time can attract some of the many other good Berlin wrestlers.