Once there was a group of students. They dreamed of being champion wrestlers. They searched high and low for a camp where they could be trained in the art of wrestling. They heard of a local camp where the instructor was legendary and eagerly signed up. The coach met with the group. He made no promises. He looked them square in the eyes and said, “You will work. You will sweat. I can only make you ready to wrestle. Championships are only for you to decide. If you cannot commit, then do not join.” The ten students signed up. They hoped for great things, for now they were under the instruction of the Master of the forty moves.

Their training began by running. It was never a straight or level path. Hills, mountains, and valleys were the course. Day after day they ran and ran the different terrains. When they did finally run a smooth path, he had them carry each other piggyback. The students looked at each other. Two complained and said, “This is not what I signed up for,” and then there were eight.

The Master brought them to a wrestling room. They were eager to compete, but first he told them they had to do calisthenics . They did push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks over and over. Never were they right.

The Master drilled, “In rhythm, count them out!” They grew weary. “Keep going until you get it perfect. The sound must be together! Rhythm! Count louder! Perfection with each round of fifty.”

Day by day they worked. It became boring. Then two said, “We are tired of this!: There were now six. The Master walked to the center of the mat. “Today you continue to learn. We will do take-downs!”

They lined up on the mat. First single legs, then they practiced double legs. Shoot-in, duck unders, the fireman carry, and ankle shots were practiced over and over. The group spent hours on each move. Two said, “How can I pin from this?” They could be at home, anywhere but this. Four now remained.

The Master looked at his remaining students. They dared to ask, “When will we wrestle?” “When you are ready,” and he continued to the next level.

They set in the referee's position and learned to defend, outside standups, inside standups, mule kicks, sitouts, switchbacks, granbys, Petersons sitbacks, and popups. He then continued to control moves. They did navy rides, leg rides, tight waist two on one. They grabbed for ankles, bust downs, chin grab cross face, and whizzers. The four tired. They were sick of drilling. They rarely got anyone to their back. Two said, “We don't need this. We can train anywhere!”

The last two waited as the Master finally taught them the pinning moves they so waited for, the cradle, half, bar arms, even a fat man roll. Cross face cradles were repeated from each side. Cork screws, eagle split, guillotines, hip toss, inside cradle, and even three quarter nelsons were perfected with precision and pain.

Alas, the two students remaining wondered how good they were. There were so many moves. The students looked to the Master and asked, “Why Master do you teach so many moves? We will never use half of these.”

The Master put a half on the student and he broke it. He picked an ankle and the student kicked away. He put his hand on the bicep and the student snatched it free from the bar. The Master shouted, “I did not always teach you these moves to use them, but so that they cannot be used against you. You are now ready to wrestle.

Master the moves! Have a great season!

Ray Kramer