Hyorinmaru
Sit Upon The Frozen Heavens
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June 2005
‘Your parents would kill me if they knew I was doing this…’
‘It’s fine Frank. They don’t know, and…as long as they don’t know they can’t be mad, right?’
Frank sat back in the driver seat, looking up to the roof of the car as if hoping divine wisdom would drop form above. ‘Are you sure you want to try this Xander? It’s been a little over a year since-‘
‘Trust me, Frank. I’ve thought about nothing else since Abi died. We both wanted this. And this was one of the schools we’d looked at. I…I owe it to her to at least try.’
‘But these wrestlers, they…they put themselves through unimaginable pain, year-in, year-out. They have to cope with so much. I don’t want to come across as unsupportive, but I went through my fair share boxing. This can be even more-‘
‘No, no I get it.’ A 19 year old Xander looked out to the dingy, dilapidated building with the sign ‘The Iron Academy’ bolted to the front. ‘And you’re right. But I’m straightened out now, Frank. I promise you. And I won’t fall into that place again.’
Frank smiled, placing his hand on X’s shoulder. ‘You know where I am.’
‘Always.’
Despite the run-down appearance outside, the interior was actually fairly well presented. Banners from HEADLOCK Pro Wrestling; a defunct organisation that was one of the biggest in North America from the forties up until around the turn of the millennium, hung around the sides of the gym. They detailed some of their biggest events, as well as some of the biggest stars they’d had over the years; high fliers like The Great Avenger and Oscar Sanchez (Abi and Xander’s favourite wrestlers respectively), technicians, powerhouses, and the like. One name and face reverberated around the room more than any other however
Jackson King. King was known as a perennial bridesmaid; never winning the big one. Known also more for his technical ability and submissions than anything else, he was a feared opponent, and hated by all fans. But Xander knew two things. Firstly, this man knew what it took to be a pro-wrestler. And secondly, his school was the closest and the only one he could afford with his saved up money.
His attention was then further drawn, however, by what was in the middle of the room. A ring. Three ropes, four corners, just as it should be. A smile grew on his face, and he walked closer and closer, reaching out his hand…
‘What do you want, kid?’
Xander stopped in his tracks and spun round. Standing in the doorway to the changing rooms was the man himself; real name Geoff Kingsley. And…by all accounts, he didn’t look too different. He’d been retired for three years and at 42 he still looked like he could go in the ring with little issue.
‘Mr Kingsley?’
‘Kid, I asked you a question.’
‘Well, I…err…’ Xander took a huge gulp of air and bit the bullet. ‘I want to train to be a wrestler.’
Kingsley stood there for a moment, stoic. His eyes rolled, and he walked towards Xander…ever closer…and walked straight past him.
‘You wanna be a pro-wrestler, huh?’ He pushed himself up onto the ring apron and sat there, staring at the young, scrawny kid in front of him. ‘What are you, a buck-thirty?’
‘I…I don’t…’
‘How much do you weigh? Jesus…’
‘I don’t know…err…about a hundred and forty-‘
‘Christ. And you wanna wrestle. Get famous, be a big star. Be the World Champion, right?’
‘No, sir. I just wanna wrestle.’
Kingsley sat there for a moment, shaking his head. ‘Kid, you won’t last ten seconds. Trust me.’
‘I’m tougher than I look.’
‘Oh I’m sure you are, but I’m not as patient as I look. Tell me kid; who’s your favourite wrestler. Go on.’
‘I…it’s Oscar Sanchez, sir.’
Geoff turned his head slightly, almost out of shock. ‘Okay…if nothing else you have taste. Tell me; what is it you like about him.’
‘He has a flow to him that others don’t. Guys like the Great Avenger have loads of fans because of the amazing moves he can do. Sanchez seems lower-key by comparison but everything he does is smooth, and has purpose.’
Kingsley smiled. ‘How old are you?’
‘Nineteen.’
‘You got a good head on your shoulders. But do you think you can take this life. What it does to the body. To the soul?’’
Xander walked up to Kingsley; the intimidation that was in his eyes had evaporated at the question. ‘I know I can.’
September 2005
'So, it’s important to know why you need this base set of skills in order to go out there and get booked. What you do there is your own choice, but I am not having any of you go out there and embarrass my name. You’re being trained, properly, from the ground up in all technical aspects. Now lets get to it.’
The class duly separated to different areas of the gym, to different machines, benches, mats, while Geoff made his way into the ring, with a hawk-like view of everything. Xander walked over to him.
‘Mr Kingsley sir-‘
‘God-dammit, if I knew you’d ask so many questions I’d have raised the damn price.’
‘I just…when are we going to be looking at top-rope moves?’
Kingsley rubbed his hands in his face. ‘Kid, did you ever see me head to the top rope?’
‘Err…’
‘And on the occasion that I did, did you ever see it go well?’
‘No, but-‘
‘-so why would I be teaching something that I know nothing about. That’s the point, kid, you find your strengths and cover your weaknesses. I never went to the top rope so I stayed away as much as I could. Why; do you fancy yourself as a high-flier?’
‘I just…I dunno, I was just wondering.’
Kingsley rubbed his forehead and sighed. ‘Get in there with Ramirez. He’s grasped the best technical aspects of the game so far. You get in there, and pick up what he’s doing right.’ He looked up and smiled, shaking his head; ‘Get the basics first, and get them well. That way you can always fall back on them. After that…whatever you choose to do with your career is your choice, kid.’
Xander nodded, and rolled into the ring, where a bigger, more experienced student awaited.
March 2006
'That’s it, just a little more.’
Xander manoeuvred his legs to lift his body off the mat, putting all the pressure into the headlock his opponent was trapped in. Within a few seconds, Xander had transitioned into a guillotine choke, legs wrapped around his opponent. His fellow trainee duly tapped, not wanted to lose consciousness.
‘Well done. Both of you. That’s some good solid technique on that choke, Xander.’ Xander held his hand out and pulled the other student to his feet. ‘Harry, get in the ring. I want you and Xander to run a drill.’
Harry, a kid about the same height and weight as Xander, though with about two months more experience under him, rolled into the ring.
‘Okay guys, here’s what’s gonna happen. You're gonna have a little match.’
‘A-a what?’
‘You heard. Now, I’ll be a little lenient on you both, and I’ll throw some advice out there as you go. But you need to know what it’s like to be competing. Now, some ground rules. Normal stipulations apply, and I won’t allow closed fists. Save that shit for the real matches. Other than that, see who can put the other away first. Got it?’
‘Yes sir!’ Xander and Harry both shouted.
‘Then if you’re ready…go!’
The rest of the students had gathered around the ring, as Xander and this kid, Harry, circled each other. They locked up in the middle of the ring, with Harry managing to manoeuvre into a side-headlock. Feeling the pressure against his skull, Xander pushed him to the ropes, forcing him to relinquish the hold as he shot to the other side of the ring. Xander tensed himself and stuck his shoulder out, hoping to knock his opponent down. But to no avail; X was the one who dropped to the canvas on impact.
‘Come on, Xander. Rely on what you’ve been taught. Not what you’ve seen.’
Before he could do anything again, Xander found himself trapped in a grounded headlock. He managed to move his body around, and grasp Harry’s head with his legs.
‘Yes, good!!! Very good.’
Harry struggled, before managing to kick himself out of the hold. As he did though, Xander kipped up, and threw him with a huge hip toss, followed by an arm drag, then by a snap suplex.
‘Nice technique there, kid!’
X smiled, and looked down at Harry, lying prone. He had half a mind to go for the cover…but then he looked towards the corner. He’d done some gymnastics at school and was good at flipping and tumbling, so how hard could it be, right?
‘Xander, finish him. Don’t time waste.’
X blocked the words out and took a deep breath, climbing until he reached the top rope. He steadied himself, before leaping back, and by all accounts it was a fairly average moonsault. But in Xander’s mind, it was the most gracious thing anyone had ever seen. He flew there for what felt like minutes, slowly drifting down…
…to the mat. Hard, as Harry had rolled out the way. The wind was sucked straight out of him, as he lay there prone and beaten.
‘S-shit.’
‘Dammit.’
Harry rolled Xander over and covered him, Kingsley making a fast three count.
‘Xander, you alright kid?’
‘Y-yeah. That just…hurt more than I thought.’
‘Now you know why I don’t go up there.’
‘Point taken.’
Kingsley walked over to Harry; no doubt giving him a few words of encouragement. He then dismissed the class for a break, before bringing another student over to Xander in the ring.
‘How you feeling?’
‘Better.’
‘Good. Now…’ Kingsley pointed up to the Oscar Sanchez banner. ‘Do you know what Sanchez used as a finish in his first match?’
Xander sighed. ‘It was an abdominal stretch-‘
‘-exactly! He didn’t learn the amazing things that he could do at wrestling school. Instead, he focused on being able to beat people, and being able to keep them down on the mat. Then, he experimented once he had a few miles on his soul.’ He put his hand on X’s shoulder. ‘I get it. You already have a style and, by all accounts that was a decent moonsault. But nail the fundamentals, and get out there making a living first. You got that?’
Xander took a moment, before nodding back. ‘Yes sir.’
‘Good. Now, Simpson here is gonna work with you on some of those holds. I want you to start with that guillotine again. You’ve got a nice technique with it. So go ahead; try and lock it on him.’
Xander moved into the middle of the ring, where Simpson waited. Without much hesitation, Xander leapt forward, planting him with a DDT, before tightening the grip around his neck and locking his legs around his body…