So what's it take?

[Guest The Mighty Damaramu]

You know. We watch Tough Enough and see all this crap on TLC about what it is to be a WWE wrestler. And sometimes you think, "whatever it's for the cameras" and sometimes you think "wow must be hard".

But what does it take to become a Puro wrestler? Like what kind of training does it entail? I'm sure it's harder and longer than American training but like how hard is it to make it? Is it hard to get to the big leagues? Is it hard to make it past anything indy? Would it be more profitable for an aspiring wrestler to move to Japan and train there?

[Guest The Mighty Damaramu]

Well here's a few other points I thought of.

In Japan it would seem you have to be in great cardiovascular shape as opposed to being a steroid freak who gets winded taking 2 steps.

I just want to know what kind of training the newbies go through there? Where do they train? How long do they train?

And is it more beneficial to wrestle there than in America? Is it easier to make it there?

[Guest HartFan86]

Well, you have to take pain good.

 

You don't just get kicked in the face as hard as the other guy can kick you without hurting a little.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Don't know where it would could be found, but someone posted a pretty interesting read by Tom Zenk on Kawada's trip to North America and how it was expected of him and others to go through an extraneous learning period before getting any kind of push. It also talks about the attitude towards steroids in Japan, which would also answer some of your questions there.

 

I know someone around here has the link.

[Guest goodhelmet]

ask and you shall receive...

 

 

 

http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Arena/9...93/column17.htm

[Guest HartFan86]

Intresting read....but you have to realize the wrestling business has changed drastically since 15 years ago, so you can only take Zenk's word as he saw it in his eyes 15 years ago....not 2002.

[Guest Grenouille]

Here's a story about NJPW holding their tryouts for the dojo. credit:Strong Style Spirit

 

New Japan ran it's annual tryout for dojo entrants at 10am on 11/16. It took place at New Japan's Setagaya Dojo, with around 24 hopefuls in attendance. Also in attendance to observe and test the youngsters were Kengo Kimura, Osamu Kido, Black Cat, Jushin Thunder Liger, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, and Minoru Tanaka. Athletes of all different backgrounds, including amaresu, judo, karate, boxing, American football, volleyball, baseball, and speed skating were there. One of last year's successful candidates, Fujihiro Ushiro, was in attendance. He got injured last time though, so missed out, and hopes to gain entry again.

 

They started with a physical test to determine the stability of their body, and also test their stamina. They were firstly made to run 50m, and were timed by wrestlers, who held stopwatches. After that, they had to do the same, but holding a person of similar weight.

 

Back inside the dojo, things got tougher. They had to do, in succession, 500 squats, 50 push-ups, and 100 abdominal muscle exercises. Those who couldn't get through this were immediately sent home, and those who survived it moved on to the final selection test. Only nine men survived this.

 

The remnants of the stern training had to do fundamental movements, such as backward turning and forward rolling with legs astride. They then had to do high bridges with their noses touching the mat. Two people were sent home after this, and Nagata said they did well, and told them to return next year.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

Intresting read....but you have to realize the wrestling business has changed drastically since 15 years ago, so you can only take Zenk's word as he saw it in his eyes 15 years ago....not 2002.

That goes without saying. However, it helps to understand just how dedicated guys like Kawada, Misawa, Kobashi ect. are when you hear about the training regiments they worked. Of course, that might not be an accurate portrayal of the system used today, but it's still helpfull if you want insight into "what it takes."

[Guest HartFan86]

Intresting read....but you have to realize the wrestling business has changed drastically since 15 years ago, so you can only take Zenk's word as he saw it in his eyes 15 years ago....not 2002.

That goes without saying. However, it helps to understand just how dedicated guys like Kawada, Misawa, Kobashi ect. are when you hear about the training regiments they worked. Of course, that might not be an accurate portrayal of the system used today, but it's still helpfull if you want insight into "what it takes."

Well, of course. I'm not taking away from the fact these guys have balls.

 

I just doubt you see people washing Vince McMahon down or cooking for him these days.

[EL DANDY~! 0]

I will say this...

 

Nagata, Lyger, and the like over at NJPW know how to test their young lions. It's amazing what those guys had to go through. It made me go CRAZY just LOOKING at what they had to do...

[Guest The Mighty Damaramu]

So how profitable is it to be a new up and coming wrestler in Japan? And how willing are they to create new stars?

[Guest PlatypusFool]

That depends entirely on the company you manage to work yourself into.

 

These new NJPW dojo boys, they are gonna do alright for themselves. They work in the dojo for a few years, training hard and helping out the older wrestlers with their cleaning and stuff, before finally getting introduced to a show, and it goes from there. Your standard NJPW guy starts in show openers, losing basic matches to other new guys, before either forming a team with other rookies and one veteran (e.g the now defunct SWING-LOWS) or going on a learning excursion to another country, either of which will help the wrestler make a name for himself and slowly work his way up the card. The pay in NJPW will also be very reasonable, and the knowledge that if you work hard you will be rewarded with higher pay must always be a good thing.

 

In contrast, getting into somewhere like M-Pro will be a lot harder. The pay will be miserable in M-Pro and the other indies, and it's luck that takes you to the top rather than anything else. You either get lucky and are spotted by one of the big promotions, or you work your ass off in the undercard hell forever until you get bored of it (e.g Naniwa). There isn't really a chance to advance as the top guys never go anywhere due to 'loyalty' or actually owning the promotions themselves.

[Guest The Mighty Damaramu]

So...hmm.....sounds about like America. I can't figure out which one is better to start out in.

 

By the way I'm not aspiring to be a wrestler if that's what you're thinking from this post. I am just curious.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

He asked a lot of questions about side effects and if his dick size or balls would be affected.

 

Nice to see that they worry about some of the other important stuff in life too...

[Guest cynicalprofit]

Here's a story about NJPW holding their tryouts for the dojo. credit:Strong Style Spirit

New Japan ran it's annual tryout for dojo entrants at 10am on 11/16. It took place at New Japan's Setagaya Dojo, with around 24 hopefuls in attendance. Also in attendance to observe and test the youngsters were Kengo Kimura, Osamu Kido, Black Cat, Jushin Thunder Liger, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, and Minoru Tanaka. Athletes of all different backgrounds, including amaresu, judo, karate, boxing, American football, volleyball, baseball, and speed skating were there. One of last year's successful candidates, Fujihiro Ushiro, was in attendance. He got injured last time though, so missed out, and hopes to gain entry again.

They started with a physical test to determine the stability of their body, and also test their stamina. They were firstly made to run 50m, and were timed by wrestlers, who held stopwatches. After that, they had to do the same, but holding a person of similar weight.

Back inside the dojo, things got tougher. They had to do, in succession, 500 squats, 50 push-ups, and 100 abdominal muscle exercises. Those who couldn't get through this were immediately sent home, and those who survived it moved on to the final selection test. Only nine men survived this.

The remnants of the stern training had to do fundamental movements, such as backward turning and forward rolling with legs astride. They then had to do high bridges with their noses touching the mat. Two people were sent home after this, and Nagata said they did well, and told them to return next year.

 

HOLY FUCKING SHIT THATS MURDER.

 

Theres goes that dream of getting trained by a japanese wrestler.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

I would think it's about equal to get into NJPW as old-school NWA promotions because you need to be athletic and have charisma, where in Japan all you need is ringh skills and probobly easier than the AWA. (Ricky Steamboat was the ONLY ONE to graduate from his AWA training camp class.) Seriously, the AWA was fucking INSANE to get into.