The most difficult task for an aspiring wrestler is getting started. The Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy and Texas Wrestling Alliance were formed to help wrestlers get their feet in the door. Twenty-two years ago, Michael Shawn Hickenbottom had a dream of becoming a professional wrestler and a world champion. After having many doors slammed in his face, he was able to fulfill that dream with hard work, determination, and an unending passion to succeed. He now wants to provide young men and women with the opportunity to do the same.
Hundreds of wrestling schools and numerous independent promotions exist throughout the United States, but the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy is run by a former champion of the World Wrestling Federation. The school does not claim to be the biggest and the best, but it does promise qualified wrestlers that foot in the door and the opportunity to wrestle for the TWA, which is promoting shows in south Texas and has plans for broadcasts on a CBS affiliate in the San Antonio area.
At Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, the first two weeks of training for students is strictly cardiovascular. The foundation of the sports entertainment field is the wrestlers' physical ability to perform nonstop. Students start the day with laps, followed by five sets of squats, five sets of pushups, and five sets of abdominal crunches.
Students then start a circuit training regimen. This includes at least 10 rotations on Cybex equipment. Each student does 45 seconds of nonstop repetitions on each station for three rounds. They then move to the ring for some basic tumbling exercises - forward, backward, and three-quarter rolls. Then it's time for four sets of jumping rope at one-minute intervals. Students then move to the wheel (Backlund wheel) for four sets. After that comes the wheelbarrow routine, where two students exercise with one holding the feet of the other while the other walks on his hands. This helps the students learn to control someone else's body weight while controlling their own.
Then it's time to get in the ring and start working on the basics, such as lockups, holds, and reversals. Students ultimately progress to more complex moves, such as holds and falls. Students pair up and go through a review of what has been covered so they learn to pay attention to detail and avoid bad habits.
Students finish the workout with what are called "gassers." Gassers are sprint drills that require students to sprint to a certain point, then back to where they started, then to a farther spot and back again to the start, over and over again going farther away from the starting point.
As time goes on and students learn more, ring work replaces some of the cardiovascular and weight training. The school tries to teach respect and discipline as well, with students required to say "yes sir" and "no sir" to trainers throughout their workouts.
For information about the Shawn Michaels Wrestling Academy, call 1-900-32-TRAIN (fee applies) or send $5 (check or money order) with your name and address to:
Showstopper Promotions Inc., >br>
P.O. Box 461348
San Antonio, TX 78246