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THE PSYCOLOGY OF
SUCCESS
By The Mark
5/11/03
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beginning this a year ago I’ve had the opportunity to meet
and witness amazing people and events. I’ve spoken with some
of the country’s top performers, who have graced me with a
glimpse into their world. I’ve interviewed |
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up
and coming workers and aspiring promoters who work hard at
attaining dreams that can at some times be fleeting. All in
some form or another reached a level of success that some will
argue has etched itself into the wrestling world.
Last November I had the opportunity to talk to one young star
by the name of Chris Venom. Chris is a cornerstone worker that
is seen in many of New England’s top promotion, including
PWF-NE, ACW and the WFA to name a few. Not sure of what to
expect from this talented youngster I was pleasantly surprised
to find him quite soft-spoken and modest. When we began to
speak of training, we learned that he was a trainer for
SlamTech Wrestling University.
At the completion of our interview he graciously invited us to
the school to take a look around and meet with its owner and
head trainer Brutal Bob Evans. This idea intrigued me for a
couple of reasons. Again I’ve spoken with workers and
promoters a lot. Guys who over the years who have honed and
polished their craft to the delight of tens of thousands here
in New England. But where did it get its start? How did these
men come to their ability? Yes all athletes. But there had to
be more to it. Yeah I’ll admit it Flipper has hit me with
more than an occasional chair. There’s not a lot to selling
one. But what is that element that seems to evade some while
others seem to embrace the elusive quality. |
SlamTech Owner
& Head Trainer
"Brutal" Bob Evans |
I
had done some research on wrestling schools. I looked at some
of the most prominent schools in the country, but when zero
hour approached and the Wrestling Mark road crew swallowed
down its last fry and gulped down the last of the shakes,
something occurred to me. Up to this moment I had imagined
what a wrestling school would be like, but with all my
research I was still a |
a
little lost as to were this was heading. Kinda like a new
student may feel walking into SlamTech for the very first
time. That is when the decision was made that maybe I should
go in cold, no anticipation no preconceptions.
Pulling into the old mill area of Pawtucket I simply cleared
my head. I had the feeling this was going to be one hell of an
experience.
Stepping into the makeshift gymnasium they share with a small
promotion, the training facility is very Spartan. Right off
the bat this told me flash was not where they put their
energies. Everyone greets us and Chris introduces us to
everyone, from Brutal Bob, to his partner and best friend K.L.
Murphy, right down to the students. This made us all very at
ease. You learn very quickly that this is the norm here. The
atmosphere is very friendly and social.
But this is a place where careers are forged, and the work
begins right away. Starting with the whip drill, ducking
forearms and taking bumps. It gets everyone warmed up and in
the mindset to work. This is a custom he picked up from Steve
Bradley who picked it up from Les Thatcher . That is what
seems to drives Evans, the tradition and respect for the
business that is unparalleled and a dedication to pass on the
torch to the next generation.
On the wall is a picture of Norman Smiley with the words,
“Basics, Basics, Basics” that is what best describes the
training at SlamTech. Every move is broken down to moves of
inches. Bob Evans is very hands on. Not only do the students
learn how to do a headlock properly they learn why they are
applying the headlock and what they are trying to get across
to their audience. That’s right Psychology. That evasive
little thing that escapes so many.
What does this do? Simple, flow. By dissecting each and every
hold it helps the student understand how the match is moving.
And that seems to be what the students seem to pick up on
right away. Pacing themselves from beginning to end. Start low
and build to a high.
Safety is a primary concern for the trainers, students are
constantly checked to make sure of their well-being. Training
is very specialized to each individual student, and none are
allowed to rely on known familiar holds. Students are
constantly introduced to “something different” to help not
only progress their training but to motivate as well. Positive
reinforcement is an emphasis. Basic fundamentals and
Physiology, this is the name of the game.
Basics are the foundation, tie-ups and safe work. They attack
the small problems right away. You see Bob adjusting holds
constantly by only inches, but it is his and his staff’s
opinion that it’s the small things that gain big results.
Easy stuff is hard and hard stuff is easy. Don’t sell too
much, don’t sell to little.
Bob is the first person to tell you that the most important
thing in wrestling is credibility, the people buying what it
is that your doing. When first looking to open a school he
looked at what workers were doing, and what he saw was
basically an exhibition. He feels that many, not all, young
workers are selfish and wrestle for selfish reasons. “We
wrestle cause it’s an art form that we respect, and we
wrestle to entertain the people.”
One of the biggest compliments that Bob receives is when
someone tells him that they cheer for the heels, except for
him. That means that they buy the idea that he’s a jerk. He
wants to be booed he wants you to cheer for his opponent. That
shows him he is doing his job. “I’m a nice guy most of the
time, but in that ring… it’s what I’m doing.” One of
Bob’s strongest points is the ability to put a match
together, that people buy, and that is not lost on his
students.
How does SlamTech differ from many schools? Ask his students.
Many have come here from more prominent schools with bigger
reputations. Some have traveled halfway around the world to
train only to find themselves at Bob’s door because they had
become lost in the ocean of people that attend some of these
schools. Finding the trainers focus only on a select few
leaving the others to take a backseat. In some cases students
from these schools complain that the trainers did not feel
they had the right look, or even worse, the person they
thought would be training them rarely makes an appearance.
These students don’t realize their mistake until after a
large investment.
What separates SlamTech from other schools, Bob has a degree
in business management and is well read in customer service.
What many schools do is teach you a couple of holds, take a
bump, take your money and you’re done. “My business is
training people.” What Bob noticed early is that these guys
had talent, he never questioned that, his misconception was in
their dedication. What he soon learned however is that their
biggest problem was being improperly trained.
In fact ask Chris Venom and he will tell you how he would
suffer in pain thinking that, well that’s the business
attitude, never realizing that the reason he was being injured
was because of poor training. Ray a twenty-year-old student
who’s been with SlamTech for two months echoed the
sentiment. He had been injured on several occasions from
working with others who were also poorly trained. One thing
that stood out to Ray was the fact that there were a number of
trainers on hand, more personal attention. He found that the
strongest selling point of the school was that they are very
organized, everything happens for a reason.
Many of Bob’s students are starting to work on TV. This is
not something that is lost on him. “Watch the Rock or Benoit
put on a headlock, they know that the cameras are rolling”.
That’s why its important for the staff to always be watching
what everyone is doing. So that no bad habits are developed.
“I always tell these guys, it’s the little stuff that’s
gonna differentiate you from the other junk you see at these
wrestling shows.”
A lot of guys go out on a show with six matches and don’t
care about five of them. “My guys are gonna respect a
wrestling show” says Bob. They are taught not to use the
main eventer’s finisher, they don’t use chairs, and they
don’t upstage the rest of the show. They are also taught not
to disrespect other workers by taking liberties, such as
chopping the hell out their opponent’s chest.
Students are taught to be professional. It’s the
responsibility of a worker to know who he’s working with and
to know that person strong and weak points. Being safe is very
important, and knowing who you are working with is the first
step. Recently Chris had canceled on a show for that reason.
He was not comfortable with the situation. They are also urged
to take on as many shows as they can. This helps them with
their training.
So what should you look for in a school?
Number one is observing a school before putting your money
down. If you find that the person you thought was going to
train you is not even in the building, it’s probably a good
bet your not gonna get trained by him. Also look to see who is
doing the training. Have you seen them work before, and what
do you think of their work rate. Who has the school produced,
have you seen them, and what do you think of their work rate.
Price is also important, expect to pay a couple of grand, but
don’t pay ten grand. Watch out for money scams. If you’re
paying for a big name you want the big names experience. You
want a trainer who is well rounded and know what they are
doing. One school that that Bob highly recommends is Steve
Bradley’s school. Look for diversity in training.
But by far the most important part of training would have to
be the hands on personal instruction by the staff. Remember
this is why your there, to learn. If the staff is overworked
or uninvolved you might as well be watching TV. Another big
thing is safety. Yes injuries are an all to real part of the
business however learning to prevent injuries to yourself and
others is of utmost importance.
My experience at SlamTech was one of a lifetime. I walked out
of the school that night with a real education. Many of us
including myself speculate on what it takes to become a real
professional. But it is extremely different once you see what
it takes first hand.
My hats off to the staff and students of SlamTech.
Slamtech Wrestling University
250 Esten Avenue
Pawtucket, RI
508-335-6634 |
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