Catch Wrestling - Training with Tony
Cecchine
by Jason Carr 2 August 2003
First
of all my trip to Tony Cecchine's (Pronounced Checkeeny) wouldnÕt have gone ahead
if it wasnÕt for a good friend of mine Chris Chapman from South Wales, Chris had
been in contact with Tony for a couple of years, been on the Catch wrestle forum
and bought his tapes.
Chris
and I only get together a couple of times a year (I live in Hastings) and I'd
only had just over a year of bjj training ,grappling wise, but he knew if I had
exposure to catch wrestling I'd love it. Tony invited Chris over to train and
take part in the first meeting of I.C.W.A. members (international catch wrestling
assoc.) in June, and Chris cleared it for me to go along with him. I realised
I was lucky because it was strictly invite or for members only, whats more we'd
be staying at his home for the full 12 days we were going to be there.
June soon came and after a long 7 hours on Indian Airlines we arrived in Chicago
3 hours late. We started wondering how much and how long a cab would take to get
to Tony's place because there was no way he'd still be there, when I recognised
a tower of a man walking around looking for us, up to this point he didnÕt even
know what Chris looked like, 3 hours late and heÕs still there waiting for us,
this and the fact that we were staying at his house just set the level of generosity
and kindness we'd see throughout the next fortnight.
We
got there on a Friday, a week and a day before the meeting which included a 5
hour seminar. We were the first to arrive along with a guy from Alabamma who was
a blue belt under Royce but now a catch convert. There would be people coming
in all week from Texas,Florida,California,Boston,NY,Virginia as well as Tony's
guys from Chicago, and all with varied backgrounds in martial arts.
Chris
third from left on top, me third on bottom, Tony blue catch top on Shonie Carter
first on left.
That
night we went out on the town, Tony took us to a local of his where the training
beganÉHe asked us all to apply a standing double wristlock or Kimura, there are
differences in the way a bjjer and a catch wrestler do things and I can tell you
when Tony framed me up I was tapping and shouting like a baby in the middle of
a crowded pub! I thought my lower arm was gonna snap my wrist would pop and that
was even before he turned his attention to the shoulder part of the technique.
AWESOME!
We
had a great night and Tony's got a great sense of humour.
The
next day we went to Triton College, where they've got the biggest matted area
I've ever seen, so big its surrounded by a running track. Obviously used by the
college wrestlers and this is where Tony trains his guyÕs, we got straight to
it.
It wasn't
long before he realised we needed some basic wrestling skills like hip heist,
wizzers, sit throug'Õs, single and double legs but the right way and minutely
detailed. This is one thing about him he knows all the details, Thanks to the
hip heist alone I've more than doubled my ways of escaping any hold down. This
was all new to me and I was loving it, especially the stand-up portion which comes
from Greco, Freestyle and folk style.
Then
we went though the top wristlock "Americana" in BJJ terms. Tony used
me to demonstrate first he did it the conventional way then the catch way, one
detail being to grind his elbow point across my face and with meaning. I remember
thinking "now did he mean to do it that hard", yes is the answer because
this brought us into the realm of ripping, and done right your opponent will give
you any sub you want just to end the fight. He's got this down to a science and
will open anyone up like a can of sardines. When Tony's ripping you up it feels
like your being stabbed all over your body its relentless pain. This was only
the first day and we were both blown away!
Next
day, the conditioning starts, I was warned to be in shape and thought I was to
a degree but what a shock, over half an hour of plyometrics and intervals doesn't
sound much but it was more than I was used to, no rest and straight into standup
wrestling, one man on the mat and he gets to go for takedowns for two minutes
with each other person, one after the next, by this day there was 5 of us, then
on your back opponent on top in cross body position and go for escape or reversals
again through the rounds, then again free sparring from the feet (always from
the feet)
All
one after another I was exhausted. We then earned a 2 minute break and the education
part of the class started.
This type of training taught me that when you think you have nothing left you
HAVE to find it from somewhere Tony's a great coach who really pushes you beyond
what you think your capable of.
I
could hardly walk the next day so took a load of painkillers and they kicked in
just in time for the next 4 hour mammoth training session, and on it went through
the week with more people coming in everyday.
It would take too long to say what we did on the seminar but it was a great day
with no ego's or hierarchy just everyone getting along sharing knowledge and having
a laugh, the way it should be.
We
rounded off the day of the seminar by on of the attendees Mike Anderson laying
on a cracking meal for all of us at his (massive) pub, Shonie Carter sat right
opposite Chris and I and was talking about UFC, meeting Ian Freeman in Japan and
some of his fights which was interesting.
The
training in the day was great, to see Tony in action on the mat was priceless,
the chats in the nights about Lou Thesz who he knew and his mentor Stanley Radwan
was enlightening, and the lengths that Tony went to to make sure we enjoyed all
that Chicago has to offer was humbling.
This
type of wrestling has lasted over 2000 years and itÕll take a tough group of people
to carry the torch but it'll be worth it, I can see these styles catch ,greco
etc becoming popular again no doubt!
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