They were fearless and skillful warriors as depicted in Homer's Iliad and proudly followed Achilles into battle. Their name in Classical Greek was interpreted as "ant-people," whereas they were a collective that focused and worked together for a single cause. They took orders without question and were revered by all ancient cultures for their skill, prowess, and battlefield. In short, these were t
he heroes to the heroes. So too, is the mission of our wrestling club. Much like early Greek culture, we plan to build the best human beings and wrestlers through the master of Mind (Nous), Body (Soma), and Soul (Psuche). The mind can use techniques and philosophy to outthink your opponent and defeat him in a mental game. Wrestling can be like a chess match. The body is strength and conditioning that allows us to dominate our opponents physically. So wrestling can be blunt force trauma. And Soul is an "X-factor"; the specific drive and willpower needed to encompass our work ethic into a weapon. Wrestling can also be drive. These basal concepts equip our wrestlers to be well-rounded, and thus, highly effective on and off the mat. But our philosophy does not stop there with the Greeks. We draw heavily from various values from all over the world and from different backgrounds. Whether it is war treatise of "Bushido" from Sun Tzu Art of War or Yamamoto Tsunetomo's Hagakure to even Victorian poetry like William Ernest Henley Invictus, much of the world can be our teachers. Paired with techniques and ideology from today's greatest wrestling minds like Cary Kolat or Dan Gable, our club has become full of enlightened warriors ready to plunge headfirst into a high-level competition. And in this way, we will always be learning and evolving our wrestling to compete and eventually dominate the world of wrestling. Our coaches created the school itself differently than most. We are the only year-round Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling club in West Michigan. This was not designed as a money-making attempt or a means to stroke egos. It is, and will always be, a bastion for the future of American success in international wrestling competitions. The coaches felt that there was a void being created in the sport. Whether it is the rise of folkstyle opportunities, the spreading of alternative sports like mixed martial arts, or even a general sense of lethargy in people today, the fact remained that Freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling is going extinct. If not for us to continue, then who? This is not a threat to us but a challenge that we feel passionate about succeeding in. Of course, we spend significant time learning folkstyle, beach wrestling, judo, and even sambo (however, we do not show join manipulation or chokeholds. Those are reserved for our ju-jitsu and MMA classes). Our students consist of new wrestlers learning the basics, high school, and college fine-tuning their abilities, or senior and veteran level athletes continuing their dreams. From middle schoolers to mixed martial artists, everyone can get a great workout on our mats. The gym itself is not meant to make money, but we take small dues to keep our doors open and the heat on. We find that this makes it an excellent opportunity for wrestlers who can't afford expensive private lessons or exclusive summer camps a chance to learn and grow with those who can. We hope that you, along with the rest of the Myrmidons, are willing to work to pay back a sport that has given us all a purpose. How much are we willing to sacrifice for a brave new world? Will it be our minds, our bodies, or our souls? The lessons we learn daily from wrestling will only make us stronger. Help us turn hope into our dreams, our dreams into goals, and our plans into reality.
