A Dance in Grapples - Sable (LWS)

I recently got to square off against Sable, who is one of the most competitive wrestlers at the London Wrestling Studio in the UK.  I had heard so much about her both online and through friends who recommended that I should definitely not miss meeting her if I was game for a great competitive match.  And she totally did not disappoint to say the least!

Upon meeting her, the first thing you'll notice is she is quite nice, soft spoken and polite.  Some people have even apparently said that she is actually "too nice!"  I don't know about that but I can definitively say that once you're in a wrestle with her you won't have time to speculate on her demeanor as she calmly and forcefully flows from hold to hold with a constant, crushing strength that endures seemingly forever.

While stretching out for our 20 minute competitive video match, my eyes were magnetized to Sable's naturally muscular hips, thighs and calves that surely only come from a years of classical dance training.  Though I was slightly bigger overall (180 lbs to her 165lbs), her legs were easily bigger than mine and I likely much stronger too.  I was eager for a fun match!

We started the first of our 10 minute rounds and the first thing she does is pull me into a headlock as we go to the mats.  This was my first chance to feel just how strong Sable was.  Her strength is absolutely crushing!  I found myself on my back as she squeezed away from on top.  I immediately felt the temptation to submit.  For all my sizing up of her legs I had definitely let the thought of her upper body strength fly under my radar!  Her arms and shoulders are solid with muscle and with her weight laying on me.  I was not strong enough to force my way up.  

After a few more seconds I got my hips under hers and rolled her towards her back.  Instead of resisting as most of my opponents do Sable rolled to her back and flowed through taking me right back over with her until I was on my back again.  Her arms still clamped tightly around my head.  This is something that's very unique about her style.  Wrestling with Sable is like a dance.  She gracefully flows from one position to the next and if you reverse her, then she'll go with your momentum and reverse you back.  When she has the advantage she seems equally comfortable using her grappling skills or using her formidable strength to crush you into place.  From seemingly any position she can wrap around you like a snake and sap the strength right out of you.  She has a vice like grip that is constantly challenging you, forcing you to exert your own strength to fight hers.  I have to say wrestling Sable is definitely one of the most exhausting matches I've ever had!  She is strong, determined and relentless in every minute of every fall!  So much for nice!

With all my heavy fitness training, I have been enjoying an endurance advantage in many of my matches lately.  But after each crushing fall with Sable I was definitely winded and catching my breath and feeling the burn in my arms and my legs from a constant muscle struggle against hers.  I was wondering if I was having an off day and tiring quicker than normal but I found that it's just that she is that strong.  And I found out first hand just how powerful those legs of hers are when they twice squeezed the fight out of me; once in a body scissors and once in a head scissors.  I was able to turn the tables on her here and there with my legs and a sneaky arm lock, but in the end I was thoroughly exhausted strength wise.  I was happy to learn she had found me equally exhausting. It was a truly grueling competitive match to be sure with both of us gaining multiple submissions on each other.  True competitive mixed.

It was seriously so much fun to wrestle Sable.  She lived up to all the hype I had heard from my friends and more.  It's unique to wrestle someone who is at once so strong and so graceful in her demeanor and movement.  Sable is obviously skilled and her sheer strength is shocking!  She mentioned that she is used to having a full hour to wear her opponents down, especially in mixed wrestling.  I can't imagine how exhausting and fun that might be but I can't wait to try!

Rolling with the SQUEEZE! (Julie Squeeze)

Julie Squeeze has been quieter in recent months compared to not so long ago when her name seemed to pop up on practically daily on many wrestling sites.  The reason turns out to be that she has been nursing some nagging chronic pain which thankfully is finally starting to go away for her with treatment.  She's still as tough and as eagerly competitive as ever though fighting at a trimmer 128 or so, down from when she was closer to a solid 140.  She says she plans to put much of that muscle back on when her body is ready to handle the training.  But I think this will actually make her more on the "stronger than ever" side than the "back to full strength" side of things, which I recently found out first hand.

I was playing Candy Crush (level 147 btw) when I saw the text come in.  She was coming to NYC and calling me out!  She said she had waited in doing so her last couple of trips because she wanted to be at her full strength for me.  Fair enough!  I replied and we went about setting up a Thursday night rumble!  When I finally got to see her she looked stunning!  Super fit and trim, athletic as always.  We chatted and caught up for a few moments before squaring off and locking up!

Since she is a good deal lighter and I'm also a lot stronger than I used to be I was able to throw her weight around a little more effectively than I have in times past.  The way it used to go (and the way it went in our last video) was that she would muscle me to the floor and I would just not have enough strength to budge her.  From there she would transition into any submission hold she preferred, usually her trademark scissors!  This time we were definitely more even.  I was able to submit her a few times and she was able to submit me just as many times if not a few more! (If I had to guess... like around 8-9 or 8-10?)  Part of the reason for this is I wanted to see if I could actually withstand her strength at times and I'd end up having to tap for my curiosity. :)

"So I've still got it?" she would smirk at me after a particularly punishing head scissor.

"Hell yeah you do!" I said as I shook the stars away.

We went back and fourth like this for a long time.  At one point she was able to lock me in a body triangle and squeeze me tighter than I think I may have ever been squeezed.  This excited her because it was a new technique for her and she said it took far less effort to lock on a sustained crush than it did with a straight body scissors.  We practiced this on eachother a few times.  She was definitely better at it!

Despite that we can both be very competitive people this match had a definite playfulness to it which was nice.  She's such a nice, genuine person!  Definitely wears her heart on her sleeve.

After our rumble we went out for food which was fun.  She wore a blue summer dress and looked like a total knockout.  The next day we met up for coffee too and chatted it up until I just had to get back to my day job sadly.  It wasn't going to take them much longer to realize I had closed the door to my room so they would think I just wanted quiet and no disturbances when in reality I had stealthy slid out the side door over and hour earlier.

So that's my most recent path crossing with Julie Squeeze!  She's really doing better than ever and seems very happy in life right now.  And she's getting stronger and stronger by the day!  Something to keep me motivated with my fitness if I want to continue to be able to offer her any real challenge. ;)