Quote Originally Posted by generalmeow View Post
Join a local high school's club wrestling team. I'm not joking. Having a wrestling base is a great advantage, but once you're out of high school that ship seems to have sailed. But it really hasn't. It's just that nobody does it.

Any local club team is theoretically for all ages, but in reality it's mostly kids and high schoolers. Tournaments go up to the open age class. And many of the high schoolers will dominate you if you're in the right place. They'd give you all you want, and that's all you need to get better at anything. Many of you probably laugh at the thought, but it's honestly not a question of if they're good enough for you, it's if you're good enough for them. Find out where the returning state champs around your weight go to school, and try to go there. Go to open room practices around the area. There will be no lack of competition.

If you feel weird about it, arrange to wrestle with just the coaches for 20 minutes and see if you like it. They won't beg you to come wrestle there like you're doing them a favor, but they'd probably be willing to treat you just like anyone else. It would be inexpensive ($50 for months maybe), great workouts, and would help immensely with takedowns and being on your feet.

Please don't hurt 'em Hammer. That would be the big no-no. If you're way stronger than someone, don't crush them. You'd have to take it easy for a while until you learn what you're doing. Once you get in the groove, then you can go all out. It's strong guys that don't know anything that cause injuries.

Source: I was a high school coach for 10 years. We never had a 25 or 35 year old who knew nothing come ask to do this, but I think it would have been acceptable. To keep the parents happy, we probably would have made him get fingerprinted and get a background check, just like the coaches have to do. But other than that, it wouldn't be weird at all. The kids are wrestling with older guys (coaches and alumni) every single day already, it's just that they've been checked out or we knew who they were. If you're a stranger, it's a little bit different, but has nothing to do with being older and wanting to learn how to wrestle.
That is a damn good idea. I just might go back to my old high school and see if they would be down for an arrangement like this.