Everything is difficult at first
Nov 14, 2015 17:40:21 GMT -5
Post by Johnny Karma on Nov 14, 2015 17:40:21 GMT -5
As the people of Greensboro enjoy the mild and sunny weather on this mid-November day, but in the midst of it a storm is brewing - not in the skies, but sitting on a bench facing the Griffin Community Center, as Shintaro Majima sits facing the scene of his impending battle as he pictures the various outcomes in his mind, before he lowers his head slightly and opens his eyes to look directly at the camera
It was less than six months ago when I became a member of the Lions Den roster. I will not lie, in those early days there were times where I was feeling a weight on my shoulders as there was something missing between what I was capable of and what I was capable of doing. There are reasons for this, such as a long period of inactivity and having to adjust to living in a new country, yet these are just excuses – from the first moment I stepped into a Lions Den ring I should have destroyed my opponents, becoming more ruthless as I adjusted.
Pausing for thought, Majima slaps the back of one hand into the palm of another
Yet it cannot be denied that once the pieces were put into place, the results soon turned in my favour and opponents began to fall and my future opponents would find no comfort clinging to the idea that, if they withstood my strikes they would stand a chance of victory – instead they would have to ask how long they could withstand my strikes before they would be the next to fall. And just as my opponents began to fall one after another, the Old North Championship was created and I was placed into the match to determine who the first to hold this title shall be.
This appealed to me greatly.
Breaking off from what he is saying for a moment, Majima once more looks to the skies and breathes in deeply
Although the thought of lifting the first championship of my career should be the motivating factor for me, I find this does not satisfy me anywhere near as much as the idea of being the first person to hold the Old North Championship, as there is an important distinction: titles can be won and they can be lost, but being the first to hold a title is something that can never be taken away from you. Something else that can never be taken away is the idea of being the champion who all future champions will be judged by, an idea that both Nest and the Crimson Baroness are familiar with. Most importantly of all, a new title can be given legitimacy in the hands of the right champion, and I have to believe that I will be the right champion.
I will not deny that the idea of a battle royal is not one I am fond of, as I prefer the decisive victory to one where all it takes is a momentary lapse of concentration, or even the briefest distraction, and that is all it takes to create an opening for somebody to cheaply eliminate their opponent. This is not the way to claim superiority over your opponents, merely the way to claim victory. And claiming victory is the thing, as the match will be chaotic, there will be no order, so the only way to proceed is to keep a calm head as everyone else is losing theirs, and to strike with force and precision so there is one less head to worry about.
The most important thing is to not think that one opponent is a greater threat than another. Kellen Klein and Skylar Cloud may rely on their mouths to damage their opponents, but to dismiss them based on that is the sort of thing that can lead to a swift downfall, just as dismissing Becky or Cassandra Rowley for their smaller stature could lead to embarrassment, dismissing Aric Keaton as he does not want to be a wrestler can lead to the shame of being eliminated by somebody hoping they would be eliminated as soon as possible, or dismissing Butcher as I have already proved I can defeat him can lead to his seizing an opportunity for revenge.
Most importantly, I should not assume victory before I have stepped into the ring, as the complacency of an assumed victory will blunt my edge when I need to to be sharper than it has ever been. There are seven opponents, and even if all seven have fallen before me I should not become complacent, as victory means I have begun my new journey as champion, a journey that will bring far greater challenges than the journey to become champion ever did.
Word count: 794
It was less than six months ago when I became a member of the Lions Den roster. I will not lie, in those early days there were times where I was feeling a weight on my shoulders as there was something missing between what I was capable of and what I was capable of doing. There are reasons for this, such as a long period of inactivity and having to adjust to living in a new country, yet these are just excuses – from the first moment I stepped into a Lions Den ring I should have destroyed my opponents, becoming more ruthless as I adjusted.
Pausing for thought, Majima slaps the back of one hand into the palm of another
Yet it cannot be denied that once the pieces were put into place, the results soon turned in my favour and opponents began to fall and my future opponents would find no comfort clinging to the idea that, if they withstood my strikes they would stand a chance of victory – instead they would have to ask how long they could withstand my strikes before they would be the next to fall. And just as my opponents began to fall one after another, the Old North Championship was created and I was placed into the match to determine who the first to hold this title shall be.
This appealed to me greatly.
Breaking off from what he is saying for a moment, Majima once more looks to the skies and breathes in deeply
Although the thought of lifting the first championship of my career should be the motivating factor for me, I find this does not satisfy me anywhere near as much as the idea of being the first person to hold the Old North Championship, as there is an important distinction: titles can be won and they can be lost, but being the first to hold a title is something that can never be taken away from you. Something else that can never be taken away is the idea of being the champion who all future champions will be judged by, an idea that both Nest and the Crimson Baroness are familiar with. Most importantly of all, a new title can be given legitimacy in the hands of the right champion, and I have to believe that I will be the right champion.
I will not deny that the idea of a battle royal is not one I am fond of, as I prefer the decisive victory to one where all it takes is a momentary lapse of concentration, or even the briefest distraction, and that is all it takes to create an opening for somebody to cheaply eliminate their opponent. This is not the way to claim superiority over your opponents, merely the way to claim victory. And claiming victory is the thing, as the match will be chaotic, there will be no order, so the only way to proceed is to keep a calm head as everyone else is losing theirs, and to strike with force and precision so there is one less head to worry about.
The most important thing is to not think that one opponent is a greater threat than another. Kellen Klein and Skylar Cloud may rely on their mouths to damage their opponents, but to dismiss them based on that is the sort of thing that can lead to a swift downfall, just as dismissing Becky or Cassandra Rowley for their smaller stature could lead to embarrassment, dismissing Aric Keaton as he does not want to be a wrestler can lead to the shame of being eliminated by somebody hoping they would be eliminated as soon as possible, or dismissing Butcher as I have already proved I can defeat him can lead to his seizing an opportunity for revenge.
Most importantly, I should not assume victory before I have stepped into the ring, as the complacency of an assumed victory will blunt my edge when I need to to be sharper than it has ever been. There are seven opponents, and even if all seven have fallen before me I should not become complacent, as victory means I have begun my new journey as champion, a journey that will bring far greater challenges than the journey to become champion ever did.
Word count: 794
