Do not regret what is done
Nov 15, 2015 16:50:19 GMT -5
Post by Johnny Karma on Nov 15, 2015 16:50:19 GMT -5
Once again we find ourselves in the same place we were before, the bench outside the Griffin Community Center - but this is not returning to the same location a day later, instead we find that Shintaro Majima still has a lot to say on the subject of the battle royal to crown the very first Old North Champion
For most matches, victory comes from preparation. If you study your opponent you will see patterns in their approach and when you know these patterns you can predict their movements and respond accordingly - but studying your opponent is only one part of approaching, as you also need to prepare the match that you want to wrestle, knowing which offence to hit at which time to take advantage of your opponent and usher them towards defeat. Yet this is what I cannot do for this match, as there is no pattern, there is no match that I want to wrestle, as all that I can do is react to each and every situation I find myself in. This is the difference between a general and a soldier: a general has the plan he wants put into action, but there are times the plan does not work and it is up to the soldiers to keep their heads and regroup.
What makes a soldier is not the weapon he carries, but the training he has taken. You cannot put a weapon into the hand of any person and expect them to be the perfect warrior, it takes time and patience for them to learn what is required on the battlefield - and this is what I have been preparing for.
Thinking about this for a moment, Majima tilts his head a couple of inches to one side with an audible cricking sound from his neck, before he continues
There will be seven other people with their eyes fixed on the Old North Championship, all willing to do anything it takes in order to be the champion, and each of them has their own story to tell about who they are and why the title means something. For example, Butcher can say he came close to defeating Nest for the Apex Championship, but coming close is just another way of saying that he lost - so he is looking for redemption, and this match offers precisely what he needs. But even though I know this, I will not focus all my energies on making sure Butcher does not stand between me and the idea of being the very first Old North Champion, as there are six others who will be looking to take advantage of the distraction and make a name for themselves in doing so.
No, my focus will not be on one person or another in the ring, my focus will be on making sure I will be the one person standing in the ring once the match is finished.
Although it looks as if Majima will continue talking, there's a noticeable pause in his speaking - and then he changes the subject entirely
As I have said before, the idea of being the first-ever champion is appealing to me far more than the idea of winning a title from somebody, but there is something more than that. To me this is a different kind of redemption, because the path to reach this point has been more difficult than people first believe. I may have said that I am in this position within six months of making my Lions Den debut, but this is not the first time I have been employed in the United States. The difference is that, the previous time, I spent all that time applying for a visa, working out a contract and moving to a new country only to never set foot in the ring, and that led to me returning home with thoughts of failure in my mind.
To return with thoughts of proving those who doubted me wrong, and to dispel the doubts within my own mind, was always my intention. At first it seemed those doubts were well founded, as performances did not become victories, but rather than retreat I attacked my doubts head-on and now my performances lead to victories and I stand on the cusp of winning the Old North Championship. More than any thoughts of being the first to hold a championship, it is the knowledge that victory will put every single doubt to rest that drives me for this match, and that is why I must emerge from battle as the last man standing.
Word count: 765
For most matches, victory comes from preparation. If you study your opponent you will see patterns in their approach and when you know these patterns you can predict their movements and respond accordingly - but studying your opponent is only one part of approaching, as you also need to prepare the match that you want to wrestle, knowing which offence to hit at which time to take advantage of your opponent and usher them towards defeat. Yet this is what I cannot do for this match, as there is no pattern, there is no match that I want to wrestle, as all that I can do is react to each and every situation I find myself in. This is the difference between a general and a soldier: a general has the plan he wants put into action, but there are times the plan does not work and it is up to the soldiers to keep their heads and regroup.
What makes a soldier is not the weapon he carries, but the training he has taken. You cannot put a weapon into the hand of any person and expect them to be the perfect warrior, it takes time and patience for them to learn what is required on the battlefield - and this is what I have been preparing for.
Thinking about this for a moment, Majima tilts his head a couple of inches to one side with an audible cricking sound from his neck, before he continues
There will be seven other people with their eyes fixed on the Old North Championship, all willing to do anything it takes in order to be the champion, and each of them has their own story to tell about who they are and why the title means something. For example, Butcher can say he came close to defeating Nest for the Apex Championship, but coming close is just another way of saying that he lost - so he is looking for redemption, and this match offers precisely what he needs. But even though I know this, I will not focus all my energies on making sure Butcher does not stand between me and the idea of being the very first Old North Champion, as there are six others who will be looking to take advantage of the distraction and make a name for themselves in doing so.
No, my focus will not be on one person or another in the ring, my focus will be on making sure I will be the one person standing in the ring once the match is finished.
Although it looks as if Majima will continue talking, there's a noticeable pause in his speaking - and then he changes the subject entirely
As I have said before, the idea of being the first-ever champion is appealing to me far more than the idea of winning a title from somebody, but there is something more than that. To me this is a different kind of redemption, because the path to reach this point has been more difficult than people first believe. I may have said that I am in this position within six months of making my Lions Den debut, but this is not the first time I have been employed in the United States. The difference is that, the previous time, I spent all that time applying for a visa, working out a contract and moving to a new country only to never set foot in the ring, and that led to me returning home with thoughts of failure in my mind.
To return with thoughts of proving those who doubted me wrong, and to dispel the doubts within my own mind, was always my intention. At first it seemed those doubts were well founded, as performances did not become victories, but rather than retreat I attacked my doubts head-on and now my performances lead to victories and I stand on the cusp of winning the Old North Championship. More than any thoughts of being the first to hold a championship, it is the knowledge that victory will put every single doubt to rest that drives me for this match, and that is why I must emerge from battle as the last man standing.
Word count: 765
