Post by AJ Knight on Dec 2, 2023 21:45:28 GMT
Bastian Krull lunges forward, shooting for AJ’s leg. AJ in response sprawls, grabbing Bastian in a front facelock. The veteran shooter keeps pushing through, forcing them into the ropes.
“Clean break.” Bastian’s cool and collected voice signaling the end of the exchange, AJ breaks and the two return to center ring.
“Go!”
At Bastian’s instruction, the two begin to circle each other again. This time Krull moves forward, grabbing AJ in a front waistlock as he tries to secure AJ’s arms in a clinch. Suddenly AJ feels Bastian’s weight shift hard to the right.
Alright, broaden your base, lower your center of gravity.
With these adjustments AJ pushes Krull to a corner. A smirk spreads on Bastian’s face as he once more says “Clean break.”
At this point AJ was on target to make weight comfortably, and the sparring had been going well up to this point. He felt sharper, he felt stronger…
Nothing stopping me this time.
“Go!”
As they circle each other again, this time Bastian assumes a striking posture, pawing at AJ with jabs.
Wait for him to commit to something. Wait for the counter, then go.
Sure enough the opportunity comes, as Krull shows the palm strike. AJ ducks his head under as he closes distance…
But fails to see Bastian Krull cut an angle and sweep his leg out from under him as he moves forward. AJ falls flat on his face, and quickly finds Bastian Krull is in Back Side Control. Bastian hooks one of AJ’s arms between his legs, before securing the other with his arm. He prepares to bring an elbow down with his free arm, AJ flinches only to hear “Clean break!” just before it connects.
They both return to their feet and Bastian makes a “time out” gesture with his hands.
“You’re looking too far ahead again AJ.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s usually how you get beat. You were ready for my takedowns, my belly-to-belly throw, and you were more than ready for that palm strike. But you fell for the sweep. It was the simplest technique I tried, but that’s what caught you. Why do you think that is?”
“... because I wasn’t looking for it?”
Bastian Krull points at him and nods.
“And why weren’t you looking for it?”
AJ seems honestly kind of stumped on that one.
“You didn’t see the immediate danger of it. A takedown, a throw, or a hard strike are all immediate game changers. In those situations the complexion of things change the moment they connect, but the sweep? It’s situational for sure. But it put you in a very dangerous position. It doesn’t need to be a big move. It doesn’t need to be an obvious danger. It just needs to be something you didn’t think of until it’s too late.”
AJ seems embarrassed.
“Don’t you make that mistake in the tournament. No doubt, you should by all means beat Jin Hirai. And I don’t doubt you’re ready for the Jig N’ Tonic. But he’s been wrestling since you were in grade school. He’s got more than just that you put your shoulders down with Adam. Like today it takes a matter of seconds.”
AJ nods at him.
“No need to fear that. I’m ready for Hirai.”
“I don’t just mean the match. I know you, right now you’re looking at the other side of the bracket. The final. You’re thinking about MEZA… You’re thinking about Matt…”
Old man really does know me.
“They’re the immediate danger to you in everybody’s mind. Just like the takedown, the throw or the palm strike. Hirai is the leg sweep. And he can ruin your night before anybody else gets the chance.”
“I think I see what you’re getting at…”
“My point is, you rarely seem to lose to the finishers, or the big moves. You’re ready for those. You’re prepared to avoid those, and you have the perfect counter. With you it’s always the reversals, it’s the flash pins. Those little bits that seem so inconsequential… until you hear 3.”
AJ nods.
“I knew there was a reason I came to you old timer.”
Bastian smirks at AJ.
“Who better to teach you what you need to improve than the man who mastered your Achilles heel? You came here a year ago talking about wanting a legacy. Go out and claim it AJ. Make it happen kid!”
AJ shakes Bastian’s hand, hitting the showers with a newfound confidence.
It's all mine for the taking!
“Clean break.” Bastian’s cool and collected voice signaling the end of the exchange, AJ breaks and the two return to center ring.
“Go!”
At Bastian’s instruction, the two begin to circle each other again. This time Krull moves forward, grabbing AJ in a front waistlock as he tries to secure AJ’s arms in a clinch. Suddenly AJ feels Bastian’s weight shift hard to the right.
Alright, broaden your base, lower your center of gravity.
With these adjustments AJ pushes Krull to a corner. A smirk spreads on Bastian’s face as he once more says “Clean break.”
At this point AJ was on target to make weight comfortably, and the sparring had been going well up to this point. He felt sharper, he felt stronger…
Nothing stopping me this time.
“Go!”
As they circle each other again, this time Bastian assumes a striking posture, pawing at AJ with jabs.
Wait for him to commit to something. Wait for the counter, then go.
Sure enough the opportunity comes, as Krull shows the palm strike. AJ ducks his head under as he closes distance…
But fails to see Bastian Krull cut an angle and sweep his leg out from under him as he moves forward. AJ falls flat on his face, and quickly finds Bastian Krull is in Back Side Control. Bastian hooks one of AJ’s arms between his legs, before securing the other with his arm. He prepares to bring an elbow down with his free arm, AJ flinches only to hear “Clean break!” just before it connects.
They both return to their feet and Bastian makes a “time out” gesture with his hands.
“You’re looking too far ahead again AJ.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s usually how you get beat. You were ready for my takedowns, my belly-to-belly throw, and you were more than ready for that palm strike. But you fell for the sweep. It was the simplest technique I tried, but that’s what caught you. Why do you think that is?”
“... because I wasn’t looking for it?”
Bastian Krull points at him and nods.
“And why weren’t you looking for it?”
AJ seems honestly kind of stumped on that one.
“You didn’t see the immediate danger of it. A takedown, a throw, or a hard strike are all immediate game changers. In those situations the complexion of things change the moment they connect, but the sweep? It’s situational for sure. But it put you in a very dangerous position. It doesn’t need to be a big move. It doesn’t need to be an obvious danger. It just needs to be something you didn’t think of until it’s too late.”
AJ seems embarrassed.
“Don’t you make that mistake in the tournament. No doubt, you should by all means beat Jin Hirai. And I don’t doubt you’re ready for the Jig N’ Tonic. But he’s been wrestling since you were in grade school. He’s got more than just that you put your shoulders down with Adam. Like today it takes a matter of seconds.”
AJ nods at him.
“No need to fear that. I’m ready for Hirai.”
“I don’t just mean the match. I know you, right now you’re looking at the other side of the bracket. The final. You’re thinking about MEZA… You’re thinking about Matt…”
Old man really does know me.
“They’re the immediate danger to you in everybody’s mind. Just like the takedown, the throw or the palm strike. Hirai is the leg sweep. And he can ruin your night before anybody else gets the chance.”
“I think I see what you’re getting at…”
“My point is, you rarely seem to lose to the finishers, or the big moves. You’re ready for those. You’re prepared to avoid those, and you have the perfect counter. With you it’s always the reversals, it’s the flash pins. Those little bits that seem so inconsequential… until you hear 3.”
AJ nods.
“I knew there was a reason I came to you old timer.”
Bastian smirks at AJ.
“Who better to teach you what you need to improve than the man who mastered your Achilles heel? You came here a year ago talking about wanting a legacy. Go out and claim it AJ. Make it happen kid!”
AJ shakes Bastian’s hand, hitting the showers with a newfound confidence.
It's all mine for the taking!