{"id":54,"date":"2023-12-21T21:18:36","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T21:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/?p=54"},"modified":"2023-12-21T21:18:37","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T21:18:37","slug":"inclusive-newcastle-based-wrestling-school-improves-both-mental-and-physical-health-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/2023\/12\/21\/inclusive-newcastle-based-wrestling-school-improves-both-mental-and-physical-health-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Inclusive Newcastle-Based Wrestling School Improves Both Mental and Physical Health For Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Harry Miller<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftwacademy.co.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Full Tilt Wrestling Academy<\/a> has been training students since 2012 and has been credited for improving the well-being of their students, especially post-pandemic. Many students signed up for training once the lockdown had ended to reintegrate themselves into social settings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTW Academy Student Callum Wilson said: \u201cI started straight after coming out of lockdown. It\u2019s been brilliant, it gives you a real importance to stay on top of your fitness but also it engages you mentally. It\u2019s changed the way I look at things, I\u2019ve stopped drinking, I\u2019m in a better shape than I\u2019ve ever been and I have a focus I\u2019ve never had before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"575\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1024x575.png\" alt=\"FTW Student Callum Wilson, also known as Jim Wilson, at the Full Tilt Academy in Walkerville.\" class=\"wp-image-55\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1024x575.png 1024w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1536x863.png 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>FTW Academy Student Callum Wilson at the Full Tilt Academy in Walkerville, Newcastle.<\/em> Photo by Harry Miller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anyone with an interest in becoming a wrestler is welcome to join the academy based near Walkerville, Newcastle with the youngest member being just 8-years-old and the eldest being in their mid-forties. People of all ages, gender identities and experience levels are able to attend the academy with no discrimination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/bigkris2.mp3\"><\/audio><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>FTW Head Coach Kris speaks about how Full Tilt started.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The school teaches students how to do the fundamentals of basic wrestling and how to do this safely but also focuses on developing characters for the students to perform as in live shows. Creating a character includes a variety of choices including a persona, a name, an outfit style and entrance music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, Callum Wilson\u2019s wrestling persona is named Good Guy Jim Wilson who is one half of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftwacademy.co.uk\/about?pgid=l45qfpkg-ad7441a2-03b2-4709-9c76-e93f9f2ba3f9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Denim Tiger Syndicate<\/a> with his friend Harry Bragg. The pair dress in garish denim outfits with tiger print trimming and make their entrance to 80s metal music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Callum Wilson said: \u201cYou\u2019ve got to think a lot about your character. What\u2019s going to look good, what\u2019s going to look bad in a good way. It\u2019s all about building blocks for how you want to present yourself and what you will be comfortable with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The students train in a welcoming environment with a group of diverse peers and an experienced coaching staff headed up by head coach, Kristopher Davies. Davies has 15 years of experience as a wrestler and has been training up and coming wrestlers since Full Tilt began in 2012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTW Academy student Jess Swinburne said: \u201cKris is really helpful, really nice. You can always go to him and he\u2019ll help you and correct you but he\u2019s not horrible about it because he just wants to see you do well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FTWAcademy Interviews\" width=\"525\" height=\"295\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/n2RFe1g7KZI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Interviews to find out more about Head Coach Kris<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over forty students regularly attend the three weekly sessions and will be able to perform at the academy&#8217;s monthly shows in front of hundreds of fans. Recently, Full Tilt put on a show named \u2018Full Tilt Goes Back to the 80s\u2019 to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ne-as.org.uk\/wrestlers-put-on-fundraising-show\">raise money for the North East Autism Society.<\/a> The show was attended by more than 200 fans and raised over \u00a3500 for the charity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The academy has a number of autistic students training there, many of whom are part of the junior division, and have benefitted from the social element of the wrestling sessions and live shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The head coach of Full Tilt Wrestling,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cagematch.net\/?id=2&amp;nr=22265\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> Kristopher Davies<\/a> said: \u201cComing here has helped the younger students come out of their shell and help them with everyday life. In wrestling there is a lot of talking to people face-to-face but sometimes people with autism struggle with that but after a few weeks they are just able to do it. I\u2019ve had a lot of parents say since coming here, the kids have actually improved with their behaviour and how they interact with people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not the first instance of Full Tilt Wrestling supporting those with disabilities. In 2019, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chroniclelive.co.uk\/news\/north-east-news\/richard-hunter-wrestling-meningitis-newcastle-17116055?_ga=2.120796680.1411908759.1703086893-1434014403.1664561532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FTW welcomed Richard Hunte<\/a>r, a 10-year-old who had their legs and one arm amputated due to meningitis as a child, into the academy for training sessions and was able to wrestle on one of the live shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only has Full Tilt Wrestling helped improve its students\u2019 mental health and physical health but has also helped strengthen social relationships. Many of the attendees have been able to find friendships within the academy and families have been able to strengthen their bond by training together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FTW Student Stephen Coulson said: \u201cI love the family atmosphere at Full Tilt, it\u2019s so welcoming and friendly. Both my kids and my wife train here. It\u2019s the only activity that we do that all four of us are together and there\u2019s nothing else we can do like it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1-1024x576.png\" alt=\"FTW Student Stephen Coulson, also known as Thomas Blood, at the Full Tilt Academy in Walkerville.\" class=\"wp-image-57\" srcset=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/23027\/2023\/12\/image-1.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 89vw, (max-width: 1000px) 54vw, (max-width: 1071px) 543px, 580px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>FTW Academy Student Stephen Coulson at the Full Tilt Academy in Walkerville,<\/em> Photo by Harry Miller.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Full Tilt Wrestling\u2019s most recent show, Jingle Bells Brawl, saw this family element have a strong presence with the company\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo\/?fbid=749259487220204&amp;set=pb.100064084778789.-2207520000\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">first ever mother and son versus mother and son tag team match<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Full Tilt Wrestling Academy is helping the wrestlers of tomorrow begin their journeys and improve on themselves as they go, no matter who they are. Full Tilt is truly the embodiment of inclusivity and acceptance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Find The Northern Independents on social media <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NorthernIndys\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NorthernIndys\">here<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Read the most recent articles <a href=\"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/\">here<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Harry Miller Full Tilt Wrestling Academy has been training students since 2012 and has been credited for improving the well-being of their students, especially post-pandemic. Many students signed up for training once the lockdown had ended to reintegrate themselves into social settings. FTW Academy Student Callum Wilson said: \u201cI started straight after coming out&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":60,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":15,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[22,23,4,24],"class_list":["post-54","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-ftw","tag-full-tilt-wrestling","tag-wrestling","tag-wrestling-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/124"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/harry-miller\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}