Wrestling with addiction

Wrestling with addiction
My name is Kemlyn. I am thirty years old and NFA, No Fixed Abode or No F**king Address depending on your preference. This has been the case pretty much since I left the British Army ten years ago. In that time I've had ups, I've had downs, often [mostly] downs, but [thereagain] haven't we all? Thankfully nowadays mostly ups.

Probably the deepest of the 'downs' was the five years I spent as a heroin addict. A habit I beat a year ago now. So this is the background to my story; of how I 'wrestled with addiction' and emerged with my arm aloft victorious.

* * *

The history of wrestling is a very long one. Longer, one could argue, than the history of mankind. Wrestling is common within the animal kingdom and serves as practice for hunting & fighting, establishing a group hierarchy; territory & mating rights and group bonding.

This is much the role that it serves in the human sphere too. In fact, it is almost overwhelmingly the case that some form of grappling is central to the life of the world's tribes, allowing a (generally) bloodless settling of youthful agression and dominance issues.

The methods of winning vary - by thowing the opponent (which is probably the most common), by pushing or pulling the opponent out of the marked areas, by 'pinning' or holding the opponent on their backs or shoulders or by forcing the opponent to submit (either verbally or some other signal) through the application of painful holds. I personally love them all.

* * *

Whilst a herion addict in a sea of misery, the one thing that kept me afloat (other than friends and familly) was my interest in combat arts. For a long time during my using days, I didn't practice or train in any martial arts, but I read books, magazines and internet articles and found some escape from the grim situation I was in, that didn't involve a needle in the arm.

Gradually, over the course of a few years, I would spend more and more 'clean' time visiting various fighting arts clubs. I lived a double life - ernest, dedicated, spiritual warrior and street begging drug addict.

Eventually, the warrior won (don't you know good always wins in the end?). Grief, heartache and dispair is slowly but surely being replaced by joy, fulfillment and hope.

In my journey, I learnt that the struggle to put another man in a hold is not just a pleasant game, neither is it concerned solely with mastery of the other man. No, it lays the foundations for a greater struggle against our darker selves, and provides a vehicle for us to master the man inside.

As the ancient Greeks, for whom wrestling was of major importance, said:

'Know thyself,
and know thy god.'

Endnote
Kemlyn is currently teaching martial arts to a small group and is planning a youthwork project based around social education and adventure activities and . . .
you guessed it. . . wrestling!

to see photos visit:
http://kemlyn.blogspot.com/2006/10/wrestling-with-addiction.html