Manet - Luncheon on the grass (1863)

This piece is said to be the first masterpiece of modern art.   The first master piece of advice you can get in freestyle wrestling is to start with a good stance.

Monet - Impression of Sunrise

This piece gave the “Impressionist” movement its name.   Do you want to know how to make a good impression on your coach?  When your coach says “Do twenty five push-ups”, you do twenty six.  When he says “Do ten chin-ups”, you do eleven.

Monet - Field of Poppies (1873)

Artistic fluff by the most popular impressionist painter.    

Vincent Van Gough - Starry Night (1889)

This guy had passion.   A good example in art when passion, guts and determination bring fame and glory.  Just like in wrestling.   

Gauguin - After the Sermon (1888)

Together with Van Gough, Gauguin is one of the best known “post-impressionist” painter.  This is another painting of Jacob and the Angel, but set in France at the turn of the century.  Gauguin painted religious paintings, but he did so more out of a sense of wanting to follow a historical tradition rather than out of a sense of devotion.  Unfortunately this is another example of bad wrestling technique.  Always be square-on to your opponent when attacking.  Jacob is not directly facing the Angel and so the Angel will likely push down Jacob’s head, get behind him and score the next point.

Cezanne - Card Players (1890)

Cezanne developed his own unique style of painting.  Note the elbows.  Keep your elbows in.

Edward Munch - The Scream (1893)

Some days you will want to scream, too.

Franz Marc - Yellow Cow (1911)

Learn the basics of wrestling, and your wrestling will become as pleasing to look at as this fanciful piece.     

Paul Serrusier - Breton Wrestlers (1893)

A masterpiece, don’t you think?  Despite the poor technique. 

Matisse - Goldfish (1912)

All educated wrestlers start there wrestling career like flopping guppies, but they will develop into dancing trout, hungry barracudas, aggressive piranhas and marauding sharks.   But the educated wrestler must always remember to be polite.

Picasso - Guernica (1937)

Just before the start of World War II the Nazis bombed the little town of Guernica in northern Spain.  They did so at the request of the Spanish dictator, Franco, who wanted to suppress the Basques.   For the Nazis it was target practice and an opportunity to try out their new weapons.  Note the man on the bottom left……and please remember to keep off your back.   Practice bridging.  Practice in front of the TV (learn to watch TV upside down). After a few seasons you will never get pinned.

Jackson Pollock - Lucifer (1947)

Jackson Pollock was an alcoholic, but one heckuva good painter.   He was famous for a style of painting in which he dripped colors onto a canvas.   Sounds easy, but he had a rare talent for making such works of art look beautiful.    His talent was squandered when he died drinking and driving.  Very stupid.  This piece is called “Lucifer”, which is another name of the devil.  You will have the devil-of-a-time winning if you do not train hard.

Rothko - Violet, Green and Red (1951)

Not much to say about this one.  But consider this …… Rothko became a great painter by painting simple pictures like this one with three colors.  You can become a famous wrestler by mastering three moves.     Go ahead, pick them …… then master the basics ….. then progress to the mastery of the set-ups and permutations.

Kandinski - Yellow, Red, Blue (1952)

Kandinsky was a great experimenter in art and he pioneered abstract painting.    Likewise, you should experiment with your own style of wrestling.  Do not ignore the Rothko advice above but also try new moves in practice.   Also, note the lines at different angles in this piece.  In wrestling you will increase your likelihood of a successful takedown if you create an angle of attack during your set-up (i.e. you face your opponent but try to maneuver him/her so he/she is not quite facing you).

Warhol - Campbell’s Soup (1968)

The culmination of “modern art”?!   Never forget the importance of nutrition.  Go into competitions with a meal plan as well as a battle plan.   Alexander the Great was considered to be a logistical genius, but he almost got wiped out when he tried to cross a desert without enough water.  Likewise, you should not go through a whole tournament day without some balanced intake of food and water.