Susan Green’s The Gym of Pain and Glory

Susan Green’s legendary career as a ring competitor may be in the past now, but she continues to use her many years of hard-earned experience to provide exemplary instruction for new generations of wrestlers.

Located in Columbia, South Carolina, her “Gym of Pain and Glory” lives up to its name, eschewing comforts in exchange for a tough ‘boot camp’ style of training.  This is “grass roots” style wrestling, the kind that Susan and other ring greats of her era undertook to learn and hone their craft.  Situated in a barn with no AC or heat, one finds the 20’x20′ ring, which is hard by design; converted from a boxing ring, this doesn’t have the thick pads and highly elastic ropes that some modern squared circles boast, and that’s just how Susan likes it.  Soft rings, she says, can spoil you.  “If you train in this ring, you can wrestle anywhere!” she promises.

Why such hardships?  Asserts Susan, “Wrestling is much tougher than it appears to be on TV, and unless you are totally dedicated to being a wrestler, it will beat you.”  And so Green puts her pupils through the grinder to separate those who can hack it, and those who can’t.

The Texas Cowgirl doesn’t advertise much, preferring to let pupils find her through word of mouth, often at the suggestion of other ring greats who send eager youngsters to Green so that they can be trained properly.  “People who want to be trained will usually find me,” she says.  “It’s ‘Old School’ thinking but it has worked for years.”

Susan’s school is open to any wrestler, female or male, who wants to truly learn.  In fact, she is currently training more men than women, and they all quickly learn that their learned mentor won’t hold anything back when they step between the ropes!

If you are 18 or older and you have a serious interest in being a wrestler, you’re welcome to come to Susan’s for an afternoon try-out.  For further information, write to [email protected].