 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Mr. Furey's tricks
By TERRY JONES
© St. Petersburg Times, NORTH TAMPA -- Discovering new forms of wrestling and karate has become a lifestyle for 38-year-old Matt Furey. He won a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II championship in 1985, wrestling at 167 pounds at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. After college he trained in several styles of wrestling and martial arts. In Shuai-Chiao , he won two national championships and a gold medal at 198 pounds at the national games in Beijing. He has authored two books: The Martial Art of Wrestling and Combat Conditioning: Functional Exercises for Fitness & Combat Sports. Currently, he teaches adults catch wrestling three days a week at Lightning City Gymnastics on N Nebraska Avenue. "There was a time when catch wrestling was the only style for professional wrestling," Furey said. "In the early 1900s, real pro wrestling was real. Two wrestlers battled for the best of three falls, or to a time limit. Falls could be a submission. There were no points kept, no biting, gouging or grabbing the genitals. One could use knees and elbows though." For his Lightning City program, Furey keeps his classes small. He currently has 10 adult students and doesn't want to go above that number. "Some of the moves could be crippling or fatal, so I screen my students very carefully," he said. "Some guy who shows tendencies to go off the handle, or actually says he wants to go after someone, is not allowed in. Actually, about all the guys in my class right now simply want to get into shape and stay in shape. There is plenty of physical conditioning in catch wrestling." He has been asked to provide seminars to some police departments around the country, including Dade County. Ron Reddick, 44, is one of the students in the current class. The 6-foot-5 Reddick, once a professional wrestler using the ring name of Mohammed Studd, plans to used his newly acquired skills to return to the ring, according to Furey. Furey, 5 feet 9 and 215 pounds, refers to professional wrestling today as rehearsed sports entertainment. "It could be very dangerous entertainment if the athletes didn't rehearse most of their moves and help protect one another," Furey said. "Ron is getting into good shape and could do well if he goes back." Although he has won national and international championships in both wrestling and various martial arts forms, Furey has no immediate plans for further competition. He hasn't been willing to take away from his business of training others to go into intense training for a tournament. Most of his plans involve writing more books or articles and providing training seminars for police departments. He hopes to develop more programs like the one at Lightning City or even continue the one here with more students. "I actually get plenty of competition through my seminars," he said. "Usually there are some very tough cops in the seminars who want to challenge me. So I have to always be in shape. Sometimes at the end of a seminar I will go five rounds with five different guys. That's always interesting. I love my work and plan to keep at it."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times |
