Takedown Report

Abraham Lincoln: The US President who honed his political skills through wrestling

Find out how the 16th President of the United States became a county champion wrestler, why he was celebrated for a victory in Illinois, and who the only person to beat him in 12 years was.
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most famous politicians in history, but it is less known that he had an equally impressive wrestling career. That’s right, before the 16th President of the United States started grappling with political opponents, he was throwing down rivals on the mat.
To some degree it makes sense: ‘Honest Abe’ was tall, strong, and boasted natural athleticism. As a teenager, when he wasn’t doing agricultural work, the Kentucky native competed in catch-as-catch-can wrestling – also known as catch wrestling – which is a tough, hand-to-hand version of the sport that was included in the Olympic Games St. Louis 1904.

Elements of the sport can still be seen in freestyle wrestling, folkstyle wrestling, and mixed martial arts.

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  Abraham Lincoln: A legendary wrestling story
• High school and college wrestling didn’t exist in the 1800s, but BlackBeltMag highlights that Lincoln was a county wrestling champion at the age of 21.
• After moving to the village of New Salem, Illinois, the owner of a shop where Lincoln worked called Denton Offut reportedly put his gifted employee forward for local bouts as a way of promoting his business.
• Rumours of the six-foot-four (1.95m) grappler’s talents began to spread, and he was soon challenged to a match against Jack Armstrong, the local champion and leader of a local group of bullies, outside the shop. … rest of story at Olympics.com/en/news/abraham-lincoln-usa-president-wrestling-champion

Klessinger: Understanding toughness will help you reach your goals
By John Klessinger

There is a legend or folklore about a Spanish explorer named Hernan Cortes. In the story, Cortes orders his crew to burn all the boats when hitting shore before attempting to conquer the Aztec Empire. The point was simple. It was a psychological tool for inspiring commitment and urgency in his men. If there were no boats, they had to win or die. 

Life is not as dramatic as the legend. Few circumstances in life require such a conviction. If we do not give our best, the consequence is little. At least on the surface, that is. The real result of giving anything less than your best is dealing with the beast within. A strong analogy I know of our psyche. But, our minds can be our greatest ally or most significant foe if it goes untamed.

This column first appeared in the Feb. 17 issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

Wrestling is such a mental battle. It is often an oversight that it has so much importance compared to physical gifts and athleticism. But ask any wrestler who has invested years of time and pain and they will probably say physical challenges pale compared to mental difficulties. 

It is a feeling we have inside about the performance. The match. A career. You feel contentment. A certain level of peace in what you did. That is if you gave all you had. People can live with disappointment when they don’t leave any stone unturned. 

However, when there is a knowing that “if I only did this” or “I should’ve, could’ve, would’ve,” that is when there is a gnawing sensation in the background. That is much tougher than any workout or physical challenge. The voice in your head that relentlessly reminds you you left some things on the table. 

To some, even this is dramatic, leading to thoughts like: “Wrestling is supposed to be fun,” or “It teaches young men and women to be the best version of themselves.” 

No debate here on those points. We all know, though, if you put the time, effort, and commitment into anything, there are high stakes involved. Mainly, the stakes are how you will feel about yourself when it ends. That is really why we want anything. A championship, career, family, money, anything. It is the feeling inside we have when we get something we want. Whether that feeling is love, satisfaction, or pride, we strive for things because of what it does to us inside. Not outside.

Congratulatory cheers and admiration invoke an emotion that people enjoy. … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/2023/02/22/klessinger-understanding-toughness-will-help-you-reach-your-goals

February 27, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized