Contemplating the Irish Whip

In a fight, sanctioned or not, there are plenty of instincts from which to draw strategy. Striking, grappling, running away and even stalling are all valid instincts to act upon when engaged in a physical struggle with one or more opponents bearing down on you with malicious intentions. Somewhere near the bottom on the list of accepted strategies has to be grabbing your foe by his arm and jerking him or her in the opposite direction. Why? It simply does not work.

Yet, this is a strategy which we see employed several times during any professional wrestling match. From a young age, before we know any better, we accept this as canon because hey, we take things for face value when we’re that age. However, even after years of experience, either trying the maneuver out in street fights or just through critical thought, is there really any further questioning as to why this vestigial move has remained in the repertoires of nearly every professional wrestler in the game?

Honestly, I’ve asked myself this question several times. The answer I usually came up with was that it was something I’d have to accept. As a man who has learned over the years to question everything and ask why anyone holds a certain belief, that has never set well, but every time that I asked myself why the whip was still so prevalent, that was the answer I got. Because it was. Because it had to be in order for the artform to work.

That is, every time I asked myself until today.

The key word here is “art form.” My colleague here, K Sawyer Paul, has been pushing the viewing of pro wrestling as an art for as long as I’ve been reading/listening to him, and he’s onto something. I don’t believe that wrestling should be viewed as completely performance art like he does, but I also maintain that viewing it as something that should be fully based in sport is a fallacious attitude to have as well. The two elements need to be mixed together in such a way that they interplay off each other rather than clash with each other.

That’s where the answer lies for the inclusion of the Irish whip in pro wrestling. It’s part of the art. It’s the knowing wink that the performers in the ring know you know it’s a show and not serious competition. It’s part of what should allow you to let go of the notion that wins and losses are ultimately important, while at the same time not throwing it in your face and being used as an important tool in creating an atmosphere of competition that, if even just for a second, draws you in and lets you believe that it’s not a staged competition, almost in paradoxical fashion.

So now I do have an answer as to why the whip belongs in wrestling without believing it with faith that it does. Whoever said that rational thought and reason don’t belong in pro wrestling is a bit misinformed, if you ask me.

_{taken from http://www.fairtoflair.com/tagged/TH}

If there's a wall behind me with my opponent in front of me, I want to get his back to it instead of mine...whipping him into it would do that. Also, there's a good chance of hyper-extending an elbow, thus rendering that arm useless for effective striking.

Yes also wonder this but thought both the leap frog & the lie down whilst your opponent runs over you to the other rope is much worse

It's better than the Criss-cross which was/is a staple in old-school matches and in beginner matches.

I don't think anyone in history has ever thought so hard about something so pointless.

They aren't something I take any notice of and I don't think they harm the believability of a match. Like the others above, I do however cringe at criss-cross spots. Leapfrogs and drop downs are just ridiculous. It makes sense that you might grab someone by the arm and throw them at something; it makes no sense when someone lies face down in a fight why you wouldn't stamp on their head.

Another thing I think looks more fake than the Irish Whip is table spots. Yes they look painful, but they are always set up in such a choreographed way. I remember the worst examples for this being the otherwise excellent Hardys-E&C-Dudleys matches.

I would agree with him that in a fight you probably wouldn't attempt to use one (you'd look ridiculous and be punched in the head numerous times while you attempt to grasp at your foe's hand).

I don't think they take away from matches at all, and I don't think they affect believability. There is a fluid quality to them that keeps the action going I find.

You'd be surprised how effective it is in a fight. I used it many a time while I was adding bouncing to my CV. Admittedly most of the guys who got physical were either drunk or pilled up so they didn't necessarily know how to fight, but it was still very effective. Once someone is moving against their will, they lose their balance, meaning you quickly gain the upper hand.

Aaronb33 wrote:You'd be surprised how effective it is in a fight. I used it many a time while I was adding bouncing to my CV. Admittedly most of the guys who got physical were either drunk or pilled up so they didn't necessarily know how to fight, but it was still very effective. Once someone is moving against their will, they lose their balance, meaning you quickly gain the upper hand.

Haha, I stand corrected!

Just personally speaking I would never have thought to use it in a real fight. Although now I know it can be effective...

To be honest, a lot of things that are effective in a fight situation don't come instinctively, like slipping underneath a punch to lock in a rear naked choke or an armbar. I suppose years of studying various martial arts and doing door work for a few years helps haha.

I've used the Tazzmission in a fight.

Have you ever tried the Les Kellett "tickle" maneouvre?

I could imagine breaking your tail bone if you did the stunner to someone on a street

theanimal316 wrote:I could imagine breaking your tail bone if you did the stunner to someone on a street

I've found its the best defense for somebody taking your neck from behind. Their core strength will slow you down enough so that you don't break your back. Besides, it's only a 2-3 foot drop, nothing too risky.

If you had a bouncer working with you who was similarly into wrestling you could arrange a 3D through the smokers table for a particularly irritating miscreant.

Tables are hard to break when they're not gimmicked, although I did manage to crack one with my head once...that guy gave me a decent scrap haha

Wouldn't wanna get on the wrong side of you Aaron haha. The Rock bottom would be an awesome one to do on a drunk punter who was being rowdy

...followed by a people's elbow? Or is that a bit theatric?

Don't worry Animal, I'm a teddy bear as long as you stay on my good side...a 6'3 19 stone tedy bear 8) haha

Can't see a problem with that Sodhat. Bouncers usually wear those yellow armbands that they could peel off and throw to the 'crowd'!

And you could use the hordes of drunks gathering to gawp as ropes to bounce off.

Have to make sure the Rock Bottom put him down though, you don't want an embarrassing counter into a bottling. You'd look a fool. A profusely bleeding fool.

That's another thing that's harder than it looks, breaking a bottle on someone's head. I have a half inch scar from where one did break, and a 3 inch scar from where one didn't...go figure haha

Either way you bleed like a stuck pig though haha