Recommendations

One of the most reliable opponents in Vietnam is... surprise: Australian! VJ777 is super friendly, easy to schedule, very communicative, and a lot of fun.

Normally, I don't mention "easy to schedule" and "very communicative", but in Vietnam, that absolutely matters. As with all of my countries and stops on my Asia wrestling trip (5 nations, 46 opponents and counting!), it's wise to reach out in advance and build trust before planning matches. Still, with international travel, one runs the risk of cancelations and local guys suddenly not following through. Be advised here.

VJ777 makes up for a lot of that. A joyous, genuine ex-pat, he's the kind of mate you get to know right away. Originally intrigued by the thought of learning pro holds, he experienced several minutes in my crucifix and got dragged in front of the mirror to feel an ab stretch. But VJ777's a natural fighter with a testosterone adrenaline streak. With our comparable stats, we were going in and out of submission and back-and-forth styles, wrinkling up the sheets with sweat, intensity and alternating chin locks with chest smothers, as well as bearhugs with front-facing sleepers.

An hour and a half to two hours felt like double that at the gym. Recommended – wish we'd gotten a beer!

After meeting with BackToPro, is easy to see why he is so popular and well regarded, along with being a Centurion! He is friendly, hospitable and easy to communicate with from start to finish. I'm really lucky to have had this opportunity.

The wrestle itself was an absolute blast! I'm always clear with my opponents that I'm not trained but I try to make up for that with energy and enthusiasm. Therefore, it was so much fun to learn some techniques and holds that would lead to sweaty and intense rounds, including back and forth pins. BackToPro was a patient coach - I didn't know I could enjoy an abdominal stretch so much!

He is currently on a big trip which is so awesome - make sure you take the opportunity if his travels bring him close to your doorstep. And yes, next time, we've gotta grab that beer!

Cela faisait tellement longtemps qu’on devait se rencontrer qu’on n’arrivait même plus à nous souvenir depuis quand !

Mais ça a fini par arriver… et je ne l’ai pas regretté : il y a mis tout son cœur, même si la différence de poids m’aidait beaucoup !

Merci beaucoup pour cet excellent moment !

This guy's recommendations pretty much sum up everything you need to know. He's a real gent out of the ring and can be a dominant, controlling heel in the ring. Playfully unforgiving but totally respectful of boundaries. He's reliable, communicative and it was really easy to arrange the match with him. A total pleasure to meet and wrestle with. I'd thoroughly recommend him to any other wrestlers, particularly the jobbers out there who like to be put through their paces.

A very cool, friendly and awesome person I got to recently meet up with on his trip to New York City! Nice gear collection and has really great upper body strength. I fought back doing some gut punches which he enjoyed thoroughly, and offered to do so for his pleasure. Easy person to talk to, and would recommend.

Can't wait to give this great guy another beating!!!!

Super Amazing!

Buen sparring, el vato es buena onda, tira buenos golpes. Volvería a hacer sparring con él.

Had an awesome time wrestling Fad77 and his training in Jiu Jitsu (though limited) shone through. Very strong fella to get to grips with and easy on the eye. Definitely recommend him to any prospective challengers. Great guy.

Wrestler091 was willing to drop by late in the evening on my last night in Paris. He was great at communicating and turned up ready to wrestle!

This guy is strong for his size! He can grapple and has some good skills. We had a great match and I enjoyed the conversation. He's a super interesting guy that I highly recommend meeting if you get the chance before he gets bigger and meaner 💪