Ricky Welsford

Published by on

Ricky Welsford - Olympic Wrestling

Ricky Welsford began wrestling at age 7 at the Taieri wrestling club.

His first wrestling coach was Steve Wylie who trained and moulded Ricky from that early age developing that raw and enthusiastic talent into a formidable wrestler.

The first tournament Ricky can remember as a 20kg youngster was the Taieri championships where he begun his winning way.

I asked Ricky what he considers his greatest achievement to date in wrestling and he replied being placed fourth at the youth Commonwealth games 2008 Pune India.

He also considered the Australian national championships in 2008 an excellent tournament with top competitors.

After this interview Ricky is preparing along with the South Canterbury club to be part of a South Island development squad heading for the United States.

This trip will include training and competing in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the New Mexico games and also in Los Angeles. In New Zealand the strongest competition for Ricky comes from the South African twins Rhudi and Tonie Redelinghuys and South Canterbury's Ben O’Brien.

Ricky has been reasonably injury free over his wrestling career except for a thumb dislocation and recent lower back and hip injury.

I asked Ricky what his goal is and he reluctantly revealed it would be competing at the Commonwealth games in 2010 and hopefully his dream come true in wrestling would be competing at the Olympic games.

Ricky has also played rugby softball and touch rugby but wrestling is his first love and all his efforts and time involve wrestling or wrestling related training now and so he has given all other sports away.

Ricky cross trains in weightlifting at the Olympic gym Mosgiel five days a week focusing on training one muscle group per day.

Since Ricky's foundation coach Steve Wylie has left the Taieri wrestling club he has been trained by Justin Winter Aaron Miller and now again by Justin Winter.

Ricky's younger brother Craig a former national wrestling champion has been a very successful wrestler in his own right but recently has decided to take a break from wrestling.

Blair Welsford is not involved in wrestling but is very proud of Ricky's achievements.

Ricky’s mother Bronwyn is very actively involved with wrestling not only at the Taieri wrestling club but she is also a wrestling pair master nationally and internationally.

Ricky’s stepfather Wayne Smith is a respected member of the Taieri wrestling club as well as being a committee member for the New Zealand secondary schools wrestling Association and is a team manager for the Taieri wrestling club.

Ricky is short on training partners of his calibre at the Taieri club at present and finds his best training partners in Justin Winter and Madison Greeves.

Ricky has won virtually every title available to him in New Zealand with only a down unders games title eluding him.

He considers the toughest wrestler he has met in competition to date was the Nigerian Wilson Ebikeweimo who he faced at the youth commonwealth games in India.

Ricky’s favourite technique currently is the chicken wing but he has a full repertoire of match winning techniques.

Looking back as a youngster in his early wrestling days the wrestler Ricky most aspired to be like was Aaron Miller and he also considered Scott McGregor to be a good wrestler.

Ricky is his last year at Taieri College and hopes to join the NZ Army and possibly after that the New Zealand police force.

I asked Ricky a few questions about life outside wrestling and these were his honest answers.

Interests outside wrestling: anything involving physical training.

Girlfriend: not at present too busy training and wrestling.

Favourite food: Subway.

Favourite TV program: Home and away.

Any pets: a dog named Charlie and a cat named Sooty.

Greatest assistance with your wrestling: my mum.

Thanks Ricky for sharing some of your wrestling and personal life with us and good luck for your promising future in wrestling.

Article written by Tank Todd

Special Operations CQB Master Chief Instructor. Over 30 years experience. The only instructor qualified descendent of Baldock, Nelson, and Applegate. Former instructors include Harry Baldock (unarmed combat instructor NZ Army WWII), Colonel Rex Applegate OSS WWII and Charles Nelson, US Marine Corps. Tank has passed his Special Forces combative instructor qualification course in Southeast Asia and is certified to instruct the Applegate, Baldock and Nelson systems. His school has been operating for over eighty years and he is currently an Army Special Operations Group CQB Master Chief Instructor. His lineage and qualifications from the evolutionary pioneers are equalled by no other military close combat instructor. His operation includes his New Zealand headquarters, and 30 depots worldwide as well as contracts to train the military elite, security forces, and close protection specialists. Annually he trains thousands of exponents and serious operators that travel down-under to learn from the direct descendant of the experts and pioneers of military close combat. Following in the footsteps of his former seniors, he has developed weapons, and training equipment exclusive to close combat and tactical applications. He has published military manuals and several civilian manuals and produced DVDs on urban self protection, tactical control and restraint, and close combat. He has racked up an impressive 100,000+ hours in close combat.