On Oct. 6, the San Diego Bulldogs Wrestling Club will hold an open wrestling clinic. It’s an opportunity for anyone interested in the sport to come and learn about the club, and, as head coach Greg Lines puts it, “be taught the basics” of Freestyle wrestling.

“We go over a brief history of the Club, and a brief history of wrestling in general,” said Lines.

“We go over the benefits of wrestling, and what it can do to enhance your strength and stamina. It’s such an aerobic exercise, wrestling definitely provides a different option for keeping in shape,” he said. “It’s a full-body, total cardio workout, but at the same time it’s very cerebral. You have to think, a lot.”

At the clinic, Lines says “newbies” as he calls them, will be very active.

“The fun part of the clinic is teaching the structure of a freestyle wrestling match, and how points are scored” he said. “And we do demonstrations with our existing members in full gear to show what different take-downs are and how they’re scored.”

There will also be a demonstration of a match between two of the club’s members in the same weight class.

Wrestling generates a lot of curiosity among gay men and women. In the GLBT community, the chance to wrestle around on a rubber mat with a gym-fit opponent may get some to thinking about a different kind of “scoring.”

As the primary contact for the Bulldogs Wrestling Club, Lines admits to getting lots of sexually charged questions from those curious about the organization.

“You have to admit,” he said, “there’s a huge curiosity about wrestling, and whether we’re here for sex or to actually improve and compete. We are truly hard-working and dedicated to our sport. You don’t have time to do anything but wrestle when you come out to our practices.”

The reason for the clinic, Lines says, is to provide a comfortable atmosphere for newbies to learn more about the club. “It can be a little intimidating to just walk into an auditorium during our normal Sunday practices and see 10 or 12 guys you don’t know wrestling around, so we create this event to provide a more comfortable environment.”

But “when ‘newbies’ come to practice, they get worked. They suck a lot of wind,” he said.

While there are many different styles of wrestling, the Bulldogs compete in “Freestyle,” which is largely considered the “international” style, or that which is used at the adult and intramural level.

In Freestyle, matches can last up to six minutes, with three periods broken up into two minutes a piece. Victory is earned by either pin, or winning any two of three periods by points. Various amounts of points are given for take-downs, throws and for exposing one’s opponent’s back to the mat.

Both Freestyle and Greco-Roman style wrestling appear in the Olympics, with the former being more popular and the latter boasting the longer history.

Wrestlers are divided by weight class, with the smallest Bulldogs at around 130 pounds, and the largest member competing at 280 pounds. The Bulldogs also divide members by skill level, from novice to advanced.

Lines explains, “You don’t want to have someone who has been wrestling for just a few weeks go up against someone who has been wrestling for 10 years.” In this way, the competition is more evenly matched.

Membership in the San Diego Bulldogs Wrestling Club is open to everyone with a love of wrestling. There are no tryouts, no qualifying. “What I look for as a coach is someone who is willing to learn, have fun, and strive for their personal best,” Lines said.

Membership in the club varies, but the clinic is completely free.

“All you need to wear is a T-shirt and gym shorts and bring a bottle of water and sweat towel,” Lines said. “If newbies who come to the clinic are interested in the club, we give them $5 off their membership if they decide to join.”

The clinic will be at The Center’s main auditorium from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. No reservation is necessary. Just show up!

To join, or for more information about the club visit http://www.sdbulldogswrestling.org or call Greg Lines at 619-957-6767.