August 9, 2023,
In other parts of the world, things are often done in the usual way.
In wonderful and eccentric San Francisco, doing things in an unusual way, is the usual way.
Like having serious female submission wrestlers hug and kiss after a fierce fully competitive match. That is a bit unusual but it was the San Francisco way. The Virago way. Especially when it involved the beautiful spiritual wrestler River of Virago fame.
Grace and River will quietly do battle today.
In a quiet room.
Recently Grappling Stars Magazine has written match reviews on Grace’s fighting travels to Europe where she faced formidable competition against Luzia the Great and the strong Daniela.
This match should be more to her liking.
Especially since she likes River so much. So did our Femcompetitor Magazine writer. In February of 2015, here is what he wrote:
“A song communicated from the heart with passion, truth and real life experiences can become a timeless masterpiece, often quoted and never forgotten.
Four Tops – Motown
Never you mind if I Don't tell strangers passing by
If I don't brag, If I don't brag or boast
Click my glass and say a toast
About my love for you, How it runs so deep and true
Yes, Still Waters do run deep.
fciwomenswrestling.com femcompetitor.com, fcielitecompetitor.com fciwomenswrestling2.com grapplingstars.com Vantha-Thang-pexels.com-photo-credit.
When I enjoyed watching the wrestler River of Virago fame, a slender princess with long dark hair cascading down her back, I often thought of this song.
A commonly agreed upon definition for Still Waters Run Deep, a melody sang so beautifully by the Motown 1960’s soul sensation, the Four Tops; means that people who are calm and tranquil on the outside, often have a strong, "deep" personality.
This seemed to epitomize River.
Before a match she was often initially quiet and observant but would later relax and even engage in some gamesmanship especially, when she wrestled her sorority sisters in Jana and Grace, two competitors she seemed to get the best of.
One of my strongest memories of River was when she wrestled for Video Sports Limited and was the Queen of the Ball, after defeating her opponents, one of whom was Grace; she would later hug and kiss them.
Now that’s deep.”
We agree.
Today, Grace and River will do battle in a quiet room that will resonate long into the future.
Time to go ringside.
GRACE VS RIVER
The two beautiful San Francisco Bay Area girls begin on their knees.
Both trained in MMA, they begin slowly.
Grace uses her right arm to grab River behind the neck, then the left and she finally encases River in a head lock and brings her into a floor to kneeling body scissor. That alone is not conclusive but that headlock turned into a Guillotine Choke can be very conclusive.
Here it will be again.
Bent over, River struggles but she cannot break the hold and taps out.
1-0 for Grace (52 seconds).
They pause for a moment. River has something in her eye. Grace asks would it be better to take it out. They solve the problem.
Time to wrestle.
They start slowly but this time it is River who efficiently pulls Grace’s head downward. They struggle and Grace gives up her back allowing River to immediately capture it.
Grace struggles to escape but River stays with it, operating from a position of strength, from behind.
River soon flattens Grace out and applies a rear naked choke from the top. Grace refuses to tap. Strange, it as though River gives up on what seemed like a guaranteed submission. Keep her upper body weight on top of Grace and continue to squeeze that choke, it seems to be a lock.
No matter, River lets it go.
The raven haired Virago star tries a different approach.
She has Grace trapped in a mid-waist scissor from above and uses that advantage to maneuver Grace around. The Berkeley star is resisting and wraps River up in a headlock but from below. River uses that position to roll Grace over and flatten her out on her back. This typically calls for River to move forward with a smother but instead she focuses on Grace’s right wrist, performs a painful joint lock and Grace finally taps out.
1-1 all tied up (3:25).
Get ready, go.
More hand fighting as both women fight for control. They finally go down to the mats with Grace below still holding on to some form of a headlock. River has the superior position and is maneuvering for a better attack. Grace has River’s right leg in a scissor to prevent a full mount.
This goes on for some time as they’ve reached a stalemate.
River finally breaks through with a stronger headlock of her own and Grace finally taps out.
2-1 for River (4:48).
The jousting begins again. Both wrestlers reach behind one another’s head and neck area, trying to pull the other down and into a headlock.
Grace succeeds.
She takes River down with a strong headlock and presses for a submission. River, as usual, is not going to go easy. River manages to escape and targets Grace with a behind the back body scissor. Grace struggles to get away but this is what River is very good at. The slender beauty turns the behind the back scissor into a side body scissor but curiously lets it go.
Instead she tries for a smother.
And grapevine.
Grace resists but she is under pressure.
River sits up and begins to angle for an arm bar. Grace fights that off as well. Every attack that River comes up with, Grace appears to have an answer for it. Very impressive. Grace now fights off an arm bar. River morphs it into a scissor and triangle hold. Grace is balking at that, as well.
Now River is fighting from the bottom position and struggling. Grace appears to be gaining momentum. She breaks River’s hold and is free. Using that freedom, she quickly spins around and leaps at River for a perfectly executed headlock.
River is stunned.
Grace uses her body weight to fall on top of River. The intelligent wrestler responds by encasing Grace is a side body scissor. Grace has the stronger position but this could still go either way. River continues to crunch at Grace’s waist.
To Grace’s surprise, River smartly uses her hands to literally push Grace’s face backwards. The Virago star tries to turn her face away from River’s smashing hands but loses the battle. River pushes Grace off and is immediately on top of her.
Amazing strategy, rarely seen, but obviously effective.
Now, Grace is in trouble with River sitting on top of her.
River moves forward for both a smother and painful lock on Grace’s right wrist. It is too much and Grace taps out.
River wins the match 3-1.
At the time, we wondered if both legendary wrestlers knew that they were making history.
When it comes to great female submission grappling, between to legends that time will remember, even in San Francisco, that occurrence is not unusual.
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OPENING PHOTO Juan Salamanca pexels.com photo credit grapplingstars.com femcompetitor.com
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