"brother" YASSHI	AKIRA	MUTA and TAJIRI	Masamune	Mr. Pogo	Billy Ken Kid	Tiger Mask IV	Dr. Muscle

So you want to follow puroresu, but where do you start? First, understand that if you want to become an avid fan (more then just a casual fan that only watches occasionally matches people highly recommend) it will take a little bit of effort. Becoming a fan of puroresu is what renewed my interest in wrestling again, and I think that the same could be done for others. But how? Everybody is different, but if you really want to get into puroresu then here is what I recommend:

Visit Stuart's Puroresufan Network at least once a day: The first concept you have to get used to is that puroresu news won't come to you, so you have to go to it. It won't show up in the newspapers, on television, or in conversations with people at work or school. Most "mainstream" websites only have a column once a week at the most about puroresu, if at all. While reading these articles is a good idea, and I'll get to that in a minute, you have to train yourself to go after the puroresu news in order to keep up with the promotions. There isn't a site I can recommend more then www.puroresufan.com. No site (in English) will provide you news and results of promotions in Japan like Stuart, Irving, and Xanshin. Once a day might seem excessive, but all it takes is five minutes to skim the page for updates. Course, going two times a week is fine, but when you are first getting into puroresu it helps to get into the habit of checking for news. Whether it be behind the scenes, storylines, or results then that is where you want to go.

Buy some full events: Check out my section on recommended events to find out which ones to get. It is important to get full events and not just download a few matches here and there, as that is the only way you will really get to know which wrestlers you like and which you don't. A lot of longtime puroresu fans prefer to just watch the main events, which is fine, but when you are first starting you can't get a full grasp of the promotion structure, rising stars, etc. if you only watch the matches with the main eventers. You are only getting half the story. It would be like starting to watch a WWE PPV at 10 pm. Sure, you are seeing the best part of the show, but you aren't getting the whole picture. So get a few full shows of a promotion that sounds interesting to you. I highly recommend IVPVideos.com, he sells events for only 3 dollars apiece, so for 10 dollars (after shipping) you will have a few shows.

Get used to the fact you can't understand the commentary: I am assuming you don't speak fluent Japanese, so if you do, just skip this part. There is nothing more frustrating when you first start then not being able to understand the commentary. Not only does it make it harder to keep up with any storyline, but we are so used to having announcers keeping up with the action for us that it is easy to lose focus. Over time though, you will do what I do and that is listen to the voices for emotions/reactions (which transcend any language barrier) and otherwise let the wrestlers tell the story with their actions. Really, we don't need commentators telling us what is going on, but we have gotten so used to it that we are programmed to expect it. There is no quick way to get around the language barrier, but I would highly recommend not muting it. The reactions from the announcers and crowds are frequently more important then the words that the commentators are saying anyway. To keep you from getting distracted, when you first start watching puroresu stay away from the computer and put the PSP down so you can fully concentrate on the action. Over time you will realize that you don't need running commentary after all.

If you don't understand something, ask!: Especially when you first start, there will be things you aren't sure about. Whether it be as simple as which wrestler is which, why they hate each other, or anything else, questions will come up. Don't be afraid to ask someone. At www.puroresufan.com they have threads to ask questions, and while like all message boards there are a fair amount of cynical or inconsiderate people it is still a good place to ask questions as there are posters such as Stuart, Irving, Xanshin, and Dynamic A that will help. Also you can always email me, I am always willing to help no matter how simple or complicated the question is. Understanding what is going on is the first step in getting emotionally invested, so don't be too embarrassed to ask for help.

Read puroresu columns wherever you can find them: Many of your favorite wrestling sites have opinion articles on puroresu, such as Ditch's at www.insidepulse.com. While these columns shouldn't be taken as the gospel, they are still very helpful in understanding wrestling in Japan. Plus it will be more convenient to read the columns if they are on sites that you already go to on a regular basis anyway.