76251-142Gareth Bethell climbs into the ring to find out about 4 Front Wrestling, Swindon's answer to America's World Wrestling Entertainment.

MY only previous experience of wrestling is of my sister putting me in a headlock until I gave her my crisps when we were kids.

She's my older sister mind you, not my younger that would just be pathetic.

So when I stepped into the ring of Swindon's 4 Front Wrestling and found blood stains covering the canvas I didn't exactly feel comfortable.

And when Gino stepped into the ring with me, it was clear things were about to get a lot more unsettling.

It's a big ring but there's nowhere to hide.

Gino aka 26-year-old maths teacher Simon Roberts is a 5ft 8ins tall, 14.5 stone, Lycra-clad fighter whose special move was something called starstruck.

I didn't particularly want to find out what it was like to be starstruck but then I didn't have much choice.

The wrestling school has been running every Sunday at the Pinehurst People's Centre for a year now.

And while the monthly shows, which draw in crowds of 150, may look painful it's all carefully choreographed.

I was relieved to find that "irresponsible violence" is just a way of getting people interested rather than an accurate description of what actually goes on.

But that's not to say nobody gets hurt as the bloodstains on the canvas testify.

Gino may have been four inches shorter than me but he could still pick me and throw me around like a dog with a bone.

As well as his special move, I was also treated to the delight of the camel clutch and the Boston crab.

And speaking to fellow wrestlers it's clear that things can go wrong.

The list of injuries was long enough to fill a casualty ward for a week and ranged from torn tendons to broken noses, fingers and even an ankle.

But as the group's new organiser David Sharp, 23, of Toothill, explains, the aim isn't to hurt your opponent but to entertain the crowd.

"You can get hurt but it's all predetermined," the factory supervisor said. "It's more like an art it's a performance.

"If you go out to hurt someone, the match won't continue."

And Gino agreed: "The first time I came I bruised my kidney but I was hooked. I've got quite a stressful job so this is a good release at the weekend. It gets out all the stress.

"Obviously there's a risk but if you're doing it with someone who knows what they're doing it's reasonably safe.

"I've had more injuries playing football than I have from wrestling."

That may well be true but given the choice of a 14-stone bloke jumping off five-foot high ropes onto you I think I'll take my chances with the leather ball. To find out more about wrestling in Swindon go online at www.4fw.co.uk