Nico's Wrestling Kingdom trainee Bastian Bernhard selected for Scotland national wrestling squad
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A teenager who trains in Elgin has been selected for the Scottish national wrestling squad.
Bastian Bernhard, a 15-year-old from Inverness, has been training at HMAC for eight years across Brazilian jiu-jitsu, mixed martial arts and wrestling. He has also previously spent time working on taekwondo and boxing, but wrestling has become his absolute top priority.
Recently, the teenager stepped up his efforts on the mat by joining Nicolae Cojocaru's Wrestling Kingdom in Elgin at the SBG Moray gym, with Cojocaru giving him that extra push to go for the national pathway programme.
The first training camp took place in Larg in mid-February with the youngster part of a group of around 20 of the country's best talents under the guidance of national coaches, and Bernhard is now approaching his first competition as a Scotland representative – the Scottish Open on March 16.
Having immersed himself among the top talent that Scotland has to offer in their respective age groups, Bernhard says he already feels like he has improved off the back of the training camp – and holds no fear going into competition at the National Sports Training Centre in Inverclyde.
"I had a couple of sessions with Nico in Elgin to make sure I was ready to join the camp, and then it happened," Bernhard explained.
"They were at a very high level, with people from all around the world. There were a lot of resources there that I could use, and they really took care of us.
"Training with different types of fighters and wrestlers taught me how to deal with different styles, how to take them down and be more dynamic.
"My coaches, who come from all around the world, have worked with me on that.
"I'm really excited for the National Open now, I'm training hard to be ready. Hopefully there won't be anything I can't handle after what I've learned from the camps."
HMAC Inverness head coach Ross Houston, a professional MMA fighter himself with Cage Warriors and Bellator, feels Bernhard is one to watch having seen the teenager's growth first hand over the years.
"Bastian has been a big part of the team for many years now, and it’s been great to see him grow as a combat athlete and to see a boy become a young man!" Houston commented.
"His wrestling has always been strong, and he has put a lot of time into it since he first started with us.
"Working alongside the Scottish Wrestling team is only going to make him stronger in this department. I'm really looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the young man."
Houston has been highly influential into Bernhard's journey, and the Charleston Academy pupil is considering whether to follow in the former Cage Warriors champion's footsteps in the long run.
He has already taken part in his first MMA fight – which Bernhard won last year – so that door absolutely remains open whatever happens in wrestling.
With his family originally coming from Poland, one of Bernhard's idols is UFC fighter Jan Blachowicz, and with his multi-faceted training background already a mixed martial arts career does not seem out of the question.
"I've always been drawn to wrestling, and a lot of people where I come from do it as their main Olympic sport," Bernhard added.
"I do like the other martial arts a lot, but wrestling is the one that sticks out.
"Maybe I can do something in the Olympics, maybe I can go further with my clubs and go to more camps, maybe I can go into MMA a bit more and have more cage fights.
"Ross has given me a lot of information about how it is in the ring. For my first MMA fight, he told me all about how to prepare for the mental side as well as the physical side.
"It's a lot of work you need to do even before you get into a cage or step on to the mat to wrestle. That mental side is just as difficult."
