Gene LeBell

Gene LeBell
Gene LeBell
Born	9 October 1932 (age 92); Los Angeles, California
Style	Catch wrestling, Judo, Jujutsu
Rank	10th degree red belt in Judo ; 9th degree black belt in Jujutsu
Notable students	"Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Karo Parisyan, Mando Guerrero, Chuck Norris, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Gokor Chivichyan, Bob Wall, Ed Parker, Manny Gamburyan, John Donehue.

Ivan Gene LeBell (born October 9, 1932) is a former American Judo champion, instructor, stunt performer, stunt coordinator, and professional wrestler born in Los Angeles, California. LeBell has worked on over 1,000 films and TV shows,^[1] and has authored a number of books.

In 2000, he was promoted to 9th Dan in US Ju-Jitsu and US Taiho-Jutsu by the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). In 2002, Gene LeBell was promoted to 10th Degree in Judo by Jon Bluming in Holland. On August 7, 2004 LeBell was promoted to 10th Degree by the World Martial Arts Masters Association. In February 2005, he was promoted to 9th Dan in Traditional Kodokan Judo by the USJJF.^[2]

Combat sports career

Competing in the heavyweight at only 165 pounds, LeBell won the AAU National Judo Championships (both heavyweight and overall) both in 1954 and 1955. In 1963, LeBell accepted a public challenge to fight boxer Milo Savage (rated number 5 in the world by Ring Magazine many years earlier but unable to obtain work even as a sparring partner at the end of his career) in Salt Lake City, Utah. Competing as a "judo/karate" fighter, LeBell defeated Savage - choking him unconscious in the 4th round. In June 1976, LeBell refereed the infamous boxing-versus-MMA contest between Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, Japan. LeBell was selected over 200 other applicants to referee that bout.^[3] Following his combat sports career, LeBell, along with his brother Mike, ran the National Wrestling Alliance's Los Angeles territory, NWA Hollywood Wrestling from 1968 to 1982.

On December 2, 1963 in Salt Lake City, Utah LeBell participated in the first televised mixed martial arts fights in the United States. The fight featured LeBell facing former top ranked middleweight boxer Milo Savage in what was dubbed a “Boxer vs. Judo-Karate Black Belt” challenge match. The bout came about after a writer named Jim Beck made a challenge to any judoka that if they could defeat a boxer he would award them $1000 of his own money. The match was set for five three minute rounds. The rules allowed Savage to use any type of punching techniques of his choosing and LeBell could use any judo or karate techniques with the exception of kicks. Savage was allowed to wear a pair of special speed bag gloves with his fingers not covered (similar to today’s modern MMA gloves) and a karate gi top and boxing shorts. LeBell would wear his judogi and belt. The fight lasted four rounds until LeBell executed a left sided harai goshi on Savage followed by a Maka-komi (landing on his opponent) and then choking him out. Within seconds Savage was unconscious with LeBell being declared the winner. With Savage, being the hometown favorite, losing the crowd began to throw bottles, other debris and chairs into the ring. To prevent a full blown riot hometown hero and rated professional boxer Jay Fullmer (brother of boxers Gene Fullmer and Don Fullmer) entered the ring to congratulate LeBell and avert a riot.^[4]

LeBell is held in high regard by fans of combat sports, who affectionately refer to him as "Judo" Gene LeBell. He is also commonly known as "the Godfather of Grappling" and also as "the toughest man alive". He has taught grappling skills to many well-known wrestlers and martial artists, including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Karo Parisyan, Mando Guerrero, Chuck Norris, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Gokor Chivichyan, Bob Wall, Ed Parker and Manny Gamburyan.

Along with the awards he has received for his feats in Judo and grappling, he received the 2005 Frank Gotch Award to celebrate the positive recognition he has brought to the sport of wrestling. The award was presented by the Cauliflower Alley Club. On March 18, 1995 he was awarded the Cauliflower Alley Club's "Iron Mike Mazurki" award; awarded by one of his teachers, the great professional wrestling champion Lou Thesz.

On March 23, 1991 Gene LeBell was awareed the Honorary "Reel" Membership by the Ring of Friendship of the Cauliflower Alley Club. This is award that is only given to a select few. Other awardees have been James Cagney, Kirk Douglas, Karl Malden, Cesar Romero, Mickey Rooney, and Sylvester Stallone (movie stars that also did boxing and wrestling).

LeBell is associated with Gokor Chivichyan's Hayastan MMA Academy where he teaches MMA/grappling classes. Gene keeps himself busy doing interviews for magazines, newspapers, and radio as well as judging fights, and doing movie stunts for well over 50 years. Gene has a son named David LeBell.

LeBell's mother was the influential boxing promoter, Aileen Eaton, who is the first, and currently only, female member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

The pink gi

The pink colored Judo Gi that has become a trademark of LeBell was a result of a laundry mixup while preparing for a competition in Japan. A pair of red shorts were mixed into the laundry that contained his Gi and turned the uniform a shade of pink. He was set to compete the following day, and being a Saturday evening when he received the now colored uniform, he had to compete in the pink uniform. This set the Japanese crowd livid (it was considered very insulting). LeBell went on to win his division.^[5]

Incident with Steven Seagal

During an interview with Joe Rogan, LeBell confirmed the long standing rumor that he had choked out Martial Artist/Actor Steven Seagal. According to LeBell, while he was working a s stunt cordinator in one of Seagals movies, Seagal had boasted that he could not be choked out because he had developed a technique to counter it. LeBell took Seagal up on his offer and applied a standing rear naked choke. Seagal struck LeBell in the "sisters" several times, but eventually passed out. LeBell commented that he must have forgotten to use the bathroom beforehand. Since then it is considered an honor to be choked out by LeBell, and even has a special patch for people who have experienced it.

Television and film

LeBell has worked on over 1,000 films, TV shows and commercials as a stuntman or stunt co-ordinator, and as an actor (including multiple appearances as himself.)^[1] LeBell appeared in three Elvis Presley movies as a minor character who starts a fight with the character played by Presley.^[6] ^[7]

Other references

In the fall of 2010, WWE wrestler Daniel Bryan^[8] started using LeBell's Omoplata Crossface as his trademark finishing submission, calling it the "LeBell Lock."

Works

LeBell has authored at least twelve books, including:

The Handbook of Judo: An Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide to Winning Sport Judo by Gene LeBell and Lauri C. Coughran. 1962, 1963, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1996.
Your Personal Handbook of Self-defense by Gene LeBell. 1964, 1976.
Judo and Self-defense for the Young Adult by Gene LeBell. 1971.
Pro-Wrestling Finishing Holds by "Judo" Gene LeBell. 1985, 1990.
Grappling Master: Combat for Street Defense and Competition by Gene LeBell. 1992.
Gene LeBell's Handbook of Self-Defense by Gene LeBell. 1996.
Gene LeBell - The Grappling Club Master by Gene LeBell, Ben Springer, and Steve Kim. 1999.
Grappling and Self-Defense for the Young Adult by Gene LeBell and Bob Ryder. 2002.
How to Break Into Pro Wrestling: "Judo" Gene LeBell's Insider Guide to the Biz by Gene Lebell and Mark Jacobs. 2003.
Gene LeBell's Grappling World: The Encyclopedia of Finishing Holds by Gene LeBell. 1998, 2000(2nd expanded edition), 2005(3rd edition).
The Godfather of Grappling (authorised biography of LeBell) by "Judo" Gene LeBell, Bob Calhoun, George Foon, and Noelle Kim. 2005.