Gene Lebell
I Know That “Judo” Gene Lebell Could Have Choked Him Out
Did anybody else watch “24″ last night?
I must have already told you guys that “24″ is probably the only TV show I actually watch on a regular basis.
Last night was no exception and I must say this season has been pretty exciting and full of twists and turns.
And out of nowhere legendary Gene Lebell , “The Godfather of Grappling” shows up briefly on the show and I’m driving my wife nuts:
“Hey, that’s Gene Lebell! Did you see him? That was him, right?! That’s awesome. OMG”
Even though I couldn’t admire him for very long last night, because the writers of the show had other plans. If you know what I mean……
I don’t want to give anything away, because some of you might not have seen yesterday’s episode yet.
Anyway, this is the last season of “24″ and Jack Bauer will be missed around here.
8 seasons in today’s competitive TV environment and I guess you can say they had a good run.
But I digress.
Let’s get back to “Judo” Gene Lebell who was featured here months ago. Just do a search in the archives.
And also check out this short interview. You gotta love the him:
“When in doubt, choke ‘em out!”
A Tribute To The Godfather Of Grappling, “Judo” Gene Lebell
It’s about time for a tribute to The Godfather Of Grappling, “Judo” Gene Lebell!
In case of an emergency, people normally call ’911′. Right?!
Well, when seasoned martial arts and wrestling greats such as Bruce Lee, Ed Parker,
Chuck Norris, Bob Wall, Ken Shamrock, Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, The Rock, Gokor
“Armenian Assassin” Chivichyan and many many more needed grappling advice and
training, guess who they called?
You guessed right, “Judo” Gene Lebell.
In 1954, as a twenty-two year old judoka, Master Gene accomplished something
at the National Judo Championships in Japan nobody had done before:
He won the Heavyweight Title as the first non-Japanese weighing only 165 lbs.!
Master Gene repeated this extraordinary acomplishment the next year.
All while competing in a pink judo gi. So what’s with funky colored gi?
I’m glad you asked.
When Master Gene was in Japan the first time, the laundry service cleaning his gi
messed up big time by somehow throwing in red clothing and so turning his white gi
into the now infamous pink.
Master Gene had no choice but to compete in pink. The Japanese were outraged,
because they considered it disrespectful. Traditions can be very strong.
Master Gene prevailed and the pink gi has been his trademark ever since.
So, when looking around a dojo you knew that dangerous guy was always the one wearing pink.
For years he continued to successfully compete in the Judo and Pro-Wrestling.
His proven skills have helped him in stunt-work in literally hundreds of movies
along side with celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
Master Gene continues to share his vast knowledge in Los Angeles and at seminars
around the country such as the Paradise Warrior Retreat with other martial arts legends.
Master Gene is certainly not your typical 77-year old.
He’s as sharp as a tack and as witty as they come. And he owns the mat.
And what’s absolutely amazing: His sleeper choke keeps on putting people to sleep within seconds.
Nobody does it better!
Or as the famous saying goes, “When in doubt, choke him out.”
Let me know if any of you have met “Judo” Gene Lebell in person.
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