Gene LeBell Passed Away

[Big Nasty Edison]

RIP. I believe he helped teach out of gokors academy and I think he also was gokors instructor. I believe that’s where gokor got his catch wrestling.

No disrespect to Bruce Lee, but gene already had multiple black belts in karate, judo and boxed and is actually a mix martial artist, although he was repping judo in the fight against the boxer. Rip Gene.

Yes, Gene was on the coaching staff at Hayastan in North Hollywood for many years. That's where I met him.

Gokor is in some of Gene's books too, along with a young Karo as an uke.

 

[Sweeptheleg7]

Yes, Gene was on the coaching staff at Hayastan in North Hollywood for many years. That's where I met him.

Do you know how much did gene influence gokors style. A lot of bjj guys claim gokor crossed trained with bjj and that’s why gokor and his guys are good on the ground.

 

[shunyata]

Do you know how much did gene influence gokors style. A lot of bjj guys claim gokor crossed trained with bjj and that’s why gokor and his guys are good on the ground.

I mean, Gokor trained with everyone who wanted to train but he was never under the umbrella of any Brazilian affiliations.

That's sort of a loaded and backhanded claim the way it's worded here.

Gokor had a Judo and Sambo background, Gene brought the Catch in addition to his own rough style of Judo.

To my knowledge Gokor never trained "under" any of the major Brazilian lineage black belts or Brazilian affiliations and he explained once that he was happy to train with them in his gym or neutral gyms but he felt like he was being courted in the earlier days by the Gracie's so that they could say "he's our fighter/competitor". So then in the long run they tried to take credit by claiming their crosstraining had made him good and not his experience coming from the Eastern bloc Judo / Sambo / grappling world that he brought over when he came to California.

Hayastan obviously has very strong Armenian influences, and while people would be training for MMA fights, jiu jitsu tourney, sub grappling tourneys, or Judo tourneys the fundamental style would be more accurately described more as Armenian jiu Jitsu and not Brazilian.

They were also very much ahead of the leglock game due to teaching it decades ago but that's a different discussion.

 

[Sweeptheleg7]

I mean, Gokor trained with everyone who wanted to train but he was never under the umbrella of any Brazilian affiliations.

That's sort of a loaded and backhanded claim the way it's worded here.

Gokor had a Judo and Sambo background, Gene brought the Catch in addition to his own rough style of Judo.

To my knowledge Gokor never trained "under" any of the major Brazilian lineage black belts or Brazilian affiliations and he explained once that he was happy to train with them in his gym or neutral gyms but he felt like he was being courted in the earlier days by the Gracie's so that they could say "he's our fighter/competitor". So then in the long run they tried to take credit by claiming their crosstraining had made him good and not his experience coming from the Eastern bloc Judo / Sambo / grappling world that he brought over when he came to California.

Hayastan obviously has very strong Armenian influences, and while people would be training for MMA fights, jiu jitsu tourney, sub grappling tourneys, or Judo tourneys the fundamental style would be more accurately described more as Armenian jiu Jitsu and not Brazilian.

They were also very much ahead of the leglock game due to teaching it decades ago but that's a different discussion.

I remember seeing gokor also had a black belt in jiu jitsu and I always wondered if it was Daito ryu style, which has a ground game. I know gene also had a black belt in jiu jitsu and I’m wondering if that’s where gokor got it.

 

[Peteyandjia]

Belated RIP.

Any specific techniques you grappling historians think of when ye think of Judo Gene LeBell?

 

[Highway99]

Belated RIP.

Any specific techniques you grappling historians think of when ye think of Judo Gene LeBell?

The LeBell grip:

 

[Kforcer]

Belated RIP.

Any specific techniques you grappling historians think of when ye think of Judo Gene LeBell?

The no-gi version of a classic gi choke where you wrap the opponent's arm around his own throat and then slide your forearm in between his arm and the other side of his throat. I've used that one a whole bunch. There's a ton of LeBell techniques I've loved though. He was great with the Achilles, which is my favorite and which he said was Bruce Lee's favorite as well. He was also one of the first guys on record teaching heel-hooks; I don't know if he got it from Ivan Gomes or from some catch dude. But he clearly knew the technique well.

 

[Patrick Jane]

The no-gi version of a classic gi choke where you wrap the opponent's arm around his own throat and then slide your forearm in between his arm and the other side of his throat.

The Cobra Clutch?

 

[Kforcer]

The Cobra Clutch?

It is indeed quite a bit like the Cobra Clutch. In all seriousness, it works great.

 

[Matsukaze]

RIP legend
After rewatching that fight Gene did with the boxer, I couldn't help but think what a difference the clinching game in Gracie jiu jitsu would've helped him.