NO HOLDS BARRED

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Ivaylo Ivanov of the International Federation of Combat Wrestling (FICW).

Just formed this year, this organization is running events in the style of submission wrestling known as combat wrestling, which most recently achieved notoriety in Japan in the 1990s. With representatives joining from around the world, the goal is to hold their first world championship event in Bulgaria in the summer of 2015.

Originally from Bulgaria and having lived in Japan and China, he is now living in Mexico City. He is a black belt in judo, a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a master of sport in sambo. He also is the founder of the combat sports news web site Yagadome.

We spoke with Ivaylo Ivanov by Skype Wednesday.

"In combat wrestling, you are awarded points for throws, depending on the amplitude of the throw and landing position of your opponent. After that, you get points for pins. That would be pins outside of the guard. And then, of course, you could get submissions," he said, "and go for submissions any time you want. But the most common positions for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, for example, like mount and taking the back, are also awarded, with only one point."

We also discussed the founding of this style and ruleset by Mr. Noriaki Kiguchi in Japan, why it is being revived now, how the rules differ from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, how the rules and style are very similar to sambo but without the kurtka (jacket), the planned expansion of the federation to 20 countries by the end of 2015, the plans for the 2015 world championships, plans for holding continental championships in 2016 leading to that year's world championships, building the International Federation of Combat Wrestling as a non-profit organization and eventually holding a world congress, and much more.

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Labels: BJJ, catch, Eddie Goldman, International Federation Combat Wrestling, Ivaylo Ivanov, jiu-jitsu, judo, No Holds Barred, sambo