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Saturday, April 05, 2014

No Holds Barred: Qin Yunquan on Her June 7 Catch Wrestling Alliance Match in L.A. 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with martial artist, catch wrestler, freestyle wrestler, and our correspondent, Qin Yunquan.

She is an instructor for women's and children's self-defense at the Kapap Academy Singapore. She is also helping to build Catch Wrestling Singapore.

At present, she is preparing to wrestle on the card of the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth.

This event will take place Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA, at 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095-1612.

This invitational event will be held under catch wrestling rules, where you can only win by pin or submission. Her opponent will be named shortly.

We spoke with Qin Yunquan by Skype Friday.

While she is currently recovering from a knee injury, which she said is "not too bad", she expects to resume training shortly and be ready for her June 7 match. Her preparation also included a trip to the two-day Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp in San Diego, California, February 7-8, with catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of ScientificWrestling.com. This camp turned out to be the last one for Billy Robinson, who passed away February 27 at age 75.

Discussing some of the submission techniques which she learned from Billy Robinson, she said, "Billy Robinson taught me a lot of the submissions that uses a lot of deception." She went on, "A lot of people when they grapple, they go on with brute force, and it's almost predictable what they're going to do next."

Billy Robinson, she noted, taught many different setups. "So you think he's doing something, and yet you're really going for the arm or the leg, and you're not protecting against it."

And that deception is something that is very useful against many opponents. "They're going to know all the predictable moves of, for example, BJJ or even wrestling."

We also discussed her continuing work in providing self-defense training; the use of technology, social media, and apps in popularizing catch wrestling; how combat sports in general and various styles of grappling and wrestling are growing in Singapore; and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

No Holds Barred: Jake Shannon on Billy Robinson 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling.

The catch wrestling and combat sports worlds were saddened last week to learn of the passing of the catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson at age 75. Billy and Jake had been conducting numerous catch wrestling seminars around the world, and had collaborated on many books and videos, including Billy's memoir, "Physical Chess: My Life in Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling" (ECW Press, 2012).

Jake has also created a tribute page for Billy on Facebook, called the Billy Robinson Memorial.

We spoke with Jake Shannon by phone Tuesday about the life and legacy of Billy Robinson.

While he said that Billy is "irreplaceable," he noted, "He lived and breathed catch-as-catch-can. And he would be pissed if we didn't continue it on."

He added, "I don't know what people believe, but he'd haunt you, and whack you with a ghost cane if we didn't keep this going. I can guarantee you that."

We discussed a lot more about Billy Robinson and his legacy, how he was considered to be the best catch wrestling coach, the many tributes to Billy pouring in from all around the world, plans for the next phase in the rebirth of catch wrestling, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Tuesday, March 04, 2014

No Holds Barred: Mike Chapman and Raul Ramirez on Billy Robinson 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with wrestling historian and author Mike Chapman and Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance about the announcement Monday that catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson has passed away at age 75. We spoke with them by phone Monday afternoon.

Even though in recent years he had to use a cane to walk and could not get on the mat himself, Billy Robinson continued to train people in catch wrestling.

"He knew the moves so well that he could pretty much talk you through it," said Raul Ramirez, who had been trained by him. "Even if it was a new move you had never seen before, just the description itself was enough for you to understand. And then he would just drill it until you did it right."

Trained at the legendary Riley's Gym in Wigan, England, by Billy Riley himself, Billy Robinson knew freestyle wrestling, catch wrestling, and the worked pro wrestling. Even in the latter, he was known for exhibiting his many holds and moves.

Mike Chapman recalled the time when Billy Robinson's name came up for consideration for induction into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, of which he was founder. The panel making the selections included many who were proficient in real styles of wrestling, including at the time of Billy's nomination, Lou Thesz, Danny Hodge, Verne Gagne, Brad Rheingans, and Jim "Baron von" Raschke.

When Billy Robinson's name came up, Mike said, several people exclaimed, "He needs to go in immediately. That's all I have to say." And he went in unanimously, in the class of 2003.

We discussed the present rebirth of catch wrestling and the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. This event will be held Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA, at 221 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, California 90095-1612.

On No Holds Barred, Mike Chapman announced that he will be attending this event, including having many books and wrestling items on display. In addition, Mike will be at the annual WIN Memorabilia Show at the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, March 20-22, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

We also discussed what is needed to be done to rebuild catch wrestling and to continue the legacy of Billy Robinson, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link does not work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Sunday, February 09, 2014

No Holds Barred: Qin Yunquan on Her Catch Wrestling, BJJ, and Martial Arts Vacation in the U.S. 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with martial artist, catch wrestler, freestyle wrestler, and our newest correspondent, Qin Yunquan.

She is an instructor for women's and children's self-defense at the Kapap Academy Singapore. She is also helping to build Catch Wrestling Singapore.

She has just completed a three-week trip to the U.S. packed with high level training in numerous disciplines.

First she spent five days training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the famed Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Torrance, California. She also trained with Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance in catch wrestling in the Los Angeles area. Next, she spent about a week training at The Arena in San Diego, California, in MMA, no-gi grappling, wrestling, muay Thai, and muay boran. Then she went to the two-day Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp in San Diego with catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of ScientificWrestling.com.

We spoke with Qin Yunquan by phone Saturday night while she was preparing to leave San Diego for Singapore on Sunday.

"It has been indeed a very, very interesting stay in the States for this time," she said. "It has been a very fruitful experience going from one gym to the other gym, training in different systems of martial arts. There's so much to share about each experience. And every one of them has been amazing."

Speaking about the training with Billy Robinson, she said, "This time around was actually my second time I'm actually attending Billy Robinson's seminar, and once again it was a mind-blowing experience."

We discussed some of the key lessons she will take back to Singapore from her training; how the philosophy of the Gracies "complements" and helps what is done in catch wrestling; how she especially worked on takedowns when training with Raul Ramirez; why it is essential to understand the principles behind all these techniques; why catch wrestling has "a very, very bright future"; the plans to educate the public and develop catch wrestling in Singapore and Southeast Asia; her plans to compete in the June 7 Catch Wrestling Alliance event in Los Angeles; why this "training is my vacation"; and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Sunday, November 17, 2013

No Holds Barred: Raul Ramirez on the Global Growth of Catch Wrestling 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our correspondent Raul Ramirez of Catch Wrestling Los Angeles.

He has just returned from Wigan, England, where on November 9 he won both his matches at the second annual International Catch Wrestling Tournament, organized by the Snake Pit Wigan. He won his first match by hammerlock over Stephen Greenfield of Wales, and his second by pin over Ulli Koch of Germany. For these efforts, he also was awarded three trophies: the Alan Latham AKA Francis Sullivan Trophy presented by his daughter Karen Latham, the Billy Chambers AKA Jack Fallon Trophy, and the Roy Wood Trophy for Most Improved Wrestler of the Year, presented by Wigan head coach Roy Wood himself.

In addition, it was announced that Catch Wrestling Los Angeles is now an official Snake Pit Wigan Training Group.

We spoke with Raul Ramirez by phone Sunday.

We discussed the opportunity wrestling has with the void being created by all the problems in many combat and contact sports, especially those where evidence of head injuries and brain damage are mounting. In the U.S., there is a slow but steady rebirth of real professional wrestling events, with some using a mix of freestyle and American folkstyle rules, and others international freestyle rules.

"With the history of catch wrestling, ours is the granddaddy of them all," he said. "If everyone from Wigan and everyone in the United States works together, we can really try to get something going that's global and really exciting."

He noted that international participation in this Wigan event increased this year, as well as the quality of the wrestling. There are many freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers who are "really interested and really wanting to do catch wrestling." At this event alone, freestyle and Greco wrestler Muhammad Ali of Pakistan, a two-time South Asian Games champion, traveled all the way to England to train and wrestle, winning both of his matches by pin. Other international wrestlers included Osamu Matsunami of Japan and Ulli Koch of Germany, with, of course, Raul Ramirez from the U.S. and numerous wrestlers from the U.K.

"This can be global again," he said, as we discussed some of the plans to continue this revival of catch wrestling.

We also discussed plans to hold an international catch wrestling tournament in the Los Angeles area next year, the need for those in catch wrestling to be connected to the broader wrestling community, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

LenneHardt.com, the web site of the world's greatest ring announcer, Lenne Hardt. Need a unique and cool combat sports-related gift? At LenneHardt.com, you can order personalized messages, wedding calls, ringtones, phone answering messages, and more, all recorded by Lenne herself, in the style of your choice. For more information, go to LenneHardt.com.

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

GrappleGnostic, sponsored by Defense Soap. Where the will to win meets the power of knowledge. Features, interviews, analysis, health tips, and information on wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and all the grappling arts, written by some of the best writers and experts in the world. Check out their web site, a http://defensesoap.com/grapplegnostic.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at http://defensesoap.com.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Thursday, November 07, 2013

No Holds Barred: Stephen Greenfield and Raul Ramirez on Snake Pit Wigan International Catch Wrestling Tournament 




On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Stephen Greenfield of the Snake Pit Wigan and our correspondent Raul Ramirez of Catch Wrestling Los Angeles.

They are both now in Wigan, England, the home of catch wrestling, for the second annual International Catch Wrestling Tournament, hosted by the historic Snake Pit Wigan. Several wrestlers from around the world have come to Wigan for this tournament and the annual International Week of training and seminars.

Catch wrestling is in the process of being revived, and this is the most important catch wrestling tournament in the world.

This event, alongside the 36th annual Aspull Freestyle Wrestling Competition, will be held this Saturday, November 9, at the Robin Park Sports Centre in Wigan. As was done last year, videos of the matches are expected to be posted online shortly.

We spoke with both Stephen Greenfield and Raul Ramirez by Skype Wednesday.

"The plan is, this year there's going to be a larger number of matches" than last year, said Stephen Greenfield. "I think currently it's anywhere between 10 and 15, depending on how many people we've got at the time."

He added, "It's not quite an open tournament yet. It's mostly populated by people who have sort of trained at the Snake Pit, and also some of the people that have come for the International Week.... Hopefully it will be interesting for people to watch." Next year, however, the plan is to hold an open tournament.

The influence of the Snake Pit Wigan has already spread far beyond the U.K., and there are plans for more similar catch wrestling tournaments internationally.

"Our mission," said Raul Ramirez, is "try to create that bridge, or outreach or education, on basically letting the American wrestlers - collegiate, folkstyle, freestyle wrestlers - know that we in the United States do have such a rich catch wrestling tradition as well, that they most likely don't know about."

Towards that end, discussions are now under way to plan a catch wrestling tournament in the Los Angeles area for sometime in the first half of 2014.

We also discussed the catch wrestling rules used by the Snake Pit Wigan, which are based on the original rules of Billy Riley of Riley's Gym. Under those rules, there are no points or judges, and a match can only be won by pin or submission. However, the Snake Pit Wigan rules do not allow chokes. Current Snake Pit and Aspull head coach Roy Wood, who was trained by Billy Riley, has argued, according to Stephen Greenfield, "The choke kills the wrestling."

In addition, we discussed the appeal of catch wrestling, the need for those involved in catch wrestling to have ties to the broader wrestling community, what is needed for the revival of catch wrestling to be successful, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

LenneHardt.com, the web site of the world's greatest ring announcer, Lenne Hardt. Need a unique and cool combat sports-related gift? At LenneHardt.com, you can order personalized messages, wedding calls, ringtones, phone answering messages, and more, all recorded by Lenne herself, in the style of your choice. For more information, go to LenneHardt.com.

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

GrappleGnostic, sponsored by Defense Soap. Where the will to win meets the power of knowledge. Features, interviews, analysis, health tips, and information on wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and all the grappling arts, written by some of the best writers and experts in the world. Check out their web site, a http://defensesoap.com/grapplegnostic.

Defense Soap, an effective, deep penetrating body soap with natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial soap ingredients. Defense Soap is the best cleansing body soap for men and women athletes who are involved in contact sports such as MMA, wrestling, grappling, jiu-jitsu, and judo, to help their antifungal, anti-ringworm, anti-jock itch strategy. Check out their web site, at http://defensesoap.com.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

No Holds Barred: Raul Ramirez on Sumo in L.A., and the Next Steps for Catch Wrestling 




(Sumo photos by Raul Ramirez)

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our correspondent Dr. Raul Ramirez.

He was in attendance at the 13th annual US Sumo Open, held Sunday, September 15, in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles. We discussed that event and the appeal and popularity of sumo.

On November 9, he will also be competing in the second annual international catch wrestling tournament in Wigan, England, the home of catch wrestling, and hosted by the historic Snake Pit Wigan.

We spoke with him by phone Wednesday about these events, and the next steps in the revival of catch wrestling.

"I think what we need to do is put on some good shows," he said about what is needed for catch wrestling. The people running the Snake Pit Wigan tournament "have a good idea with regards to having some invitational events at first," he said. Only competitors who are doing high level catch wrestling are selected, "so that all the people in attendance can see the excitement of catch wrestling." Thus, the spectators "can see what it is and they can know that it is different from other grappling styles."

We also discussed the need for proper marketing and promotion of catch wrestling, using media to its fullest, good organization and quality governance, learning the lessons from the corruption that destroyed catch wrestling as a real sport last century, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

No Holds Barred: Raul Ramirez on Catch Wrestling and Nov. 9 Snake Pit Wigan International Tournament  



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with our correspondent Dr. Raul Ramirez of Catch Wrestling Los Angeles.

On November 10, 2012, the first catch wrestling tournament in over 50 years in Wigan, England, the home of catch wrestling, was hosted by the historic Snake Pit Wigan.

In that event, Raul Ramirez wrestled, defeating Stephen Greenfield of Wales by crossface submission. This year, he plans to compete again, in what promises to be an even bigger event.

"Last year we had the event, the international catch wrestling tournament for the Snake Pit Wigan," he said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Monday.

"It was apparently a huge success, because there is such a demand now in England, the students there training with [Coach] Roy [Wood] at the Snake Pit Wigan have just ballooned."

He continued, "Last year since we had five matches, this year they're going to have 15 matches. This is going to be on November 9 in Wigan."

This year's tournament will also take place along with a major freestyle wrestling tournament, which is one reason many more participants are expected in the catch tournament.

He also talked about the plans for Catch Wrestling Los Angeles to become an official training camp for the Snake Pit Wigan. And we discussed the ongoing worldwide revival of catch wrestling, the different rules for catch wrestling used in different events, the future of catch wrestling and the many styles of grappling, and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The First Annual Liberty Bell Classic East Coast King of Catch Tournament, organized by the North American Catch Wrestling Association in conjunction with Scientific Wrestling. This catch wrestling tournament will take place Saturday, August 31, 2013, at the Klein JCC, 10100 Jamison Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19116. No points! No politics! Only submissions and pins win! For more information, go to http://nacwa.weebly.com.

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Monday, June 17, 2013

No Holds Barred: Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon at East Coast Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp 

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling.

They were the lead instructors at the East Coast Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp 2013, which was held June 15-16 in Englishtown, New Jersey.

We spoke with both Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon right at the conclusion of this camp on Sunday.

"I'm trying to open the minds of people about how good catch-as-catch-can wrestling is," said Billy Robinson in this interview.

"It's superior to all other forms of grappling arts."

But their methods were not simply to show people the moves and holds of catch wrestling.

"My coach, Billy Riley from Wigan, and myself and Billy Joyce and all the old great timers, they tried to teach you how to learn how to learn. We want to teach people to learn how to learn catch."

We also discussed with both Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon why catch died out, why it is now being revived, what it is doing and must continue to do to become popular again, upcoming catch wrestling events, and much, much more.

Some photos from this camp can be seen on the No Holds Barred blog here.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here and here. If one link doesn't work, please try another.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", which is also available on iTunes by composer Ian Snow.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Sunday, June 16, 2013

Photos from the East Coast Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp 2013 

The East Coast Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp 2013 took place June 15-16 in Englishtown, New Jersey, at the headquarters of Modern Martial Arts. I came at the very end of the second day to do some interviews and take a few photos. The interviews with catch legend Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling will be up shortly on No Holds Barred. Here are some of the better photos I managed to take.


The lovely scenic route on NJ Transit.




Modern Martial Arts in Englishtown, New Jersey.




Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon instructing.




Joel Bane starting a throw on John Potenza.


 

Joel Bane finishing the throw on John Potenza. Just a demonstration but nice.




Gillian Silver "submitting" Garry Davis.




Garry Davis "submitting" Gillian Silver.




Participants in East Coast Certified Catch Wrestler Training Camp 2013.




Eddie Goldman, Billy Robinson, and Jake Shannon.




Eddie Goldman and Dan Kanagie of North American Catch Wrestling Association.


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Monday, July 09, 2012

No Holds Barred: Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon on Why Catch Wrestling Is Physical Chess 



On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with the legendary catch wrestler Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of Scientific Wrestling about Billy's new memoir, Physical Chess: My Life in Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestling.

This book is an ode of love to the sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling, which the 74-year-old Billy Robinson calls in this book "the greatest sport in the world." He not only recounts how he became personally involved in the sport, but also how the conditions facing the British working class during the Great Depression and during and after World War II led to an explosion of interest and participation in wrestling. There are also plenty of colorful stories and anecdotes from Billy's travels around the world.

This is a must, must-read book for anyone interested in the combat sports and especially the history of the various styles of grappling and wrestling.

"The original sport of catch-as-catch-can is physical chess. It's a chess game with the mind, the body, condition, everything," explained Billy in this interview. "It's beautiful. I'm sorry, I'm an old man but I still love it."

We spoke with Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon by phone late Sunday night into early Monday morning in a lengthy but incredible discussion. Among the many topics we also covered were how catch wrestling builds humility, respect, and discipline; the decline of athleticism in the West in recent years; why in catch wrestling you must "learn how to learn"; the modern origins and history of catch wrestling including the role of Riley's Gym in Wigan, England; catch wrestling and Japan; the need for a major revival of catch wrestling both as a discipline and a spectator sport; mixed martial arts and catch wrestlers including Kazushi Sakuraba and Josh Barnett; why Billy Robinson is today the most successful and influential catch-as-catch-can coach; the current plans for catch wrestling seminars and tournaments around the world; and much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

ONE Fighting Championship. ONE FC is Asia's largest and most prestigious mixed martial arts event. ONE FC features the best Asian fighters and has initiated the ONE Asia Partnership Network, which includes most of the major MMA promotions and MMA gyms in Asia. For more information, go to their web site, at ONEFC.com.

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

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Sunday, December 11, 2011

No Holds Barred: Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon on Catch Wrestling 


On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon of ScientificWrestling.com.

Although he is in his seventies, Billy Robinson is still traveling the world to conduct seminars to pass on the art and science of catch wrestling, as he learned it in places like the legendary Riley's Gym in Wigan, England. Jake Shannon is also a key part of this movement to revive catch wrestling, organizing seminars and training sessions as well as writing books and using the Internet to promote the revival of this sport.

We spoke at length with both Billy Robinson and Jake Shannon by phone on Friday about the past, present, and future of catch wrestling. We discussed what catch wrestling is, some of the problems in the rules of other styles of wrestling, how the old rules of catch wrestling included winning by pin or submission but often varied greatly and were sometimes even negotiated before a match, the Wigan theory "to learn how to learn wrestling", how catch wrestling teaches you how to learn and to open your mind, why catch wrestling today needs a "united marketing front" like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu had in mixed martial arts, the influence of catch wrestling in mixed martial arts, how numerous wrestlers and fighters for years have been training in catch wrestling, and much, much more.

You can play or download No Holds Barred here. You can also download No Holds Barred here. If one link does not work, please try another. The show is in MP3 format, so may take some time to download.

No Holds Barred is also available on mobile phones and iPads through Stitcher.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

The No Holds Barred theme song is called "The Heist", by Ian Carpenter.

No Holds Barred is free to listen to and is sponsored by:

Beezid.com - Penny Auctions. Your #1 source for exciting auction shopping and outstanding deals on just about anything! Top rated, most trusted auction site online. Where do you shop? Beezid.com - Penny Auctions.

American Top Team. Whether you're a beginner or a champion, train with the champions in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, boxing, wrestling, grappling, and mixed martial arts at American Top Team. Check out their web site at http://americantopteam.com/.

The American Sambo Association, which is committed to becoming the premier association in the U.S. dedicated to the advancement of Sambo. Sambo is a form of sport, self-defense, and combat established in the former Soviet Union during the early twentieth century. For more information, go to ussambo.com.

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