NO HOLDS BARRED

 

My latest piece, "Who Will Zhang Bang Next?", is up on the No Holds Barred Patreon page.

Labels: Big Bang, boxing, China, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred, Zhang Zhilei

 On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the writer, author, professor, and wrestler, Antonio Graceffo.

Labels: Antonio Graceffo, Bokh, China, Eddie Goldman, Mongolia, Mongolian Wrestling, Nadaam, No Holds Barred, sumo, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Matthew Gelfand, an instructor and coach at Shuai Jiao Evolution.

Based in New York, he will be traveling to California this coming weekend for the 2019 TCAAT Shuaijiao Tournament of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hosted by USA Shuaijiao, this tournament will take place Saturday, July 13, at Cupertino High School, 10100 Finch Ave., Cupertino, California 95014.

We spoke with him by phone Sunday.

Shuai Jiao, the Chinese traditional style of wrestling, is clearly recognized as being one of many styles of wrestling taught and competed in by many people who also are involved in countless other styles of wrestling, martial arts, and combat sports. He mentioned American Lavell Marshall, a Shuai Jiao instructor and wrestler, who is currently training and competing in China.

"The way we all look at is wrestling is wrestling," he said, "so as an example Lavell out in Mongolia doing Bokh, or Mongolian wrestling."

Even this upcoming TCAAT tournament is trying to go beyond the traditional Shuai Jiao rules, where wrestlers must wear special jackets. At the July 13 TCAAT event, "there's even going to be a non-jackets division in order to hopefully entice people who are interested in playing the rules but aren't used to the jacket," he said.

"I think people don't necessarily understand, especially in America, what the differences and the similarities are between the arts," he noted. He hopes, as a "pet project", to demonstrate exactly what the similarities are between styles such as Greco-Roman wrestling, Shuai Jiao, judo, sambo, etc., so that "people can get the idea about the fact that we're all kind of cousins."

And, he reiterated, "Wrestling is wrestling," and that "there's so many different things you can learn from each art, there's so many different ways of doing the same thing, that a lot of times people just kind of stand at their own place and they don't want to blend with other styles, but the fact is there is something to be learned from everywhere."

We also had a wide-ranging discussion about the often confusing array of national and international Shuai Jiao organizations and how most groups are finally starting to work together. We also discussed how he got interested in Shuai Jiao; how in China there are "four or five" professional Shuai Jiao tournaments a month; why much of what goes on in China involving Shuai Jiao is not known in the rest of the world and how that is starting to change; upcoming tournaments in Brazil in October and in Brooklyn next January; and much, much more.

Note also that I am reviving my Patreon page. This is a crowdfunding site where people post all sorts of content and ask that this work by funded by what the site calls patrons. This will allow me to continue with the kind of unbought and independent, intelligent combat sports journalism that I have been providing for almost three decades now. My page is at https://www.patreon.com/eddiegoldman, and you can make a monthly contribution of any amount you wish. All contributions, no matter how small or great they may be, are greatly appreciated.

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

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: China, Chinese wrestling, Eddie Goldman, martial arts, Matthew Gelfand Shuai Jiao, No Holds Barred

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance.

It was just announced that they are starting a new interactive, online venture, the Catch Wrestling Alliance Academy.

We spoke with him by phone Friday.

"For the longest time now, people comment on our videos. They send emails. They're asking for DVDs or places that they can learn. I'm sure that's the most common thing, where someone in some remote part of the planet, they're saying, of course there's hardly any kind of martial arts instruction nearby, and they definitely love catch wrestling. So they just need the training to be more accessible," he said.

"So I thought that maybe to serve the majority of people, regardless of your location, we should probably go online, but also not just put out DVDs.

"We have to make this a little bit more interactive, where the students that can be learning online from videos and from PDFs that we make, but we have to put it in a format where they can also ask questions, if they have any misunderstandings, so that they can actually just get the best level of instruction without having to be present in a class. That is probably the best we really can do."

So while, obviously, training in person in catch wrestling is invaluable, where that is not possible, this is "the next best thing."

The first of these online interactive course is called "Catch Wrestling Fundamentals: Stand Up." Upcoming courses will include mat wrestling, controlling and restraining opponents both in sport and self-defense situations, integrating striking into wrestling and grappling, and psychological and mental aspects of sports performance.

We discussed more of the details on how to access this training, who some of the instructors will be, plans for catch wrestling competition in the Los Angeles area, the growth of interest in catch wrestling in China, and 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 available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Catch Wrestling Alliance Academy, China, Eddie Goldman, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke Lavell Marshall.

While proficient in many types of martial arts, he mainly focuses as a trainer and competitor in Shuai Jiao, the Chinese traditional style of wrestling.

We spoke with him Sunday, right after a seminar he conducted in New York.

There are several different styles and rulesets of Shuai Jiao, although in general it is all standup wrestling with no groundwork or par terre. Although some styles include striking and joint locks, they are all done from the from standing position.

Though not well-known in the U.S., interest in Shuai Jiao is slowly starting to grow around the world.

"Shuai Jiao is something that in China, it's gaining a lot of popularity, in places like Mongolia and Europe, especially in Russia," he said. "But in the West in general, especially in the USA, it's still kind of low-key. It's unknown. It's kind of behind sambo when it comes to just recognition. But it's growing in popularity and it's something I think is going to blow up in the next ten years."

While Shuai Jiao is "my main style that I study and compete in," when he does compete in other competitions such as jiu-jitsu, he said he represents Shuai Jiao to show its effectiveness.

We discussed the differences between combat and sport Shuai Jiao; why he decided to focus on Shuai Jiao; some of its history and development in China; how schools there are now training students in Shuai Jiao; governance and organization of the sport, including the recent establishment of one governing body in China; the need to amp up the level of competition and attract more athletes; and how the small U.S. community is divided by "politics" and the need to work together.

In about two months, Lavell Marshall will be moving to China. His goals there are to train to become "one of the best there is in Shuai Jiao." That would also facilitate him helping him spread it widely in Europe and America. Getting Shuai Jiao out to the West is essential because he said that in China, many in the Shuai Jiao community don't care about showing it to the West.

"if we don't spread it, it dies," he insisted.

We also discussed Shuai Jiao as self-defense, especially combat Shuai Jiao; how in the U.S., Shuai Jiao needs more money, more competitions, and may require changing the existing rulesets; how already in China, some competitions are allowing the wrestlers to go to the ground; the importance of getting more exposure for Shuai Jiao by competing in multi-style events like the World Nomad Games; and much more.

"Stay tuned for Shuai Jiao, because I promise you, great things are coming and it is worth it," he said.

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

No Holds Barred is available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: China, Chinese wrestling, Eddie Goldman, Lavell Marshall, martial arts, No Holds Barred, Shaolin, Shuai Jiao

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Raul Ramirez of the Catch Wrestling Alliance.

We spoke with him by phone Tuesday.

This week he will be traveling to Singapore to conduct seminars on the takedowns and submissions of catch wrestling, and also sanda. The submission series seminar is scheduled for Saturday, September 16, and the takedown series seminar for Saturday, September 23. Details can be gotten from the Kapap Academy Singapore.

Organizing such seminars in Singapore recognizes its importance as one of the world capitals of martial arts and combat sports.

"Singapore is the epicenter of martial arts in Asia nowadays," he said, where the headquarters of One Championship, Evolve MMA, and the Kapap Academy Singapore are located. One Championship, he added, has been called "potentially the biggest martial arts promotion in the world"

Siingapore, thus, is "really the place to be for catch wrestling for it to grow in the future."

We discussed more on what he plans to teach during his week long stay in Singapore, the importance of teaching and learning self-defense, the potential for the growth of catch wrestling throughout Asia, plans for catch wrestling competition in Singapore, using the latest video technology, and 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 available at Google Play Music.

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web here.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player app is available for free, both for Android at Google Play, and for iOS on the App Store.

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

No Holds Barred is sponsored by:

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, resurrecting and promoting the sport of authentic catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance provides tournaments, seminars, and training as well as education about catch wrestling. Join the movement and keep real wrestling alive. For more information, go to CatchWrestlingAlliance.com.

Skullz Double-End Bags, the perfect bag for your combat sports training. Skullz Double-End Bags provide a realistic striking target, and help improve timing, distance, and hand and eye coordination. Hang it and hit it right out of the box! No pump required. For more information, go to SkullzDeBags.com.

Labels: Asia, catch wrestling, China, Eddie Goldman, India, Kapap Academy, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, Sanda, self-defense, Singapore

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with fighter manager Bill Eng.

Bill was born in New York but has lived in China for many years, and was visiting New York this week. We spoke with him Sunday in New York's Chinatown.

The MMA and combat sports scenes are booming in China today, but not a lot about them is known by many people in the West.

"There are a lot of organizers, organizations local in each province, in each major capital city itself," he said, running fight events.

"There is a disconnect between the Western world and them, because they don't Facbook it, they don't Twitter it, but in Chinese media, they are there."

Many shows feature both MMA and Sanda fights on the same card. Sanda is a standup style of fighting which also allows throws, but no grappling.

"There's a lot of top Chinese talent that are in the Sanda circle and also in the MMA circle," he said.

"Just alone I have 100-something fighters. We have events almost every week. That's how busy we are."

One of the most popular shows in China is Chinese Kung Fu, or CKF. It features both MMA and Sanda fights in a Sanda ring. CKF airs on Tuesday nights on CCTV-5, China's national sports channel, and has a huge audience.

"We've got top talent there," he said. "You fight on that show, and you win a title, basically everybody is going to know you. You walk down the street and people are going to know you. Because that's what everybody is watching. That's what the middle class, that's what the proletariat, everybody."

CKF is "a main Chinese show because it's on CCTV. It reaches all across China. It's on public TV. It's in the public newspapers and media."

There are also many other popular shows. King of Combat, or Bojiwang, also features a hybrid of MMA and Sanda. Beijing Fight Night is on CCTV as well, featuring four MMA fights and four Sanda fights on its shows. Wulingfeng (The Martial Path) is, he said, the most popular show in China, featuring mostly Sanda and also some MMA fights. It airs on Hunan Cable.

With the use of the Internet, Wi-Fi, set-top boxes, and smartphones, many fights can be seen all throughout China.

We also discussed how Sanda is still far more popular in China than MMA, how many fighters in China are relatively well-paid, the rules used in MMA events in China, how non-Chinese MMA companies are not well-known in China and have had mixed success at best, how grappling is still not that big but is growing in China, and much, much more.

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City December 12 and 13, 2015, for the sixth annual MMA World Expo, featuring two days of the Renzo Gracie Open 2015 no-gi and gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, catch wrestling competition, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, December 12, and Sunday, December 13, 2015, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

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 DefenseSoap.com.

Gracie Tournaments, featuring regional, national, and world competitions in submission-only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. For more information, go to GracieWorlds.com.

The National Registry for Wrestling, whose mission is to increase wrestling's fanbase, to build a registry of all wrestling fans, to serve as a connecting point for all wrestling fans, and to provide TV and Internet listings for wrestling. For more information, go to NR4W.com.

Labels: Bill Eng, CCTV, China, CKF, Eddie Goldman, kung fu, MMA, No Holds Barred, Sanda

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the writer, web show host, MMA fighter, and wrestler, Antonio Graceffo.

Now in the final year of his studies at the Shanghai University of Sport in Shanghai, China, where he will complete his Ph.D. next year, he also is a teacher and a member of the traditional wrestling (Shuai Jiao) team there.

Born in Brooklyn, known as the "Brooklyn Monk", and raised in Tennessee, we spoke with him Friday in New York while he was in town.

Among the many things on this trip he has done are training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Matt Serra's gym in Long Island, training in judo in Long Island, and training in submission wrestling with Sambo Steve Koepfer at New York Combat Sambo. He commented that, based on what he has seen, both in the U.S. and in Asia, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighters are much better at newaza or ground fighting than judo athletes.

In Asia, he said, most traditional forms of wrestling emphasize throws from the standing position and have little or no ground fighting.

"All these wrestling forms are dying," he said.

However, "There's been a resurgence in interest even in the traditional forms because of MMA." With more athletes in the lighter weight classes than in the West, many of them have been training in local wrestling clubs to improve their ground skills so they could achieve success in MMA.

We also discussed how most of the grappling tournaments in Asia are dominated by people from BJJ, how catch wrestling is not well developed there, how there are some tournaments which are called catch wrestling but do not have pins, his plans to continue teaching and of course training after he gets his Ph.D., the catch wrestling and self-defense training he saw in Singapore at the Kapap Academy, and much more.

Also, as a follow-up to our previous show, we received the following addition to the comments made in our interview with Larry Hazzard, Sr., the commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board:

"For clarification, I am completely in favor of the Muhammad Ali Act, but I do not believe that Al Haymon has violated the act. I also respect other promoters' rights to pursue their redress, but I believe that the boxers are benefitting from the PBC and I think that Al Haymon took a very smart approach to reviving the sport. Also, the ABC leadership never discussed this issue with its commission membership before issuing the letter to the U.S. Attorney General."

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

Also, No Holds Barred is available through iTunes.

You can also listen to No Holds Barred via Stitcher through iOS or Android devices or on the web, at http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/no-holds-barred-with-eddie-goldman.

The PodOmatic Podcast Player for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

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:

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 AmericanTopTeam.com.

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 DefenseSoap.com.

Labels: Antonio Graceffo, Asia, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, catch wrestling, China, Eddie Goldman, grappling, MMA, No Holds Barred, Shuai Jiao

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Steve Koepfer, the owner and head coach of New York Combat Sambo, and the "Brooklyn Monk", Antonio Graceffo.

Right after we recorded an interview on Thursday with Antonio Graceffo for our previous show, we headed over to New York Combat Sambo, where Antonio proceeded to join a class in catch wrestling, headed by Steve Koepfer. Although Steve Koepfer is best known for his work in sambo, New York Combat Sambo also offers regular training in catch wrestling, as well as other styles. Several of his students are expected to be competing at upcoming events, including the 2014 Catch Wrestling World Championship presented by the Snake Pit U.S.A., on Sunday, July 27, at the MMA World Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in New York, and at the Liberty Bell Classic / East Coast King of Catch Wrestling Tournament on Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association.

We spoke with both Steve Koepfer and Antonio Graceffo at New York Combat Sambo right after this catch wrestling class.

About four years ago, Steve Koepfer said that he did a joint seminar in Montreal with Kris Iatskevich, head coach at the ISWA (International Submission Wrestling Alliance). Steve was teaching sambo, and Kris catch wrestling.

"We realized that a lot of what he was teaching and a lot of what I was teaching was similar, and that a lot of the principles between sambo and catch were very similar regarding pins and submissions and takedowns. Obviously in sambo we wear the jacket and in catch there is no jacket. But we found there were more similarities than differences. And then we started training here at the gym with catch rules, which we found much more acceptable for all the techniques that we like to do that are not typically allowed in jiu-jitsu tournaments, for example."

That led them to organizing several joint sambo and catch wrestling tournaments together, with some of them having "upwards of 70 or 80 competitors, especially the ones down in Texas."

For Antonio, this was his first catch wrestling class, and also the first time he has done any wrestling in the United States. He is in the process of completing his Ph.D. at Shanghai University of Sport in Shanghai, China, comparing Chinese traditional wrestling with Western wrestling, and is also a member of the Shuai Jiao traditional wrestling team there. He also trained earlier in the week with a judo class in Long Island, New York, and commented, "In terms of the level, I saw that the level of the catch wrestler was a lot higher than the level of the sport judo guys I trained with this week."

We discussed with both Steve Koepfer and Antonio Graceffo their training together, the future of catch wrestling, what lessons can be learned for catch wrestling from the political battles in other sports like sambo, the various upcoming tournaments in catch wrestling, 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:

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City July 26 and 27, 2014, for the fifth annual MMA World Expo, featuring the Fighters Source U.S. Nationals amateur MMA tournament, two days of ADCC no-gi and gi grappling tournaments, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, catch wrestling competition, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, 2014, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

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 2014 Catch Wrestling World Championship, presented by the Snake Pit U.S.A., taking place Sunday, July 27, at the MMA World Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. You can only win by pin or submission. Best two out of three falls. All styles welcome. For more information or to register, go to snakepitusa.com.

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, a catch wrestling promotion that works with the highest level catch wrestlers from around the world with the goal of reviving the great sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance organizes catch wrestling sporting events, and its primary organizer is Dr. Raul Ramirez. For more information, go to catchwrestlingalliance.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to http://takedownradio.com.

Labels: Antonio Graceffo, Brooklyn Monk, catch, China, Chinese, Eddie Goldman, grappling, New York Combat Sambo, No Holds Barred, Shanghai University Sport, Shuai Jiao, Steve Koepfer, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the writer, web show host, MMA fighter, and wrestler, Antonio Graceffo.

Born in Brooklyn, known as the "Brooklyn Monk", and raised in Tennessee, he is in the process of completing his Ph.D. at Shanghai University of Sport in Shanghai, China, and is a member of the traditional wrestling (Shuai Jiao) team there.

We spoke with him Thursday in New York while he was in town.

"My Ph.D. thesis topic is comparing Chinese traditional wrestling with Western wrestling," he said. "My professors want me to write about history, culture, rules, competition, techniques, training, all different aspects. And they sort of expanded that and they wanted me to write a lot about Greece and Rome for some reason, but that led me to writing now about Pankration: ancient Greek wrestling, and then Pankration, and then Pankration into the Roman era, which becomes like the gladiators. So actually it becomes very interesting, a lot of fun for me to write it."

He continued, "But then it also means it's expanded, the types of things that I need to go do in addition to my reading, that I need to go experience, catch wrestling for example. And they also want me to write about pro wrestling. And of course as soon as you include pro wrestling as sort of a modern evolution of wrestling, if you want to call it that, and in a way, the modern pro wrestling is the gladiatorial games of the Romans."

Thus, on this trip back to New York, he sampled training in several different styles. He attended a training session in catch wrestling with Sambo Steve Koepfer at New York Combat Sambo, as well as one in judo at Long Island Judo with Sensei Gary Rasanen, and even met with a group which performs the staged pro wrestling.

We also discussed the status of wrestling and grappling in China, how there is not now a large feeder system there on the amateur and youth levels of wrestling, how children in regular schools do not play sports, why it would be difficult for catch wrestling to succeed in China at present, his future plans, 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:

MMA World Expo. The mixed martial arts community comes to New York City July 26 and 27, 2014, for the fifth annual MMA World Expo, featuring the Fighters Source U.S. Nationals amateur MMA tournament, two days of ADCC no-gi and gi grappling tournaments, MMA fighters, seminars with world-class trainers, vendors, panel discussions, catch wrestling competition, and much more. The MMA World Expo takes place Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27, 2014, at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.

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 2014 Catch Wrestling World Championship, presented by the Snake Pit U.S.A., taking place Sunday, July 27, at the MMA World Expo at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. You can only win by pin or submission. Best two out of three falls. All styles welcome. For more information or to register, go to snakepitusa.com.

The Catch Wrestling Alliance, a catch wrestling promotion that works with the highest level catch wrestlers from around the world with the goal of reviving the great sport of catch-as-catch-can wrestling. The Catch Wrestling Alliance organizes catch wrestling sporting events, and its primary organizer is Dr. Raul Ramirez. For more information, go to catchwrestlingalliance.com.

Takedown Wrestling Media, America's wrestling TV and radio shows, which are hosted by founder Scott Casber, and have been airing on radio and Internet for over 17 years. Takedown Media produces a weekly TV program seen in 54 million homes in the U.S. on DirecTV, Dish Network, and cable affiliates around the country, called Takedown TV. Takedown Media also produces the weekly USA Wrestling TV show for the governing body of the sport, USA Wrestling. For more information, go to http://takedownradio.com.

Labels: Antonio Graceffo, Brooklyn Monk, catch, China, Chinese, Eddie Goldman, grappling, No Holds Barred, Shanghai University Sport, Shuai Jiao, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the writer, web show host, MMA fighter, and wrestler, Antonio Graceffo.

Born in Brooklyn, known as the "Brooklyn Monk", and raised in Tennessee, he has been living, training, and competing in several different countries in Asia for many years. Now 46 years old, he has gone back to school, this time in Shanghai, China, to complete his Ph.D. We spoke with him Thursday at Foley's Bar and Restaurant in New York, while he was in town visiting with family members for the holidays.

"I started doing a Ph.D. at Shanghai University of Sport, and I'm on the traditional wrestling team there," he said, referring to competing in the Chinese traditional style of wrestling known as Shuai Jiao, where the wrestlers wear jackets. "And I decided that I was going to take one year away from MMA fighting, just concentrate on improving my wrestling skills."

Discussing his studies, he said, "For my Ph.D., I'm writing a dissertation on comparative forms of wrestling. So within China, there's a number of traditional and ethnic forms of wrestling, and I'm also along the way writing scholarly articles for comparing wrestling with other sports, including MMA, sambo, judo, and so forth."

While sports, including combat sports, have been booming in recent years in China, wrestlers from that country still often do not achieve much success on the international level. In addition, there are relatively few people in China training and competing in wrestling.

"I think the key for China to improve in wrestling would be if they would promote the traditional wrestling more within China," he advised. Right now wrestling is mainly done in clubs, often involving people who work or go to school full-time.

"Culturally, they could promote traditional wrestling to the Chinese people as a Chinese sport. From that pool of traditional wrestlers, they could probably begin to draw people and then train them in freestyle and Greco-Roman."

He continued, "The strength and the weakness of Chinese sports in general is the system of sports schools, that they only have people at sports schools playing sports, and that kids in regular schools don't play sports."

We also discussed his training and experiences at the Shaolin Temple, how prevailing attitudes have changed over the years in China to martial arts and combat sports, how the standup fighting style of Sanda is still very influential in China, the prospects for Wushu as a sport, why the issues of concussions and brain injuries in combat sports have not become major areas of controversy in China, learning the Chinese language, what is called Chinese food in America, 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/.

Labels: Antonio Graceffo, Brooklyn Monk, China, Chinese, Eddie Goldman, MMA, No Holds Barred, Shanghai University Sport, Shuai Jiao, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with Joel Resnick, the CEO of RUFF (Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation).

The only MMA organization sanctioned to hold events in mainland China, RUFF just held their 11th show on November 30, at the Hongkou Indoor Stadium in Shanghai. The much-talked about main event pitted two undefeated fighters against one another, Bekbulat Magomedov of Russia and Wang Guan of China. After three rounds, Magomedov won by unanimous decision, but this was only the second time in his 12 victories that Magomedov went the distance and didn't win by submission or knockout.

We spoke with Joel Resnick about RUFF 11 and the plans of RUFF by Skype Thursday (Wednesday New York time).

Asked where RUFF stands in comparison to other MMA organizations around the world, he replied, "RUFF stands on their own. That's where we stand. We don't pay attention to too many other organizations. Really, we're the only ones in China that are government-sanctioned that are actually holding MMA events as sporting events. Not as a promotional event, not as a cultural event, but as a sporting event."

He added, "We have no plans to go outside of China. We have 1.4 billion people to educate here about MMA."

He believes that since RUFF first started in 2011, the top Chinese fighters have risen to "a global level." He also said that with their system of crowning champions and now by bringing in fighters from outside China, like Magomedov, they do not have "paper champions."

As for next year, he said, "For 2014, we're going to keep doing what we're doing. We're going to bring in more foreigners to challenge our champions." He said to expect RUFF's fighters to get more exposure through increased sponsorships and appearances on television shows.

"We always said from day one, how we're going to grow the company is by growing the fighters. And that's what we're going to continue to do."

He also did not exactly sound worried by the attempted entrance into China by non-Chinese MMA companies, including UFC. "We have all the good fighters under contract with us, and everybody knows that," he said. Regarding the UFC's upcoming reality TV show in China, "We haven't heard too much about it here."

We also discussed RUFF's growing number of viewers, plans to add English-language commentary to their upcoming shows, how fighting is readily accepted in China since martial arts are such an important part of Chinese culture, the coverage of RUFF in the Chinese media, 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/.

Labels: Bekbulat Magomedov, China, Eddie Goldman, Joel Resnick, MMA, No Holds Barred, RUFF, Wang Guan

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our colleague and correspondent Kid Peligro.

It is now time for the 2013 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, the most important and prestigious grappling tournament in the world, which will as always feature competition in no-gi grappling.

It will take place Saturday, October 19, and Sunday, October 20, in Beijing, China, at the Beijing Ditan Sports Centre.

It also was just announced that ADCC 2013 will be available as an online pay-per-view, on Ustream. For more information on that, go to http://www.adcombat.com/adcc-worlds-2013-live-sream.

Besides the competition in the five men's and two women's weight classes and the absolute division, there will be two superfights. Braulio Estima will take on Andre Galvao, and in a masters' superfight, Mario Sperry will face Fabio Gurgel.

To preview this event, we spoke with Kid Peligro by phone Monday.

Much attention has been given to the ADCC debut of the 23-year-old phenom, Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida of CheckMat. He has won double gold, at +100 kg and in the absolute division, in both the 2012 and 2013 Jiu-Jitsu World Championships, also known as the Mundials. That, however, is no guarantee of a victory for him in ADCC, where he will be competing at +99 kg.

"It's a different transition. ADCC is not jiu-jitsu without a gi," said Kid Peligro. "It's got its own set of rules, and it's got its own little quirks, how points are scored. And I've seen some great people stumble, especially first year."

He cited how it took Andre Galvao, now in this year's superfight, three times to win his weight and the absolute. "He didn't translate to the top form that he reached."

While there are returning champions including Rafael Mendes, Dean Lister, Vinny Magalhaes, and Gabrielle Garcia, this event has historically seen some unexpected winners.

As for this year, "It's really hard to determine a dark horse, because you just see it when you see it," said Kid Peligro.

Asked to name a possible dark horse, he said, "I think Rustam Chsiev is the one. That's the one I can see, off the top of my head.... I could see him going to the finals." Chsiev will be competing at -87.9 kg, which is expected to be one of the most wide-open weight classes.

We also discussed who is in and who is out in each weight class, who are the favorites at each weight, 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/.

Labels: Abu Dhabi, ADCC, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, China, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Kid Peligro, No Holds Barred, no-gi, Submission Fighting World Championship

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with the legendary and iconic world champion of ring announcers, Lenne Hardt.

As the best in the business, the Tokyo-based Lenne Hardt is always in great demand. This weekend, for example, she will be announcing at three different events in two different countries.

On Friday, October 18, she will be displaying her talents at the ONE FC: Total Domination card at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. In the main event of that card, ONE FC interim bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes will fight the current ONE FC bantamweight champion, the 21-year-old Soo Chul Kim of Korea, who is returning from an injury. This fight will thus be a title unification bout.

ONE FC: Total Domination will be televised live on Star Sports in Asia and be shown as an online pay-per-view at http://www.onefc.livesport.tv.

Right after the ONE FC card, she will fly to Beijing, China, to announce two events, both on Sunday, October 20. First, she will be announcing the finals of the 2013 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, which is the most important and prestigious grappling tournament in the world. Later that day, she will also be announcing the Real Fight MMA event.

Her country-hopping schedule will take her to Moscow, Russia, on Friday, November 8, for the Legend 2 MMA show, headlined by Alexander Emelianenko facing Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. And there are more ONE FC events this year, a possible trip to South America, plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and even more.

With this kind of schedule, that is why, in our interview recorded by Skype Tuesday (Monday New York time), she sang the line "I'm just a girl who can't say no" from the Rodgers and Hammerstein song "I Cain't Say No" from the Broadway show and film "Oklahoma!".

"So that's going to keep me pretty busy," she said with a laugh.

We also discussed her announcing for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, a Japanese professional baseball team, who regard her as their "lucky charm" since they seem to win whenever she announces for them. And we discussed how various cultures around the world view combat sports; the interrelationship of music, arts, sports, and entertainment; 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/.

Labels: ADCC, Beijing, China, Eddie Goldman, Lenne Hardt, MMA, No Holds Barred, One FC, Real Fight, Singapore, Total Domination

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with our colleague and correspondent Kid Peligro.

Our main topic was the 2013 ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship, which will be held October 19-20 in Beijing, China. It is the most important and prestigious grappling tournament in the world, and as always will feature competition in no-gi grappling.

Besides the competition in the five men's and two women's weight classes and the absolute division, there will be two superfights. Braulio Estima will take on Andre Galvao, and in a masters superfight, Mario Sperry will face Fabio Gurgel.

We spoke with Kid Peligro by phone Tuesday evening.

While many veterans are returning to the ADCC worlds this year, he expects there to be some new champions crowned.

"I'm looking this year to have more upsets and more new names coming to the top than ever. And that's really exciting to me," he said. While he added that "I love the champions of the past," the youth and the new names have really gotten his attention.

"Somebody doing something that's not expected and projecting themselves as a star is just really what it's all about. That's really what ADCC is all about basically. It's just a venue for people to showcase their greatness."

One of those possible new champions is the heavyweight sensation Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida, who has won gold medals in both the +100kg and absolute divisions in 2012 and 2013 at the IBJJF Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships. But he will have tough competition in this no-gi event in the +99kg division, including 2011 ADCC champion Vinny Magalhaes.

We also discussed how the ADCC rules, the officiating, and this style of grappling have made it faster than ever, and have resulted in "more submissions than ever."

Expect more updates on ADCC 2013 as we get closer to the event.

As Kid Peligro said, "It's ADCC time."

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.

Labels: Abu Dhabi, ADCC, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, China, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Kid Peligro, No Holds Barred, no-gi, Submission Fighting World Championship

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again speaks with our colleague and correspondent Kid Peligro.

Our discussion focused on two major tournaments coming up, the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2013 and the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2013.

The Pan 2013 takes place Wednesday, March 20, through Sunday, March 24, at the Bren Events Center at the University of California, Irvine.

"The Pan is by far the largest jiu-jitsu tournament in the world," Kid Peligro said in this interview, which was recorded by phone Tuesday. It has over 3000 competitors, numerous divisions, has been running since 1996, and will be held for five days this year for the first time.

"The number of competitors is growing by leaps and bounds. It's just unbelievable."

The Pan 2013 will be webcast live as a pay-per-view by Budo Videos.

It has recently been announced that the ADCC Submission Fighting World Championship 2013, the most important and prestigious grappling tournament in the world, will be held October 19-20 in Beijing, China. As always, the ADCC 2013 will feature competition in no-gi grappling.

We discussed both these important events, who is expected to compete at them, the rules of each, the anti-doping testing at the Pan 2013, the future and worldwide growth of both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and grappling, why ADCC 2013 will be in China, the growing universality of these disciplines, 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/.

Labels: Abu Dhabi, ADCC, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, China, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Kid Peligro, No Holds Barred, Pan 2013, Submission Fighting World Championship