NO HOLDS BARRED

My latest piece, "Israel vs. Iran in War, on Film, and in Judo", is up on the No Holds Barred Patreon page.

Labels: Eddie Goldman, Iran, Israel, judo, No Holds Barred, Saeid Mollaei, Tatami

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with Dr. Bennet Omalu.

He was in New York Monday, August 7, to give a presentation at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism in New York, and hosted by the New York Press Club, about his new book, Truth Doesn't Have a Side.

Dr. Omalu is the pioneering forensic pathologist who was the first to prove a connection between the head trauma and brain injuries which inherently result from playing American football, and the disease CTE, chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

We spoke with him right after this presentation, and mainly about why he included wrestling in his list of high-contact sports which children under the age of 18 should avoid, which are football, boxing, MMA, ice hockey, and rugby.

A study published September 2015 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that college wrestling has the highest rate of concussions of any college sport, including football. But as to rules changes in wrestling to make it safer, Dr. Omalu said, "I tend to defer to the sports experts, because I'm not an expert in many of these sports."

Dr. Omalu, however, sees wrestling's problems as being far deeper than just the levels of head trauma and brain injuries.

"The problem with wrestling is," he said, "there's no professional wrestling outside WWE.

"So if you, say, allow wrestling in children, that means you're encouraging children eventually to go into MMA or WWE. Does that make sense? So that is why I lump all of them together, because I see it as a spectrum."

In addition to his comments on the combat and contact sports, we add commentaries on some of the issues related to CTE, concussions, and combat sports. Those include the prevalence of concussions in judo, breaking the links between real wrestling and grappling and both WWE and MMA, the need for combat sports training for self-defense, 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 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.

USA Combat Wrestling, the official U.S. governing body for combat wrestling and U.S. delegate of the International Combat Wrestling Federation (FICW), which was founded by the legendary wrestler Noriaki Kiguchi of Japan. For more information, go to CombatWrestling.us.

Labels: American football, children, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, combat, concussion, Dr. Bennet Omalu. CTE, Eddie Goldman, grappling, judo, MMA, No Holds Barred, sports, wrestling

Let me break this down once again since some people are having a hard time grasping this, whether from disbelief, not reading the law or listening to Jim Genia and me on No Holds Barred, poor reading comprehension, or just pure laziness and ignorance. As of last Thursday, September 1, ALL combat sports in New York, professional or amateur, except pro boxing and MMA which are sanctioned separately, have to be run by a sanctioning body which has been approved by the New York State Athletic Commission. These explicitly include: kickboxing, muay Thai, wrestling/grappling (presumably including all kinds such as jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, sambo, etc.), judo, tae kwon do, karate, kempo, and amateur MMA. The non-refundable application fee for a sanctioning body of one or more of these is $1,000. Plus, bonds of $10,000 and $20,000 must be secured as well. A long questionnaire must be filled out, plus detailed recordkeeping are also required. Then the NYSAC will decide if they will bother to approve the application or not.

Without all of this:
Kickboxing is illegal in New York.
Muay Thai is illegal in New York.
Wrestling/grappling (presumably including all kinds such as jiu-jitsu, catch wrestling, sambo, etc.) is illegal in New York.
Judo is illegal in New York.
Tae kwon do is illegal in New York.
Karate is illegal in New York.
Kempo is illegal in New York.
Amateur MMA is illegal in New York.

That application form can be seen here.

The "regulations implementing and governing combative sports in New York State" can be seen here.

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

Labels: BJJ, catch, combative sports, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Jim Genia, jiu-jitsu, judo, law, MMA, New York State Athletic Commission, No Holds Barred, sambo, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with MMA journalist Jim Genia.

While much attention has been given to the recent re-legalization of MMA in New York, the rules and regulations issued Thursday, September 1, by the New York State Athletic Commission to implement this new law contained some disastrous surprises for the various styles of grappling and wrestling.

Now, as of September 1, organizations wishing to sanction events in professional and even amateur grappling, wrestling, judo, and other disciplines must apply for licensing from the New York commission. (The staged pro "wrestling" is in a separate category and defined as not a real sport.)

New York's General Business Law defines combative sports in § 1000, section 3:

"'Combative sport' means any unarmed bout, contest, competition, match, or exhibition undertaken to entertain an audience, wherein the participants primarily grapple or wrestle, or deliver blows of any kind to, or use force in any way to manipulate, the body of another participant, and wherein the outcome and score depend entirely on such activities."

In the athletic commission's regulations for implementing and governing combative sports in New York State, under the heading "Application for License", it states:

"Section 214.4. (a) An entity may make an application for a license to supervise and oversee the conduct of matches and exhibitions of one or more of the following authorized combative sports: wrestling, kickboxing (including muay thai), amateur mixed martial arts, and the single discipline martial arts of Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Kempo."

Yet the "NYSAC Application for Combative Sport Authorized Sanctioning Entity License" has a different list. Applications to sanction one or more professional combative sport (except boxing and MMA, which are handled separately) can be made in, according to this wording: "Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling/Grappling, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kempo." Applications to sanction one or more amateur combative sport can be made in, according to this wording: "Mixed Martial Arts, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Wrestling/Grappling, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kempo."

No definition is given as to what is included and what is not in "Wrestling/Grappling", and it is doubtful anyone on this commission even knows what this means.

The non-refundable application fee, which does not guarantee getting licensed, is $1,000.

In addition, the sanctioning bodies are required on this form to file with the New York Department of State bonds of $20,000 and $10,000: "An authorized Sanctioning Entity must execute and file with the Department of State: Bond in the sum of $20,000.00 conditioned for and guaranteeing the payment of purses and the legitimate expenses of printed tickets and all advertising materials and; Bond in the sum of $10,000.00 conditioned for and guaranteeing the faithful performance of the authorized sanctioning entity of the provisions of Article 41 of the General Business Law and the rules and regulations of the Commission".

That application form can be seen here.

The "regulations implementing and governing combative sports in New York State" can be seen here.

These organizations running amateur events must also provide accident insurance for each athlete of a minimum of $1,000, death benefit coverage of $10,000, and file a mountain of paperwork, as well as having to follow more regulations, some of which are unclear in this poorly-written set of commission rules.

Obviously, these onerous fees alone will make it impossible and not affordable for such amateur grappling and wrestling events to take place in New York State.

To discuss this, we spoke with Jim Genia Saturday.

"A number of factors have put us in a position where we are right now," he said. "One of them was that, one of the major talking points in getting mixed martial arts legalized in New York was that there were all these unsanctioned, unregulated events going on in New York.

"Now, you and I, we're savvy about combat sports. We know the difference between an MMA show and a grappling event. But, the people up in Albany, they can't tell the difference.

"So unfortunately, to help curb all these unregulated events, the grappling events were lumped together in the new statute, in the law, and in the athletic commission guidelines, with these unsanctioned MMA shows.

"And now we're stuck."

We also discussed the effect on all this by the ongoing multi-million dollar lawsuit against this commission and others by brain-damaged boxer Magomed Abdusalamov. This suit involved the disgraceful lack of treatment he received after his November 2, 2013, fight at the Theater in Madison Square Garden. After a brutal fight and after he complained of head pain, the commission advised him to take a taxi to Roosevelt Hospital rather than transporting him immediately by an on-site ambulance. This resulted in wasting precious time until he received emergency brain surgery. He was then in a coma for several weeks, still needs 24-hour care, and is unable to stand or speak.

This situation prompted an investigation by the New York State inspector general's office, but the report wasn't released until July 2016, a month after Abdusalamov's attorney sued to have it released. The delay in the release of this report could lead to a federal investigation of an attempted coverup, since the New York investigation began almost three years before the report was finally released.

And we discussed more about these regulations in depth; how we must demand that the two vacancies currently on the New York State Athletic Commission be filled by people who understand MMA, grappling, wrestling, and other martial arts; what action we must take; the new one million dollar insurance requirement for boxing and MMA promoters to get for each fighter on a card to cover the costs of serious head and brain injuries; 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 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 free to listen to and is sponsored by:

The Boxing Tribune, boxing's independent media. Unlike every other major boxing website, The Boxing Tribune is not funded or owned by promoters, managers, or networks, and is fully independent and free to write the truth. For independent boxing news and views, go to http://boxingtribune-news.com.

The North American Catch Wrestling Association, a grassroots organization designed to help rebuild the sport of catch-as-catch-can-wrestling. For more information, go to their Facebook page at facebook.com/NorthAmericanCatchWrestlingAssociation.

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: BJJ, catch, combative sports, Eddie Goldman, grappling, Jim Genia, jiu-jitsu, judo, law, MMA, New York State Athletic Commission, No Holds Barred, sambo, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with investigative journalist, academic, and expert on match-fixing in international football, Declan Hill.

In April 2015, he was appointed Senior Fellow in anti-corruption in sports at the University of Brighton in Sussex, England.

We spoke with Declan Hill by phone Tuesday.

The escalating number of crises and scandals in world sport have led many to call for fundamental change in its structure and governance. Another result has been the emergence of an open battle between the lords of world sport, something which is usually reserved for behind-closed-doors intrigue.

Most notably, last week Marius Vizer, the president of both SportAccord (the international federation of both Olympic and non-Olympic federations) and the International Judo Federation, spoke at the SportAccord convention and issued a public flogging of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its president, Thomas Bach.

Vizer accused the IOC of, among other things, blocking SportAccord from organizing its own multi-sport events, not addressing the interests of the international federations, and preparing to launch an Olympic TV channel without a proper business plan. He bemoaned the poor financial state of many athletes around the world while the IOC rakes in millions and millions of dollars, noting that "athletes are lacking the necessary basic elements -- food, medication, equipment, preparation facilities and possibility to participate to competitions." And he said, "the IOC system is expired, outdated, wrong, unfair and not at all transparent. The Olympic Games belong to all of us and we need real reforms."

This was met not only with a rebuke from Bach, but also the issuing of a statement of "strong support" for the IOC by most of the summer Olympic sport federations -- which largely depend on their funding from the IOC -- and the severing or suspension of their ties with SportAccord. The one exception: the International Judo Federation.

While round one of this public fight may have gone to Bach and the IOC, it is clear that both sides got a bit bloodied by it and it is far from over.

Declan Hill explained the essence of Vizer's speech as saying to the IOC, "Basically, you're not sharing the pie. We want the pie. You're not sharing it. And you're putting a blockage on other multi-sports tournaments."

We discussed this battle and what it means for world sport, including the combat sports.

Declan Hill has also done extensive investigatory work into the mechanisms of match-fixing and its relation to illegal gambling rings.

"This one issue will kill off sport," he said. "I have been in Asia. I've worked, I've traveled in the sports world of Asia, and it is an elephant's graveyard of sports that have been killed off by this questionable integrity."

He stressed: "People simply will not watch a sport that they think is fixed. It surpasses doping. It surpasses any other ethical issue. People want to watch a sport. They don't want to watch theater. And really, the response of sports officials to this current generation, this current threat to the sporting world, has been lackluster at best."

The question of whether or not the verdict in the May 2 mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will be fair or fixed has been a topic of worldwide commentary and speculation. We discussed that and possible scenarios in this highly anticipated fight.

We also discussed his experiences training in boxing in Cuba; the allegations of attempted match-fixing in international wrestling; why there has been "very, very, very little" progress in the fight to reform world sport; why fans should let sponsors of corrupt sports organizations know that they will not purchase anything from them; 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:

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: boxing, Declan Hill, Eddie Goldman, International Olympic Committee, IOC, judo, Marius Vizer, match-fixing, No Holds Barred, SportAccord, Thomas Bach, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the conflict between the International Judo Federation and its continental union, the European Judo Union (EJU), and mixed martial arts organizations, especially UFC. This dispute has falsely been described by some as "judo vs. MMA".

This conflict recently received much attention when the EJU pulled the 2015 European Judo Championships from Glasgow, Scotland, in April, and moved it to become part of the inaugural European Games in June in Baku, Azerbaijan. The key reason was that the original local host of the event, the British Judo Association, had gotten UFC to be a sponsor, despite MMA being illegal in France and the EJU repeatedly warning the British judo leaders that they disapproved of the values promoted by UFC.

Sergey Soloveychik, the president of the EJU, was recently quoted by the BBC saying: "MMA is not a sport, it is some kind of show." He added, "Sport should have some human values and sports should help society develop human values. With MMA, it is not so."

He also is quoted as saying: "It's not good if your opponent is on his stomach and you sit on him and beat his head.

"It's not good for the education of the young generation, so we don't like to promote this kind of organisation during our competition. The spirit is to destroy your opponents by different ways and this is not good." (http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/judo/31759834)

The EJU slogan is: "Judo -- more than sport!"

Soloveychik also served as the SportAccord Chairman of the 2013 World Combat Games. This event featured competition in 15 Olympic and non-Olympic combat sports, so Soloveychik's views can be seen as being widely held among those in the combat sports and martial arts organizations, along with SportAccord itself.

Also discussed are the long-standing promotion of anti-social values by MMA organizations like UFC, as well as the problems the judo organizations have had in retaining athletes and keeping them from going to other disciplines, the hypocrisy of many judo leaders in claiming that they actually do promote "human values", 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:

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.

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 TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Eddie Goldman, EJU, European Championships, IJF, judo, MMA, No Holds Barred, SportAccord, UFC

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

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

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

We spoke with Ivaylo Ivanov by Skype Wednesday.

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

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

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:

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.

Payleg.com, which gives you the tools to develop a full-time income by building a home-based business. Teaching success in the home-based business industry since 1988, Payleg.com is available in 190 countries. For more information, go to Payleg.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 TakedownRadio.com.

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

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman spoke with San Diego, California-based catch wrestler Luis Ojeda.

On Saturday, August 30, he will wrestling in the main event of the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament.

This match will be for the American heavyweight catch wrestling championship.

In this match, Luis Ojeda, the two-time King of Catch Wrestling heavyweight champion, will face Anthony Sansonetti, the 2013 King of Catch Wrestling USA absolute division champion.

This match will be best two-out-of-three falls, with each fall having a 15-minute time limit, and take place in a ring.

Presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling, the Liberty Bell Classic/King of Catch Wrestling Tournament takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. At it, there will be an amateur tournament as well as this main event. In all these matches, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points or judges.

We spoke with Luis Ojeda by phone Monday.

With an extensive background in numerous grappling disciplines including freestyle and American folkstyle wrestling, judo, sambo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the Swiss folkstyle wrestling called Schwingen, Luis Ojeda was well-prepared when he finally started training and competing in catch wrestling.

"There was a match that I was supposed to do against an MMA fighter, and we were going to do a grappling match, but we couldn't decide on the rules," he recalled. "He was about 280 pounds, and I said, 'Hey, why don't we add pins? Let's add pins to this.' And he didn't really like that. He said, 'Ahh, I'm afraid you're going to pin me because I spend time on my back.'"

He continued, "That's when I was looking on the Internet and I was lucky to find Jake [Shannon] and Scientific Wrestling."

He was invited to train with them, and said, "I felt lucky, because I got to train with some of the best -- Dick Cardinal, and then later with the late Billy Robinson."

We thus discussed his accomplishments in this recently-revived sport, including winning the heavyweight championship in 2007 and 2012 at the King of Catch Wrestling USA tournaments.

We also discussed why he believes that watching catch wrestling is "more exciting than watching a UFC fight", why he actually finds Schwingen wrestling to be the "most challenging style", his continuing training in many styles of grappling, his coaching high school wrestling, the potential for catch wrestling to re-emerge as a major professional sport, 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:

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.

The Liberty Bell Classic / King of Catch Wrestling Tournament, presented by the North American Catch Wrestling Association and Scientific Wrestling. In this tournament, you can only win by pin or submission, with no points. It all takes place Saturday, August 30, at Primal Gym, 231 Bakers Basin Road, Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648. For more information, go to KingOfCatchWrestling.com.

Scientific Wrestling, igniting a revolution in grappling based on the pursuit of traditional Catch-As-Catch-Can wrestling. Our people are legitimate Scientific Wrestling practitioners united around training, competition, innovation, grueling physical conditioning, camaraderie, and the sharing of reliable resources. For more information, go to ScientificWrestling.com.

Snake Pit U.S.A., whose primary mission is to breathe new life into real catch-as-catch-can wrestling and help lead the catch wrestling revolution for martial artists and those pursuing recreational training and fitness alike. For more information, 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 TakedownRadio.com.

Labels: Anthony Sansonetti, BJJ, catch wrestling, Eddie Goldman, folkstyle, freestyle, grappling, judo, Liberty Bell Classic, Luis Ojeda, No Holds Barred, sambo, Schwingen

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman reposts a commentary from May 2013 about the legacy of Malcolm X and its meaning for the martial arts and combat sports.

Plus, added is a new introduction which discusses Malcolm X's emphasis on continuing to learn, adapt, and change, and how this applies to the martial arts and combat sports, especially for the reviving sport of catch wrestling and for those sports which produce repetitive head trauma and brain injuries.

On March 29, 1964, at a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York, Malcolm X repeated what he had said many times about the importance of the martial arts: "If you're interested in freedom, you need some judo, you need some karate, you need all the things that will help you fight for freedom."

That building now houses the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, at 3940 Broadway, New York, NY 10032, where one of the many celebrations of the 89th anniversary of Malcolm's birth will take place this Monday, May 19.

Malcolm X also explained the importance of martial arts training in "The Autobiography of Malcolm X", and how the values they teach are part of the overall training in values which "are vital in a person, a home, a community, a nation, and a civilization," and not only the aspect of training in self-defense. The book also discussed his relations with Muhammad Ali, when he won the heavyweight boxing championship of the world from Sonny Liston in 1964.

But the type of positive values which Malcolm advocated are today often not being promoted, particularly in combat sports like MMA and wrestling, and this is discussed.

So the lessons taught by Malcolm X about the martial arts and combat sports are still valid. It is up to us to learn this legacy, and to apply it to what we do today.

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.

Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. This invitational event will be held under catch wrestling rules, where you can only win by pin or submission. It will take place Saturday, June 7, in Collins Court in the John Wooden Center on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles, California. For more information, go to catchwrestlingalliance.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/.

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: autobiography, boxing, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, judo, karate, Malcolm X, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman once again spoke with wrestling legend Wade Schalles, who has just been named the new coach at Scientific Wrestling.

A member of the U.S. National Wrestling Hall of Fame, a two-time NCAA champion, and known as a master pinner, his accomplishments and training were not only in American folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling, but also in sambo and judo. In recent years he has been a coach, writer, and television announcer, among carrying out many other duties. Now he takes all his knowledge and experience to focus on the rebirth of catch wrestling.

We spoke with Wade Schalles by phone Wednesday.

"I'm excited. It's going to be a lot of fun," he said.

Noting the recent passing of catch wrestling legend Billy Robinson, whom he replaces as coach at Scientific Wrestling, he said, "To be able to try to replace him, I have big shoes to fill."

We discussed how catch wrestling is really "the grandfather of MMA today," how "every martial art has spun off of wrestling," teaching catch wrestling both for MMA and for catch wrestling competition itself, why catch wrestling needs to develop itself as a brand, plans for him to lead Scientific Wrestling camps and seminars around the world, some of the problems facing the entire sport of wrestling today, 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/.

Labels: catch, catch-as-catch-can, Eddie Goldman, folkstyle, freestyle, Greco, judo, MMA, No Holds Barred, sambo, Scientific Wrestling, Wade Schalles

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

The date and place are now set for their first event, the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth. It 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.

This invitational event will feature catch wrestling, where you can only win by pin or submission.

Among the athletes who have so far been confirmed to compete in the Catch Wrestling Alliance International Invitational: The Rebirth, are:

Christopher Crossan of the U.K. He won a gold medal at the 2004 European BJJ tournament in Lisbon, gold at the 2005 Gracie European tournament, and was the Alan Woos and Ernie Riley Trophy Winner at the 2013 International Catch Tournament in Wigan, England.

Ian Jones of the U.K. He is a professional MMA fighter with 20 years of competitive martial arts experience. He holds a BJJ brown belt, is a three-time British Thai boxing champion, and has 13 years of grappling experience. He is also a catch wrestler and has wrestled out of the Snake Pit Wigan.

Luis Ojeda of the U.S. He is a Level 3 Scientific Wrestling Certified Catch Wrestler under Billy Robinson, a two-time King of Catch heavyweight champion, and has competed and trained in numerous disciplines including judo.

Jon Strickland of the U.S. A longtime catch wrestler, coach, and martial artist, he is now also building the Billy Wicks Foundation, named for the catch wrestling legend under whom he has trained.

Qin Yunquan of Singapore. She is a martial artist, catch wrestler, and freestyle wrestler, as well as an instructor for women's and children's self-defense at the Kapap Academy Singapore.

Many more athletes will be confirmed shortly.

We spoke with Raul Ramirez by phone Monday.

"Within the past few years, people have been really training hard in catch wrestling, all around the world. So this is basically going to be a big showcase for some of the people who have doing some higher level catch wrestling," he said.

"They're going to be coming from all around the world, straight here to the Wooden Center at UCLA. We're basically going to put on a really, really great show for people to see what higher level catch wrestling is."

We discussed the rules of this event, the difference between catch wrestling and other styles of grappling and wrestling, how catch wrestling was once a major and legitimate professional sport, how this event is open to all styles and all groups, and much more.

"We've got to get the politics out of it," he said. Otherwise, referencing what had happened to catch wrestling a century ago, it will become "extinct."

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/.

Labels: BJJ, Catch Wrestling Alliance, Eddie Goldman, grappling, International Invitational, judo, MMA, No Holds Barred, Raul Ramirez, Rebirth, Snake Pit Wigan, submission, UCLA

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the recent rise and decline and rise of grappling.

While there has been a de-emphasis on grappling and submissions in MMA, particularly in North America, the number of events and people training in the numerous styles of grappling around the world has continued to grow. That phenomenon is discussed, for both gi and no-gi grappling, catch wrestling, submission-only grappling, and many more styles. Also discussed are more factors which give grappling an advantage over other combat sports, especially that it has no striking, and thus much less head trauma and brain injury.

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: ADCC, BJJ, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, catch, Eddie Goldman, gi, grappling, judo, MMA, No Holds Barred, no-gi, sambo, submission, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman discusses the legacy of Malcolm X and its meaning for the martial arts and combat sports.

On March 29, 1964, at a speech at the Audubon Ballroom in New York, Malcolm X repeated what he had said many times about the importance of the martial arts: "If you're interested in freedom, you need some judo, you need some karate, you need all the things that will help you fight for freedom."

That building now houses the Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, at 3940 Broadway, New York, NY 10032, where one of the many celebrations of the 88th anniversary of Malcolm's birth will take place this Sunday, May 19.

Malcolm X also explained the importance of martial arts training in The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and how the values they teach are part of the overall training in values which "are vital in a person, a home, a community, a nation, and a civilization," and not only the aspect of training in self-defense. The book also discussed his relations with Muhammad Ali, when he won the heavyweight boxing championship of the world from Sonny Liston in 1964.

But the type of positive values which Malcolm advocated are today often not being promoted, particularly in combat sports like MMA and wrestling. This is discussed, including how this may be affecting the bid by wrestling to be restored to the Olympic program.

So the lessons taught by Malcolm X about the martial arts and combat sports are still valid. It is up to us to learn this legacy, and to apply it to what we do today.

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: autobiography, boxing, combat sports, Eddie Goldman, judo, karate, Malcolm X, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman begins by commenting on why the four major main event fight scheduled for this weekend -- Sergio Martinez vs. Martin Murray, Danny Garcia vs. Zab Judah, Amir Khan vs. Julio Diaz, and Jon Jones vs. Chael Sonnen -- are all largely unappealing and are essentially designed as showcase fights.

There are also lesser-known but likely more entertaining events, such as MidwoodMania IV featuring real tag team wrestling, Saturday, April 27, at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, New York. And there is also an important benefit seminar for leukemia patient Jeremy Montes Jr., featuring veteran grapplers Dave Camarillo and Lana Stefanac, at Kaijin MMA in Santa Cruz, California, on Sunday, April 28. Also, transsexual athlete Donna Rose will be competing at the beach wrestling nationals at Carolina Beach, North Carolina, also on Saturday, April 27.

The commentary continues with an analysis of some recent developments involving the tangled web between the UFC, the State of New York, the Culinary Union Local 226, and legislative opposition to legalizing MMA in New York, including some of their new tactics. Also mentioned is the recent study by Sarah Banks, PhD, of the Cleveland Clinic's Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, on structural and functional brain changes in boxers and mixed martial arts fighters.

Next up is commentary on the decline of TV ratings for the season (and maybe series) finale of the Robot Combat League, more problems in wrestling, the race for the SportAccord presidency and the importance of that organization, the growth of influence of international judo, the proposal for a new event with a united world championships every four years for Olympic and non-Olympic sports, and upcoming jiu-jitsu and catch wrestling events.

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: BJJ, boxing, Eddie Goldman, grappling, jiu-jitsu, John Perretti, judo, MMA, No Holds Barred, SportAccord, UFC, weekend, wrestling

On this edition of No Holds Barred, host Eddie Goldman speaks with Ryka Aoki and John Amodeo, who were both featured writers at the Rainbow Book Fair in New York on Saturday, April 13. The Rainbow Book Fair describes itself as the "oldest and largest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) book fair in the US, and America's largest LGBT book event".

One might think, according to stereotypes, that those involved with the combat sports and martial arts would be absent from such an event. Those people, however, do not know people like Ryka Aoki and John Amodeo.

Ryka Aoki is a novelist, a writer, a performer, a teacher, a judoka for almost four decades, and the head instructor of Supernova Martial Arts at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, whose mission is to empower LGBT youth through martial arts and self-defense. She is also a transgender woman.

John Amodeo is an author and an educator who has written several books, including biographies of former world heavyweight boxing champion Ken Norton and journeyman fighter Rayco Saunders. He lives in New York.

Admitting that his books on boxing "might be a tough sell" at this event, John Amodeo nevertheless said, "But people can relate to struggles in life. Especially with Rayco's story: coming out of Pittsburgh, and having his mother die of an overdose, and struggling through and getting incarcerated as a result of drug-dealing, and eventually turning his life around. It's a come-from-behind story."

In her interview, which was the lengthier of the two, Ryka Aoki also struck a theme of universality.

"Human life is messy. I think there are certain things that we can all honor. I'll put compassion up there. Treating each other with respect is up there. Fair play is definitely up there."

She continued, "I think that the constants in life should be justice, fair play, respect. These are things that don't change. These are things that don't change. A trans woman, a queer woman, a queer man, somebody you don't even know, a Martian with three heads -- there's still respect, there's still justice, there's still truth, there's still protecting the weak. There's still training to be your best. There's still improving to make the best use of the gifts that you have. In other words, all that stuff that we learned growing up in the judo dojo or the martial arts dojo or the MMA gym, all these things about perseverance and hard work and all of this stuff, these are the constants that I think we can hold onto. Even when the rest of the world is upside down, a pushup is still a pushup. Closed guard is still closed guard. These things don't change. I just wanted to toss that out. A good technique is always going to be a good technique."

This is the approach she is taking regarding the controversy over transgender female MMA fighter Fallon Fox, and the hateful and hurtful reaction she has received from some in the MMA community.

"Really, we can talk about medicine. We can talk about these things. I'm no doctor. I'm just a judoka. So I don't know what these hormones, or strength is. I can tell you from experience my strength levels are quite a bit reduced from back before I was taking hormones. But these questions really obscure the point that this is just bullying and mean-spiritedness. There are intelligent, logical ways to address these things," she said. "I think it's natural to have questions. However, there are good and bad ways to ask and to seek these questions out."

While she has spend time teaching college, performing in many locales, and speaking at book fairs such as this, her work as a martial arts instructor at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center regularly brings her into contact with young people who are not likely to be at such places.

"I spend most of my time teaching youth," she said. "I teach at-risk LGBT youth in Los Angeles. Not competition, just to get by, basic self-defense. And I do see that a lot of 'martial artists' and people like that who have these high ideals written on their dojo walls tend to be very mean-spirited when it comes to gay students, to lesbian students, to transgender students."

She added, "I expect a little bit of that meatheaded-ness, but that doesn't erase the fact that you hurt somebody, you got to live with that, really. And it kind of disgusts me."

Many of the youth to whom she teaches martial arts are homeless, including one who thrown out of his house because he was gay.

"A lot of these children end up in Los Angeles, and they're on the street. And no one's ever really taken them into consideration. They haven't taught them how to do anything, and they get preyed upon. And they see their bodies really only as objects of violence and objects of sex. When I teach them martial arts, they can see their bodies as things that can be strengthened, something to be proud of, not just beautiful but strong and trained."

Our discussions with Ryka Aoki and John Amodeo also touched on many other topics, as they both have much wisdom to share.

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: boxing, Eddie Goldman, Fallon Fox, John Amodeo, judo, LGBT, martial arts, MMA, No Holds Barred, Rainbow Book Fair, Ryka Aoki, transgender

Labels: BJJ, Eddie Goldman, IFC, judo, Liz Carmouche, MMA, No Holds Barred, Ronda Rousey, UFC, women, Zee Vjesalicu