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LeBell came off the floor by a few feet. LeBell recalled in his 2005 autobiography, The Godfather of Grappling meeting Lee on the set of The Green Hornet TV series. Voters will soon get a say, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The tributes for "Judo" Gene LeBell, who died on August 9, 2022, at age 89, poured in after news of his passing starting circulating. Brandon Recor, Congratulations!!! Stoked I get to make it this year. Along with the awards received for feats in judo and grappling, LeBell was the 2005 recipient of the Frank Gotch Award in celebration of the positive recognition he brought to the sport of wrestling. He was known by many as the Godfather of Grappling, and influenced fighters around the world. They shared their stories about the Toughest Man Alive and Godfather of Grapplings warmth and generosity. His first match would be against the highly ranked judoka John Osako. Without locking the hold, Seagal side stepped and swung his forearm backwards into his crotch. I have always been inspired by this quality in you Uncle Gene and I cherish the memories of the many great experiences we have had together. Congrats my friend and God Bless. A celebration of his life will be held on his 90thBirthday October 9th, 2022 at the Hayastan Academy led by his student, Black Belt Hall of Fame Member - Gokor Chivichyan. Wrestlers & MMA stars pay tribute to Gene LeBell. Known by many as "the Godfather of Grappling", LeBell helped make the grappling arts like Judo, Wrestling, and Jiu Jitsu popular in professional fighting circles. The late 'Judo' Gene LeBell's 90th birthday is celebrated by 200 R.I.P. legendary wrestler and stunt performer Gene LeBell - The A.V. Club Could Gene LeBell, the 'real life Cliff Booth', beat up Bruce Lee? Gene LeBell, a renowned stuntman who trained Bruce Lee and inspired the likes of Quentin Tarantino, died in his sleep Tuesday morning at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, according to The Hollywood Reporter. More embellished versions include details about Seagal defecating himself. [9], Encouraged by Ed Parker,[8] LeBell accepted the challenge and travelled to Salt Lake City to meet Beck. Gene LeBell - MMA & Wrestling Pioneer - Passes Away At 89 - TheMix.net Melanson specializes in catch wrestling, while drawing elements from judo, and focuses his coaching specifically on grappling in mixed martial arts.He is especially known for his guard work, leg locks and triangle chokes. While working with rising martial arts star Bruce Lee on the set of The Green Hornet, LeBell was instructed by the stunt coordinator to subdue the actorwho was said to be terrorizing the stuntman for a particular sceneand did so by quickly grabbing Lee in a firemans carry and running around the set with him. Stunt coordinator Bennie Dobbins begged LeBell to humble Lee, who allegedly beat up on his stuntmen throughout the shows production. Gene LeBell Record, Net Worth, Weight, Age & More! (Gene LeBell Biography), Born in Los Angeles in 1932, LeBell was shipped off to a military school at age 6 by his full-time working mom after his father died in a surfing accident. LeBell, whom many credit for bringing judo into mixed martial arts, served as a mentor to former UFC champion Ronda Rousey throughout her MMA run, but his roots run much deeper. #246C,Beverly, MA 01915,United States. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), Former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett, talks about Judo Gene LeBell during a celebration of LeBells life on what would have been his 90th birthday at Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood Sunday, October 9, 2022. thank you so much for all the encouragement over all these decades . Those were great times !! The simplest version of the tale has Seagal boasting that he couldnt be choked out, and LeBell, then in his 50s and significantly smaller than the 6-foot-4 actor, going behind the star, then taking him to the ground and choking him out. Today we will take a look at just a fraction of it. In Loving Memory of Judo Gene LeBell, 1932-2022 Freddie Blassie, who starred for Aileen Eaton and Mike LeBell for decades, wrote in his autobiography Legends of Wrestling: Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks that LeBells believability in the ring wasnt what mattered to Mike and Aileenit was his credibility: When the family needed an enforcer to step into the ring with a wrestler who didnt want to go along with the program, all they had to do was open Genes bedroom door and tell him to get into his wrestling gear.. Youre not only a legend to me but a great, great friend. Some have pointed out that LeBell making easy work of Lee on set may have inspired the scene in Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in which Brad Pitt, playing veteran stuntman Cliff Booth, has his way with Bruce Lee (played by actor and martial artist Mike Moh) in an on-set sparring match. In addition to his judo background, LeBell has an extensive background in submission grappling and catch wrestling, and has trained under Lou Thesz, Karl Gotch and Ed "Strangler" Lewis. Featuring "Judo" Gene LeBell's champion student "The Armenian Assassin" Gokor Chivichyan and friends." . Gene Lebell, who had an acting and stunt career that stretched from The Adventures of Ozzie . LeBell served as the inspiration for Brad Pitt's character in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.. We cant have blood! Gaffer tape stanched the bleeding, and LeBell managed six more takes. Remembering Gene LeBell - The Ringer Something went wrong. In 1994, LeBell counted kickboxing champion Benny Urquidez and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners the Machado brothers among his training partners. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA- Famous wrestler, Martial artist Ivan Gene LeBell better known as Gene LeBell, passes away at 89. [10], The loss by Savage, the hometown favorite, caused the crowd to react violently. Congratulations my brother!!! He is loved by so many and admired by countless others. Lou Thesz. He was born there on November 27, 1940, making him a dual Hong Kong and United States citizen by birth. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. He worked in. LeBell is also a writer and has penned a dozen books on martial arts. LeBell has made himself the nicknames "Judo" Gene LeBell, "The Godfather of Grappling" and also "The Toughest Man Alive" for his . We are all so proud of you, youre a legend. Never ever have I known a man so talented, having so much wisdom and experience, so giving of his knowledge and skills and yet being so humble. It is his 90th birthday and a celebration and memorial for him, Chivichyan said. A lot of fighters are broke. Bryan Danielson's LeBell Lock was named after the legendary grappler. His death was announced by Kellie Cunningham, his trustee and business manager, who did not. "Judo" Gene LeBell Tribute - YouTube Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic both had 40-point games after the Sixers loss against the Mavs. Gene LeBell, also known as 'Judo Gene LeBell' is best known for, you guessed it, judo. Tanner Gill, Congrats Uncle Gene!! Gene LeBell was chosen for the match out of over 200 candidates. While men like Wagner and later Freddie Blassie and Dick the Destroyer Beyer would headline Eatons wrestling cards, the young LeBellbereft of a father figurestarted at the very bottom, learning the ropes in the hardest away imaginable, twisted into pretzels by grapplers like the aging Evan Strangler Lewis, from whom LeBell asked to learn the Stranglers signature headlock when LeBell was the tender age of 7. After getting his black belt, he went to Japan to train in judo at the Kodokan. The Ploys and Tactics Behind Oscar Campaigning, A Secret Laundromat Meetup, New Jersey Episode 4, and Potomac Reunion Part 2. Little Mo and Lou, Uncle Gene has been a trusted mentor, ardent Sensei and dear friend to me and countless other stunt people throughout the years. Blessed if you know him, crazy fun guy. Beck engaged in a great deal of pre-fight trash talk, but it was clear that he had very little knowledge of Japanese martial arts even going as far as confusing traditional judo for karate. Interview with Gene LeBell. After spending time training Judo overseas in Japan at the Kodokan, in 1954 the 22 year old Gene Lebell would capture both the heavyweight and the overall Judo Championships. [17] Ultimately, nothing came from it. [30], LeBell and Ginsburgs were former friends and business partners of Hall. Seagal, a towering man who had a background in the Japanese martial art of aikido, has long battled with stunt choreographers and fight trainers on setin Shooters, Jonathan Snowden quotes Pride announcer Stephen Quadross story of engaging in an uncomfortable series of wristlock exchanges with Seagal on the set of the 2001 film Exit Woundsbut by most accounts (and there are many), his encounter with LeBell went poorly. [14], LeBell has opened two martial art schools in cooperation with others and has touted his 1963 match with Milo Savage as the first televised MMA fight in America.[15][16]. Nicknamed "The Godfather of Grappling", he popularized grappling in professional fighting circles, serving as a precursor to modern mixed martial arts. Neil Melanson - Wikipedia Youve not only accomplished a great name in our industry but many,many brothers and sister stunt people that admire and love you very much. We love him! A notable one was the 'Hot Rod' himself, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper. [31], On August 9, 2022, LeBell died in his sleep.[32][33]. He was 89. [10][11] Nevertheless, LeBell got mount and found the opportunity to execute an armbar, but he opted instead to seek a choke, concluding that Savage would not surrender to a broken arm. He would also occasionally wrestle in a disguise as The Hangman. Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and "Godfather of Grappling," Dies at 89 Gene LeBell was born on October 09, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States, is Stunts, Actor, Miscellaneous Crew. Gene LeBell, Hollywood Stuntman and Martial Artist, Dies at 89 - Variety The judoka and his team showed their sportsmanship by helping to revive Savage using kappo, as neither the referee nor the ring doctor knew how to resuscitate him. The legendary story of Steven Seagal and 'Judo' Gene Lebell Gene LeBell has three children Monica, Danny, and David. So happy for you. It has been an honor to work with you ,and see how much you have done, over the years. He has trained with or taught grappling skills to many well-known wrestlers and martial artists, such as Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Bob Wall, Chuck Norris, Ed Parker, Gokor Chivichyan, Karo Parisyan, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Mando Guerrero, Manny Gamburyan. A professional stuntman and actor, LeBell appeared in over 1,000 films and TV shows, and authored 12 books. For a time, he took on a role as "policeman" for the organization, helping to maintain order. Neil Melanson [28], LeBell was friends with world champion judoka AnnMaria De Mars, and had known her daughter, Olympic judoka, mixed martial artist and professional wrestler Ronda Rousey since her birth. He was highly respected by many martial artists all over the world, and has been considered a ground breaker in many aspects of the art of grappling. Instructed through brutal tutorials by professional wrestlers and old-school masters, he developed adult skills by 13. LeBell also gained notoriety for the way he dealt with the notoriously eccentric and aggressive Steven Seagal on the set of the 1991 film Out for Justice. Sugar Ray Robinson. if thirty people are watching, let them talk about it. You too? Gene LeBell has three children Monica, Danny, and David. Bruce Lee. You are a true living legend! He was acquitted of the murder charge but convicted as an accessory for driving the convicted murderer, pornographer Jack Ginsburgs, to and from the murder scene. Freddie Blassie. His notable students include Rousey, WWE Hall of Famer Roddy Piper, and Chuck Norris, among others. All my love and respect Matt Taylor, Aloha Uncle Gene, Mahalo for sharing your secret Hawaiian Hug mahalo for all your knowledge & advice that youve given. Jim Winburn, Long time coming Papa Gene. AEW, Triple H & WWE acknowledged LeBell's influence. Im proud to be a friend of yours for over 50 years. Well deserved my hat is off to you sir!!! LeBell was the third man inside the ring of one of the most famous matches in Japanese history and one that had worldwide attention. Mary Karcz, Hi Gene, Id just like to Congratulate you on your receiving the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award. [23] LeBell's trainee Ronda Rousey, assured Seagal was the one lying and said: "If [Seagal] says anything bad about Gene to my face, I'd have to make him crap his pants a second time. I had a 2-stroke so i had to unload at an area specifiedthe 4-strokes rode the streets to the mountains and riding area.As i was driving my bike in my pick-up.Gene passed me standing on the seat of his XR doin a wheelieGene is an Amazing man.Open arms.. to a choke-out! ( Aubrey Sitterson, rondarousey.com, 2018). Although LeBell would remain undefeated in the sport for eight years, even traveling to Japan in 1955 to further his judo skillsand, following a laundry mishap, adopt the pink gi that became a signature piece of his in-ring lookhis interests were too varied to allow him to focus exclusively on one sport. To succeed in the NFL, hell need to be an outlier among outliers. Erik Stabenau, Congratulations Gene. Gene LeBell in 2010 and with Lindsay Wagner on 'The Bionic Woman' in 1976 GI. August 10, 2022 11:30 am ET. Well deserved. Ronda Rousey. In 1954, at the age of 20, Gene won the National Heavyweight Judo Championshi and the USA Overall Judo championship title. Gene LeBell, Famed Stuntman and "Godfather of Grappling," Dies at 89 LeBells years of stunt work and fight choreography also introduced grappling to the world of action movies, where it is now commonplace to see fighters turned actors such as Randy Couture and Gina Carano using submission holds in their action sequences. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. A large frame surrounded a pink gi his signature judo uniform hung above a doorway leading to the training area. (James C. Udel, Variety, 2018), A fight scene on the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet earned LeBell his SAG card. Love ya !!! Ya big goofball!!! You may have seen his name in the credits of countless movies and television shows dating back to the late 1960's. You may have caught the "Godfather of Grappling" in one of his matches in the world of professional wrestling, you may know him as the "toughest man on the . To quote C.S. In addition to Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, LeBell also tutored the likes of Roddy Piper (who claimed in his autobiography to have received a black belt in judo from LeBell, though this is likely as spurious as the impossible-to-verify Golden Gloves championship he was sometimes reported as having won), Olympic bronze medalist judoka and future UFC and WWE star Ronda Rousey (who always cited him as an important mentor), American judo champion and instructor Gokor Chivichyan, and Chivichyans Armenian American judo student Karo Parisyan, one of the first notable judo practitioners in the UFC. A half-century ago, Pink Floyd unleashed a classic that still lingers on the Billboard charts and in college dorms to this day. He began training catch wrestling at age 7 with Ed "The Strangler" Lewis. On Sunday, Oct. 9, legendary martial artist and stuntman Judo Gene LeBell would have turned 90. Don't miss a beat. (James C. Udel, Variety, 2018), Gene started training in judo at a young age, and at the age of 20 in 1954, he won National AAU Heavyweight Judo Championship and the USA Overall Judo Championship title. If you want to do a whizzer throw in wrestling, its the same as an uchimata [inner thigh throw] in judo. It will be donated to St. Jude Childrens Hospital, Southern California, in honor of LeBell. I feel honored to say Ive never been choked out by the legend Gene LaBellI consider you a true friend. "Judo" Gene LeBell the "Godfather of Grappling" was both a renowned ex-world champion in both wrestling/judo, and one of Hollywood's busiest stuntmen. [4] LeBell appeared in three Elvis Presley movies as a minor character who starts a fight with the character played by Presley. UFC 285 Preview: Can Jon Jones Turn Back the Clock? LeBells wrestling fortunes variedhis brother Mike told Sports Illustrated in 1995 that he had fired Gene on several occasions, noting that sometimes even I thought he was crazybut his career continued its upward trajectory as he moved into the Hollywood stunt work that would see him participating in thousands of projects over the years. He is currently 89 years old. For similar uses, see, MMA History Gene Lebell VS Milo Savage, 1963, The Godfather of Grappling (authorised biography of LeBell) by "Judo" Gene LeBell, Bob Calhoun, George Foon, and Noelle Kim. Mike Massa, Congratulations Gene!! Gene LeBell had three children including stuntman son David LeBell and FBI . Ivan Gene LeBell was born in Los Angeles on Oct. 9, 1932. The combatants were initially cautious, with LeBell being the first in pressing the action by attempting to throw Savage down. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG), AnnMaria De Mars (L), with her daughter former UFC Champion and WWE star Ronda Rousey and Rouseys daughter Po, pose for a photo with Midge LeBell, wife of Judo Gene LeBell, during a celebration of his life on what would have been Genes 90th birthday at Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood Sunday, October 9, 2022. LeBell was also a judo and grappling prodigy. At four months old (April 1941), the Lee family returned to Hong Kong. Sammy Horowitz, Congratulations Gene, its about time you were acknowledged for your amazing contribution to the stunt world. "My . (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG). In 2000, the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF) promoted him to 9th Dan in jujitsu and taihojutsu. Wear this Award well my friend. Legend Gene LeBell's Life Is Set To Be Made Into A Book And Film Scott Wilder, Thank you Sensei for paving the way for martial artists in this biz! LeBell even awarded Piper a legitimate Black Belt in Judo . Ivan Gene LeBell (October 9, 1932 - August 9, 2022) was an American martial artist, instructor, stunt performer, and professional wrestler. [29], LeBell was arrested, charged with, and tried for the July 1976 murder of private investigator Robert Duke Hall. LeBell earned the upset win via an osaekomi. The late 'Judo' Gene LeBell's 90th birthday is celebrated by 200 friends, students, family LeBell's top student, Gokor Chivichyan, held the event at his martial arts academy, remembering a . Well deserved !!! Allen Lopa, Congrats to a legend!! Well done sir! Im honored to know you! God Bless you Gene and your lovely wife and thanks you for all the things you taught me. Congratulations! We are incredibly sad to report that our hero, dear friend and Stunts Unlimited brother passed away yesterday, August 9th, 2022 at the age of 89. Michael Hughes, Thank you for being such an influence and inspiration to MANY! judo. An incredible life being rightfully recognized. This 1982 homevideo production, introduced by Chuck Norris and narrated by John Saxon, featured LeBell as a car thief and mugger who (in the prologue) accosts Mitsuru Yamashita and Budojujitsu creator Al Thomasmuch to LeBell's regret.