Influence
LeBell's reputation in combat sports has led to the nicknames "Judo" Gene LeBell, "the Godfather of Grappling" and also "the toughest man alive". He has taught grappling skills to many well-known wrestlers and martial artists, including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Karo Parisyan, Mando Guerrero, Chuck Norris, Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, Gokor Chivichyan, Bob Wall, Ed Parker and Manny Gamburyan. He also has a wrestling technique named after him, Daniel Bryan's (wrestler) finishing move, the LeBell Lock (which was later renamed to the NO! lock).
The pink colored Judo Gi became a trademark of LeBell and was a result of a laundry mixup while preparing for a competition in Japan. A pair of red shorts were mixed into the laundry that contained his Gi and turned the uniform a shade of pink. He was set to compete the following day, and being a Saturday evening when he received the now colored uniform, he had to compete in the pink uniform. This set the Japanese crowd livid (it was considered very insulting). LeBell went on to win his division.
LeBell is associated with Gokor Chivichyan's Hayastan MMA Academy where he teaches grappling classes. He also does interviews for magazines, newspapers, and radio as well as judging fights.
Recently, LeBell has been spotted in the corner of former US Olympic judoka and current mixed martial artist Ronda Rousey, often holding a stopwatch.
Read more about this topic: Gene Le Bell
Famous quotes containing the word influence:
“We cannot spare our children the influence of harmful values by turning off the television any more than we can keep them home forever or revamp the world before they get there. Merely keeping them in the dark is no protection and, in fact, can make them vulnerable and immature.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)
“Nature has taken more care than the fondest parent for the education and refinement of her children. Consider the silent influence which flowers exert, no less upon the ditcher in the meadow than the lady in the bower. When I walk in the woods, I am reminded that a wise purveyor has been there before me; my most delicate experience is typified there.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“What arouses the indignation of the honest satirist is not, unless the man is a prig, the fact that people in positions of power or influence behave idiotically, or even that they behave wickedly. It is that they conspire successfully to impose upon the public a picture of themselves as so very sagacious, honest and well-intentioned.”
—Claud Cockburn (1904–1981)