The Godfather of Grappling by Gene LeBell

In a 50+ year career of high falls and fist fights, "Judo" Gene LeBell has crashed cars, jumped motorcycles, wrestled bears, incited riots and fought some of the toughest men in the world. He was an AAU National Judo Champion and a Professional Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion at a time when wrestling was more about survival than show business.

In this ONLY authorized autobiography, Gene gives us an insiders view of his childhood, movie sets, wrestling rings and Japanese dojo where he made his living and built his reputation by dishing out pain and punishment.

He was there during the "Golden Years" of martial arts growth in the U.S. and shares intimate experiences with legends like Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, Ed Parker, Bruce Lee, Andre "The Giant," Lou Thesz, Hulk Hogan, George "Superman" Reeves, Burt Reynolds, Chuck Norris and many others.

296 pages, full-color and black & white photos