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Title: The Toughest Man Alive by Gene Lebell, Bob Calhoun ISBN: 0-9531766-7-3 Publisher: HNL Publishing Pub. Date: 01 January, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Fighting for a Living, and Loving It
Comment: This excellent bio will please general readers and Hollywood buffs as well as Lebell's faithful following of grappling enthusiasts. Lebell's success in an amazing series of careers demonstrates not only toughness but humor, honesty, and considerable savvy. His hilarious behind-the-scenes stories are mingled with genuine insight into the intersecting, evolving worlds of martial arts, pro wrestling, entertainment, and even L.A. history since the 50's.
Some of the juiciest material concerns Lebell's experiences as an itinerant pro wrestling champ in the untamed 50's, when rowdy fans were sometimes known to inflict stab wounds upon hated wrestlers, and the elaborate, twisted pranks wrestlers played on each other presented nearly as great a hazard to health and sanity. Lebell's career as a stuntman for movies and TV provides material for several more chapters of celebrity-watching enjoyment. Many of the great tough guys of the last 50 years make appearances- Muhammad Ali, Freddie Blassie, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, to name just a very few.
This book is just a lot of fun. Lebell knows how to tell an anecdote and many of them are well-polished indeed; but while "The Toughest Man Alive" is not overly given to introspection, a picture emerges nonetheless of a man who mastered many difficult, even brutal, disciplines yet retained a youthful openness, willingness to learn, generosity, and humor. Here's proof that the big-money, ego-driven worlds of Hollywood and sports ultimately owe their dominance, and what style they still have, to those gifted people like Gene Lebell who work because they love what they do.
Rating: 5
Summary: Fascinating Story of a Fascinating Man
Comment: When I first saw this book I had never heard of Gene LeBell. I asked a few wrestling and martial arts journalists and they had yet to read it either, so I decided to give it a try.
What I found was a fascinating story of a man from an era in wrestling that isn't heard much (Freddie Blassie's book is the only book I can recall.) Gene LeBell comes off as a likeable, funny guy with some great stories. While the book doesn't have a true "story" to it, it is still very entertaining as it is.
Gene is the probably one of the forefathers of Mixed Martial Arts competitorss and companties such as UFC, Pride and King of Cage. This book is highly recommended to wrestling, Judo, MMA and movie fans. However you should not expect the lambasting of other personalities like so many other wrestling autobiographies tend to do. Gene paints everyone in a favorable light and even those he disagrees with (such as Vince McMahon) he gives the benefit of the doubt for what they have done.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Toughest Man Alive
Comment: I've been familiar with Gene LeBell for many years. I studied, palled around and even had dinner with his top student Gokor, originally from Armenia. I own several martial arts books written by Gene LeBell. I've been a serious martial arts student and instructor for several years. I've never known whether to take LeBell serious or not. Some of his moves are purely for showmanship. I've watched a few of his videos and he comes across as "goofy" with all the grimmacing and weird facial expressions. Then I've seen him on the cover of several martial arts magazines wearing a "Pink Gi." What's up with that?
I remember Gokor telling me that Gene LeBell was not someone to be taken lightly. He also said he was a "clown." He said he enjoyed clowning around. After reading this book, I have become a Gene LeBell fan. He's is dangerous and he's legit. He was a two time AAU national champion and during those two years he won the overall championship which made him the number one Judoka in the USA. He beat several top contenders to earn that honor. The amazing thing is that he did it two years in a row, and this was before Judo was an Olympic sport. I now wonder if LeBell could have been our first and only Olympic Gold Medalist.
I loved the stories about how he overcame the resentment that several Japanese senseis held towards caucasian Americans after WWII (they were held in internment camps, lost their professions, and property and rightfully so held harsh feelings towards their fellow Americans). He also wrote about being rejected by several Japanese instructors after his decision to go into professional wrestling (he had to find a way to make money and winning amateur titles does not feed a family).
This book will appeal to the serious martial artist as well as the professional wrestling afficionados. I enjoy reading autobiographies and this one did not disappoint me at all.
Oh by the way, I understand his sense of humor and will enjoy going back and rereading the books and I loved the story of the orgin of the "pink gi."
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Title: Chokehold: Pro Wrestling's Real Mayhem Outside the Ring by Weldon T. Johnson, Jim Wilson ISBN: 1401072178 Publisher: Xlibris Corporation Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.99 |
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Title: Gene LeBell's Grappling World, The Encyclopedia of Finishing Holds (2nd Expanded Edition) by Gene Lebell, Wendy Sobel, Mario Roberts, Jamie Itagaki, Ben Springer, Steve Kim LeBell, Paul Power, Lynn Salvatori ISBN: 0967654319 Publisher: Unique Publications Pub. Date: 06 December, 2000 List Price(USD): $44.95 |
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Title: Ric Flair: To Be the Man by Ric Flair, Keith Elliot Greenberg ISBN: 0743456912 Publisher: World Wrestling Entertainment Pub. Date: 06 July, 2004 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title:The Smashing Machine - The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr ASIN: B0000C52JT Publisher: New Video Group Pub. Date: 28 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $22.46 |
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Title: The Stone Cold Truth by Steve Austin ISBN: 0743477200 Publisher: World Wrestling Entertainment Pub. Date: 28 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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