Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
On April 27, 2015, I had the honor of promoting my sons to Black Ranks in our system of self-defense. I promoted my oldest son Kenneth to 2nd Degree Black Rank. Kenneth was the first student I promoted to Black Rank on April 27, 2013. Over the past year and a half, Kenneth and I have been working on a
On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1905, St. Louis sports fans were treated to a special match between local professional wrestler George Baptiste and traveling Japanese jujitsu practitioner Arata Suzuki. Baptiste delighted local fans by quickly defeating Suzuki in two straight falls. George Baptiste was a professional wrestler and all-around athlete, whose powerful swimming saved many St. Louisans from drowning
In the late 1990s, my grandfather, Gilbert Ellis, was living with my Aunt Maureen and Uncle Dale. They had decided to have a large garage/shed installed, so Grandpa and my uncle would have a workshop. They had the shed assembled and engaged a local electrical company to run electricity to the workshop. Uncle Dale had to run some errands on
In 1904, St. Louis hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition better known as the 1904 St. Louis’ Worlds Fair. While the Fair brought lots of tourists to town, criminals also made their way to the Gateway City. The man tasked with taking care of the security at the Fair and dealing with the increased criminal element in town was St. Louis’
On September 9, 1893, Frisco line brakeman James Pennock boarded the Frisco Line at Tower Grove in St. Louis. At the Cheltenham stop, Frisco brakeman Sam Robertson and former brakeman Muncie Ray also boarded. The men boarded the train with the intent of robbing the train at Sandy Cut, two miles east of Pacific, MO. When the train got close
The Canary Murder Case (1929) was originally shot as a silent film. However, the Paramount Studio executive thought it would be better as a talking picture. The studio delayed the release until they could add sound to the film. The addition of sound was not without its challenges. Unfortunately, one of the main stars of the film, Louise Brooks, had
I recently finished Evan “The Strangler” Lewis: The Most Feared Wrestler of the 19th Century. Evan Lewis was a skilled submission expert during the legitimate professional wrestling era although he did take part in a couple prearranged matches. In January 1886, Evan Lewis used his dreaded stranglehold on Sorakichi Matsada. According to several newspapers, Lewis attempted to “strangle Sorakichi to
On September 21, 1897, Joseph Bloomfield Jackson attempted to sneak into the White House armed with a loaded revolver. Jackson had boasted of plans to attack a high government official for days. Jackson was arrested before he could carry out his plans to attack President McKinley. Police quickly realized Jackson was mentally disturbed. They sent him to a Washington asylum
The Woman in Green (1945) is the ninth of twelve Sherlock Holmes produced by Universal Pictures. Basil Rathbone returns as Holmes in the eleventh of fourteen turns as the English sleuth. The film is one of the few “B” series films, which could have been an “A” film. Sherlock Holmes investigates the murder of several young London women. After they
John L. Sullivan was the transitional heavyweight prize fighting champion. He transitioned prize fighting from the bare knuckle era to modern boxing under the Marquis of Queensbury rules by refusing to fight in any more non-gloved bouts. Before he made this pledge, he took part in the Fight of the 19th Century with the formidable Jake Kilrain. Jake Kilrain was