Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
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When Wladek Zbyszko travelled from the United States to Brazil for a lucrative tour on
Who is the greatest legitimate professional wrestler to wrestle in the United States? How do
On April 3, 1908, American Wrestling Champion Frank Gotch met World Wrestling Champion George Hackenschmidt
On December 3, 1896, three men entered the Home Brewery Office in St. Louis at around 2:30 p.m. Cashier Robert Hofferkamp approached the men. The men produced revolvers and told Hofferkamp and his assistant to throw up their hands. The men took $10,000 from the office in what would be a multi-million dollar heist today. The robbers tied up and
As a taekwondo stylist, I spent my first few years of training trying to develop high kicks. I could throw crescent kicks head height pretty easily and even an occasional side kick. For the most part, my kicks tended to land on the body not the head. However, high kicks are still beautiful to behold and with several spectacular head
On December 8, 1903, Sam Langford fought the reigning lightweight boxing champion in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to fighting Langford, most boxing experts felt Joe Gans could not be beaten in a legitimate bout. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Gans was able to break the color barrier by winning the World Lightweight Boxing Championship. Sam Langford is often considered
We always taught students not to punch to the head during self-defense training. Yet, we did teach students to punch to head height on pads, when teaching striking. After watching some of mixed martial arts legend Bas Rutten’s fights from Pancrase, it struck me what we were doing wrong. Pancrase banned closed fists to the head. Rutten, an accomplished muay
Michael Hyatt recently wrote an article about retirement being a modern invention and dirty word. I agree with his views with one caveat. At different seasons in our life, it is time to let somethings go to make space for new things. To do new things well, we sometimes have to let go of the old. When I was in
St. Louis Chief of Detectives William Desmond created a bit of a mystery in January 1903, when he attempted to sneak off and get married. It was to be the 45-year-old Desmond’s first marriage. Chief Desmond was to marry Hannah McLaughlin, the daughter of a local builder. The couple was to honeymoon in Southern California before returning to St. Louis
On Monday, December 15, 1902, St. Louis Police Assistant Chief of Detectives James H. Smith retired from the police department to take a position in the coal industry. Chief of Detectives William Desmond attempted to convince Smith to stay but he decided to retire from the force as his fortieth birthday approached. Smith compiled a commendable record as Desmond’s Assistant.
H.G. Wells wrote the story of Things to Come, which was turned into a film in 1936. The film opens during Christmas 1940 in Everytown (obviously London) right before the outbreak of war. The war lasts almost thirty years before “the Airmen” led by John Cabal, a former resident of Everytown, leads the survivors to victory over the remaining war
John Morrissey claimed the World Bare Knuckle Prizefighting Championship in a controversial bout with Yankee Sullivan in October 1853. After beating a murder charge for his participation in the murder of Bill “The Butcher” Poole, Morrissey decided to defend his title against John C. Heenan, “the Benicia Boy”. “Old Smoke” Morrissey defeated Heenan in the October 1858 bout held in
The first Mr. Moto film starring Peter Lorre as Japanese jujitsu expert Kentaro Moto sees Mr. Moto tracking down a smuggling ring leader. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation released Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937) on July 27, 1937. Peter Lorre would play Mr. Moto seven more times for Twentieth Century – Fox. Mr. Moto disguises himself as a peddler and