Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/b7uzv9/Episode_30abul2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadIn this episode, we discuss the Dick Shikat double-cross
Who is the greatest legitimate professional wrestler to wrestle in the United States? How do
Rarely does one fundamentally alter their profession but Stanislaus Zbyszko did just that on April
Tom Hyer won the American Bare Knuckle Prizefighting Championship in 1841. Like most prizefighting champions
The May 9, 1905 edition of the St. Louis Republic’s sport section contained a story about an upcoming match between local wrestler George Baptiste and the touring World Wrestling Champion, George Hackenschmidt. The paper did not give Baptiste a chance against Hackenschmidt, who just beat Tom Jenkins for the World Championship. If the editor knew “Hack’s” condition at the time, he may have
General William Tecumseh Sherman of Civil War fame had deep roots in St. Louis stretching back to 1843. As a soldier, he was assigned to Jefferson Barracks. He was also involved in St. Louis businesses as the St. Louis Street Railroad Company President until he left St. Louis for the Civil War in 1861. After the war, St. Louis’ citizens
The series of the Charlie Chan films starring Warner Oland were probably the strongest films in the Charlie Chan series. Sidney Toler made several good films also but eventually the series would become low-budget “B” films produced by Monogram Pictures. Charlie Chan’s Secret (1936) (affiliate link) was one of the earlier Twentieth-Century Fox films about Charlie Chan. The production values
Stanislaus Zbyszko was born Stanislaw Jan Cyganiewicz on April 1, 1879 in Jodlow, Poland, which was part of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. According to Wikipedia, he chose the ring name Stanislaus Zbyszko because it was the name of a fictional Polish knight. An article in the Walla Walla, Washington newspaper, The Evening Statesman’s Tuesday, February 8, 1910 edition, publicized Zbyszko’s university and
The Black Camel (1931) is the oldest surviving Charlie Chan film (affiliate link) starring Warner Oland. It was the second film in the series for Fox Films. The first, third, fourth and fifth films are lost although a Spanish language version of Charlie Chan Carries On (Eran Trece, 1931) does exist. The Black Camel was released on June 21, 1931.
On April 5, 1920, Frederick Charles Smith, also known as “The Red-Headed Bandit”, walked into the Easton-Taylor Trust Company at 4474 Easton Avenue. Smith had a revolver in each hand and demanded money from the cashier. Fearing for his life, the clerk promptly dropped $15,309 in a sack. John Lanigan, the bank’s president, sat in his office off the lobby
George Hackenschmidt (1877-1968) was a world record holding weightlifter and World Heavyweight Wrestling Champion before wrestling was prearranged and lifters were using steroids. Hackenschmidt achieved a level of greatness due to several factors. He achieved a high level of physical fitness. His physical condition allowed him to be the most successful wrestler of his era. A few wrestlers may have been
I previously wrote about an incident in which a Detective Sergeant for the St. Louis Police was shot during a robbery attempt. Unlike a number of other incidents in Gilded Age St. Louis history, Detective Sergeant James Martin King’s home in January 1920 still exists. The home is still in excellent condition. 4973 Lotus Avenue was the home of Sgt. King in
These five Judo throws are fairly simple to execute and are not dependent on a Judo gi for proper execution. A throw can often devastate an attacker and take the fight right out of them. 1) Osoto gari (Major Outer Reaping Throw) -Don’t neglect this throw because it seems very basic. Olympic Gold Medals have been won with it. The
On a cold January night in 1920, the deadliest year for St. Louis Police, kicked off violently. Two not so-bright robbers attempted to rob one of the largest and bravest officers on the St. Louis Police Department. St. Louis Police Detective Sergeant James Martin King was walking to his home at 4973 Lotus Avenue via N. Kingshighway Boulevard, when two