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Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling, Training Journal, Uncategorized
This is an old throw I still haven’t perfected it yet Billy Robinson went over it with me a handful of times it’s also on his War Instructional DVD he also hits this throw in his pro wrestling match against Inoki which you can look up. Also download my free Catch Wrestling Comic Book here; http://strengthmonsters.com
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling, Martial Arts
Last year I had the pleasure of having Brandon McCleese, Jay Grooms and Joey Thornsberry of the Kraken Fight Team based out of Kentucky in town for a week to train at the inaugural 2015 Scientific Wrestling Camp with Wade Schalles here in San Diego. While the guys were here I took some time to sit down and chat with them about their Journey into Catch Wrestling, training with the late Billy Robinson and more. I published the first half of the interveiw here. This is part two of that same interview almost a year late it’s still just as relevant now as it was then. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Billy Robinson Photos, Catch Wrestling, Uncategorized
After training with the Master circa 2011 with my buddy Ricky Lazaro.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Billy Robinson considered the Half Halch to be one of the fundamental throws of Catch Wrestling and he said on a number of occasions it was one of the first things taught to him by his teacher Billy Riley… Read More
Source: The Half Halch
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Billy Robinson Photos, Catch Wrestling, Martial Arts Photos, Personal Journal
What Do I remember about this camp? We trained for 16+ hours over the course of the weekend. We spend the morning covering stance, movement and footwork then hand fighting and the pivot. The afternnon was all take downs the Half Halch, Flying Mare, Knee Tap, Single Leg, Standing Achilles Ankle Lock, Front Headlock Take Over, Front and Rear Lateral Drops, Grovit, Standing Double Wrist Lock were some the take downs but the Pivot was what Billy was most concerened about. I can vividly recall Billy Instructing that day. The second day was spent on mat work. We did Positional drills, about 5 Different Toe Holds, Double Wrist and Top Wrist Locks, Key Lock, Short Sit Outs, Standing Up from a Defense Position, Arm Rolls, Texas Clover Leaf and a bunch of other stuff.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling, Comic Books, Drawing and Illustration, Pencil Drawings, Worlds Deadliest
Illustration I did of the famous Catch Wrestling Hold Known As the Grovit circa 2012. As Jake Shannon gave testimony to here in his review of my Catch Wrestling Comic Book Strength Monsters I used to tell Billy about my ideas for comic books all the time.
Here’s the illustration in its entirety;
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson
A few days ago I posted the photo we took right haver our conclusion of filming the Double Wrist Lock DVD with Billy Robinson circa 2011 here. This is the trailer that was cut for this DVD that is still avaiable over at Scientific Wrestling. Working with Billy on this project was one of the highlights of my martial arts career.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
If you don’t have the Double Wrist Lock DVD you can get a copy here. If you’re interested you can read my about my experience filming this DVD with Billy Robinson here.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
You can read about my second trip with Billy Robinson to the U.K. here.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
In 2010 Billy Robinson spent several days coaching both Chael Sonnen and Randy Couture at Extreme Couture in Las Vegas Nevada. Photo Credits: Photo by Jake Shannon.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
This is a screen shot from Billy Robinson’s WAR DVD. An awesome four disc set shot at one of Billy’s Catch Wrestling Camps shoot around 2007. Both Josh Barnett and Erik Paulson have sought out instruction from the late Catch Wrestling Master.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Martial Arts
Found this old fight card from a Super Brawl event I attended the year 2000. People new to MMA don’t understand at this time these events were illegal in majority of the States in the U.S. including California. Hawaii was one of the places that allowed sanctioned MMA fights to take place. Erik Paulson, Matt Huges and Rumina Sato were just a few of the fighters I saw compete before the general public even had a clue about what MMA was. Living in Hawaii at the time I was able to watch a lot of the Japanese Shoot fighters which eventually led me to seek out instruction in Catch Wrestling under the great Billy Robinson.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
Here is the group photo from the last catch wrestling camp Billy Robinson coached here in San Diego Febuary 2014 he would pass away just a few weeks later peacefully in his sleep.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Schwingen is a folk style of wrestling native to Switzerlan. The wrestlers are required to start with holding on to each others “breeches” the potato sack looking things they wear. Billy Robinson wrestled and beat a Schwingen champion once and said the Schwingen style is one of the toughest he’s encountered. I have never formally trained in the style but here is a cool play list with a lot of techniques that could be studied.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Front Row; Tatsumi Fujinami, Billy Robinson, Roy Wood. Back Row; Andy Crittenden, Jake Shannon, Myself (Sam Kressin) and Leona Fujinami. Photo Circa 2013. You can read about my second trip over to the U.K. with Billy Robinson and specifically what we talked about during this dinner here.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
This photo was taken in the U.K. Circa 2013 you can read my entire write up about my trip over to Europe where this photo was taken with Billy Robinson here…
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling, San Diego Martial Arts Seminars
I uploaded this video onto youtube two years ago to the day. I learned this from Billy Robinson.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
Posted by Sam Kressin in Billy Robinson, Catch Wrestling
From A.W.A. Wrestling All Star No. 138 Circa 1975. To read more about Billy Robinson and his life as both a Professional and Catch Wrestler make sure to check out Physical Chess: My Life in Catch-As-Catch-Can Wrestling
TRANSCRIPT
When one mentions Manchester, England, there is no doubt who the wrestler could be. Of course it is the extremely handsome Billy Robinson. Upon meeting Billy , he was friendly and casual. He is quite a stylish person. while talking with him, one can sense this man’s gentleness and tenderness. This coupled with kindness and compassion makes him an excellent wrestling instructor for the handicapped. he is truly a humane person.
Irregardless of his wrestling-boxing background, Robby desired to become a schoolteacher. This was his area of concentration while he attended Hetmorr college. Since he started his professional wrestling career, Robby has not lost any of his titles. When he left Britain to tour and study, one of his British titles was forfeited since he did not defend it during a twelve-month period. At this time, Robby was living in Japan. When the new British Heavyweight champ, Albert Wallsh, arrived in Japan, Billy fought Wallsh and regained his title. Robby studied different styles of wrestling in Europe, but basically he studied in Germany and Hungary especially under one man, Gidean Gida.
Whenever he appears, the fans roar and cheer. Despite his popularity, Billy has remained a very down-to-earth person. He is extremely friendly, and he will talk with any of his fans; he is never too busy to be pleasant. Robby is an extremely exciting wrestler, and everyone adores him. One understands why all people feel this way about him.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
W/ Billy Robinson Circa 2013 in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy after assisting Billy with his four hour training clinic on the Catch Wrestling Double Wrist Lock. Checkout a complete detailed write plus view more pictures from my trip to Italy with Billy Robinson at; http://embodiedstrength.com/2014/09/18/billy-robinson-in-italy-2013/
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Billly Robinson, Leeds, England, 2013 giving his speech and taking questions after receiving his Life Time Achievement / Living Legends Award for his impact and contribution to the sport of Wrestling.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Yesterday last year after the news broke of Billy’s passing I spent 3 days tied to the computer. Just reading everything that was posted about Billy. Reading all the articles and news that broke out around the world about his passing. It seemed like that was all I could to to mourn his loss and deal with his going away. I broke down and cried once and had to coach a kid the next day how to stand up the Billy Robinson way the way Billy taught me to stand up. At that time (and still currently) I was teaching 2-3 martial arts classes and or private lessons a day. For the next week after that every time I showed someone something Billy had taught me my mind would go back to the exact moment in time I had learned it. I could hear Billy’s voice in my mind and remembered how it felt to finally discover the position or movement he was trying to explain to me. For several weeks something would come up in training and I’d say in my mind I’ve got to ask Billy that and then I would be reminded that I can’t. I’ve been a martial artist my entire life. I never identified myself as a Jiu-Jitsu guy I never did just that exclusively I was always working on my Boxing, Karate Kicks, Wrestling and everything else I felt had value that I could pull off in an actual fight or a match. Billy’s stuff was gold to me. If anyone could master Billy’s techniques to the level of perfection he wanted them performed that person would be unstoppable. Billy was the most knowledgeable martial artist I’ve ever met. I wouldn’t say he forgot more than most people ever learn because Billy remembered everything! He knew more about wrestling than anyone else on the planet. He knew about bare knuckled fighting, boxing, street fights, European History, Wrestling History, he’d talk to me about what it was like to Wrestle the highest level Judoka’s in Japan, taking on olympic wrestlers who didn’t believe Catch Wrestling would work. He told me about Viking stories his father read to him as a child containing “beautiful depictions of Saltos and Suplexes” We discussed things such as Battle Axes and Strong Holds, Japanese Comic Books and Cartoons of which he was the subject of, even talked once about how to draw anatomy, the things Billy knew about never ended and everything was some how always brought back to wrestling. I wasn’t just sad that the training was gone but that the person was gone, the conversations and stories the jokes and now even the yelling and swearing.
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
Posted by Sam Kressin in Catch Wrestling
