Catch Wrestling United

@Josh Barnett

Is there any book you could recommend about the principles of Catch and its techniques?

Surfing Amazon, I've singled out the following and I'd like to know what you think (I live in Spain so I don't have access to the whole Amazon catalogue):

- Wrestling: Catch-as-Catch-Can Style by E. Hitchcock, a reprint of a 1854 book.
- Say Uncle! (the title is looong) by Jake Shannon.
- The Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture - Grappling, Wrestling, Submission by Martin "Farmer" Burns.

Thank you in advance.

Hitchcock's book (The book was published 1912 he was born 1854) is pretty cool lots of submissionholds and counters. Farmers books is a classic also. I personally like a book named "Wrestling intercollegiate and Olympic" from 1939 by Henry Stone. The history section is good and in techiques there are a lot of mat-wrestling manuvers and effective "catch-submissions". Also "a naval aviation training manual - wrestling" is awesome. I would go with those two if I had to learn Catch from a book. Fortynately I have had a change to learn it in Snake Pit Wigan.

You might also be intersted in the online learning program of Jon Strickland whos lineage gos back to Farmer Burns. Check out http://americanhookwrestling.com/
 
Hey guys. I am doing a seminar in Tokyo Japan this November 14th at the UWF Snakepit.

Details are in the Facebook event page so please have a look.

 
I didn't know Josh posted here i just tweeted him. lol

Was wondering if there is any cross over for leg lockers and catch wrestling? Do the Danaher guys, Marcin Held, Ryan Hall style fighters naturally gain catch wrestling technique and abilities doing what they do besides the wrestling?

I wouldn't say so. Catch isn't so much about moves, especially something as general as leg locks, but about the philosophies and tactics. Of course there are differing rules to the usually considered Catch Wrestling styled competitions as well but just doing a set of moves that may be commonly seens in Catch doesn't make someone a Catch Wrestler by default.

Basically, anyone can do moves. There's only so many ways the human body can be manipulated.

Josh
 
@Josh Barnett

Is there any book you could recommend about the principles of Catch and its techniques?

Surfing Amazon, I've singled out the following and I'd like to know what you think (I live in Spain so I don't have access to the whole Amazon catalogue):

- Wrestling: Catch-as-Catch-Can Style by E. Hitchcock, a reprint of a 1854 book.
- Say Uncle! (the title is looong) by Jake Shannon.
- The Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture - Grappling, Wrestling, Submission by Martin "Farmer" Burns.

Thank you in advance.

For techniques and training wise I would go with Yuko Miyato's recent Catch Wrestling manual as well as the old Fujiwara, 2 book series.

Then you have some ones like the back section of Inside the Lion's Den, Mart Hatmaker's stuff, and there seems to be quite a few more titles now than there used to be on the subject.

Josh
 
I wouldn't say so. Catch isn't so much about moves, especially something as general as leg locks, but about the philosophies and tactics. Of course there are differing rules to the usually considered Catch Wrestling styled competitions as well but just doing a set of moves that may be commonly seens in Catch doesn't make someone a Catch Wrestler by default.

Basically, anyone can do moves. There's only so many ways the human body can be manipulated.

Josh

Thanks man. Appreciate it.
 
Been training Catch underneath Tim Mcfratridge (who is underneath Erik Paulson) for around 6 months now.

By far some of the most eye opening techniques I've seen. Every practice I find myself thinking "Why don't we see this in MMA/NoGi competitions more?".

Very thankful to have started training in Catch vs BJJ starting out. Tim being a fantastic instructor has helped immensel as well.
 
Awesome that josh is taking the time to post

What you of ken shamrock 's cacc ?

I think he's the best American catch guy ever followed by you
 
Josh, come do a seminar in Chicago. You would pack any place that you did one.
 
Have you guys seen this? A tournament in Brazil dedicated to the Brazilian catch legend, Euclydes Hatem:

 
While I am at it, a highlight I made intended to highlight the great Lou Thesz's grappling prowess. Of course, in a career that spanned decades to which I have access to only a small, small portion of, this cannot be seen as anything like a full picture of his capabilities:



A few shoots are on video but not readily accessible, including him placing an NCAA champion in what sounds to be something like an omoplata (Gene LeBell recounts the episode in his autobiography, though it has also been discussed elsewhere as well). If people are interested, the story is that a news crew as filming Lou Thesz working out with collegiate wrestlers and Thesz ended up quickly taken down by their heavyweight, who was an NCAA champion. One source I came across said that Ed Lewis then positioned himself between the two wrestlers--apparently thinking that being taken down would hurt Thesz's reputation--and the camera until Thesz applied a submission hold to the college wrestler and forced him to submit. LeBell doesn't mention this in his autobiography and so I am personally not certain whether or not that happened or whether it was considered a big deal at all that Thesz was taken down before he swift submitted an amateur wrestler. There is--I have heard--video of Thesz shooting in retaliation against a Korean wrestler who was apparently encouraged to try and legitimately defeat him but apparently it was not televised at the time because there was a lot of blood involved.
 
Here's another highlight I made, focusing on Satoru Sayama student Noboru Asahi's career in early Shooto, from the 1980's into the 90's:


He's often overlooked, maybe because people often forget that MMA did indeed precede the UFC and struggle with accepting the fact that there were high-level submission artists out there long before the Gracie boom (which is to take nothing from the Gracies, just as saying that defensive boxing preceded Willy Pep takes nothing from him either).
 
I watched Josh Barnett's Punishing Rides DVD and it was pretty good. I like the philosophy of really wearing an opponent down with pressure (and suffering) but I was wondering if you guys knew of some grapplers that have the same sort of style as Barnett that are smaller? Barnett is a polar bear and has 100 lbs on me so my grappling will probably never look anything like his.

P.S I haven't read through the entire thread so sorry if something like this was already posted.
 
While not a shoot here's my pro wrestling match with Timothy Thatcher. Tim is a student under me and has had the opportunity to train with Billy Robinson and Wade Schalles too.

Nothing scripted
No planned high spots
Ref doesn't know the finish
Minimal in ring calling
All done on the fly

 
I also noticed some mod removed the UFC belt from my profile.

:rolleyes:
 
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