Gene Lebell In His Prime: How Tough Was Gene LeBell?

American martial artist, Gene LeBell was intensely tough and demanding when it came to his art.

He possessed strong, enormous hands, and was a great force in the ring.

Who Was Gene LeBell?

Gene LeBell was a martial artist, stunt performer, actor, and former wrestler.

Born on October 9, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, Gene began training in Catch wrestling and boxing at a very young age.

His mother, Aileen Eaton, was his biggest influence. She was a promoter of wrestling and boxing.

At age 7, Gene was already training under Ed “Strangler” Lewis and then began learning judo in Japan, after earning his black belt.

Gene was nicknamed “the Godfather of Grappling”, because he was always grappling during fights.

In 2000, he became the 9th Dan in jujitsu and taihojutsu, a title conferred on him by the United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF). Four years after, Gene was promoted to 10th Degree.

Aside from martial arts, Gene also worked on more than 1,000 films and TV shows and wrote 12 books.

Gene died on August 9, 2022. He was aged 89.