Grappler Hall of Fame

Once every 50 or 100 years, there comes a champion so great that it is seemingly impossible to defeat him. Grappling sports have developed over decades and below are a few legends that have entered the hall of fame and will remain there for many years to come.

Judo - Masahiko Kimura

The world will never really know but most agree that Kimura was the greatest judoka that ever lived. Kimura is famous for many things. His incredible tough training is well known with training regimes averaging nine hours a day that resulted in concussion for his sparring partners. He trained by doing one thousand push-ups in a row.

At the age of only 30, the Judo legend attained 7th Dan and an unprescedented list of competition accomplishments. Today, the reverse ude-garami arm lock is commonly known as the "kimura" in the jiu jitsu and judo circles after his impressive victory of the brazilian jiu jitsu founder and champion Helio Gracie.

Sambo - Alexander Pushnitsa

Alexander is perhaps one of the greatest Sambo players that ever was having achieved more in the discipline than any other competitor throughout his exciting 20 year career span. Three years after gaining the title of master of sports he became USSR champion. His titles include 3-times World Sambo Champion (1974, 1979, 1983), 3-times World Cup winner (1977, 1980, 1987), 2-times European Champion (1976, 1984), 9-times USSR Champion (1974-1980, 1983, 1984), 7-times Russian National Champion.

Pushnitsa after becoming USSR champion in 1974 went undefeated until 1981. His trainer Vasiliy Grozin said about him "Pushnitsa is like any other fighter, just wins more often".

Freestyle Wrestling - Alexander Medved

Alexander Medved is one of the most accomplished free-style wrestlers of our time. A Soviet/Russian/Belurussian wrestler famous in his home country, he has been the first to ever win three gold medals in World Championships ever and was named the greatest freestyle wrestler of the twentieth century by FILA. He is 7x World champion and 3x European champion.

Greco-roman Wrestling - Alexander Karelin

Alexander Karelin throughout his brilliant career was the most dominant Greco-Roman wrestler of all time and universally considered so to the present day. He competed at the heaviest weight class of his day at 130kg and was known for his superhuman strength, incredible conditioning and a reverse body lift nicknamed "Karelin Lift".

Karelin's unbeaten streak was 13 years until his only defeat in the Olympic finals in 2000 to Rulon Gardner. He holds 3 Olympic gold medals (and one silver) and World Championship gold medals for every year between 1989-1999.

Jiu Jitsu and Grappling - Roger Gracie

Roger Gracie is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu 2nd degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr. and perhaps the most accomplished submission fighters of all time. (and still competing) Not only has he won the BJJ World Jiu-Jitsu Championship (the Mundials) a record 8 times including 6 time in this weight class and twice at open weight but he is a multiple time ADCC Champion and the only person to submit all of his eight opponents taking Gold in his division and in the absolute.

Roger Gracie is a phenomenon that we will hear more about soon. A competitor that has proven that basic jiu jitsu fundamentals can be used to defeat even the toughest opponents.