Ad Santel
Encyclopedia
Ad Santel, was a practitioner of catch wrestling
. Ad Santel fought one of the early clash-of-the-styles matches in modern martial arts history against Tokugoro Ito, a 5th degree black belt in Judo from Japan
. Santel defeated Ito when a slamming takedown rendered the Judoka unable to continue the point and proclaimed himself the World Judo Champion. Tokugoro Ito went on to avenge the loss a few months later on June 10, 1916 by defeating Santel with a choke hold, being one of very few to ever defeat Santel). The founder of judo, Professor Kano sent further challengers from 1914 to 1921. These judoka included 4th degree black belt Daisuke Sakai and Taro Miyake, whom Santel defeated. Ad Santel drew with 5th degree black belt Hikoo Shoji. He also drew with matches with Reijiro Nagata, Tsutao Higami, and Setsuzo Ota. The challenge matches stopped after Santel gave up on the claim of being the World Judo Champion in 1921 in order to pursue a career in full time professional wrestling. The impact of these performances on Japan was immense. The Japanese were fascinated by the submissions taught in catch wrestling. Japanese fighters traveled to Europe in order to either participate in various tournaments or to learn catch wrestling at European schools such as Billy Riley
's Snake Pit in Wigan, UK.
Years after the famous 1911 match between Frank Gotch
and Georg Hackenschmidt
, Santel told Lou Thesz
that he was paid $5000 by Gotch's backers to cripple Hackenschmidt in training, and make it look like an accident. However, according to Hackenschmidt himself, the injury was accidentally inflicted by his sparring partner, Dr. Roller, when trying to hold Hackenschmidt down onto his knees and Roller's right foot striking Hackenschmidt's right knee. According to Hackenschmidt, his sparring partners were Jacobus Koch, Wladek Zbyscko and Dr. Roller. Ad Santel is not mentioned in any account of Hackehschmidt's training by either Hackenschmidt or Roller, both of whom offered their insights and accounts.
Santel lost his World Light Heavyweight Championship to Gobar Goho
of Calcutta (now Kolkata), India on 30 August 1921 in San Francisco.
Catch wrestling
Catch wrestling is a style of folk wrestling that was developed and popularised in the late 19th century by the wrestlers of traveling carnivals who incorporated submission holds, or "hooks", into their wrestling to increase their effectiveness against their opponents...
. Ad Santel fought one of the early clash-of-the-styles matches in modern martial arts history against Tokugoro Ito, a 5th degree black belt in Judo from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Santel defeated Ito when a slamming takedown rendered the Judoka unable to continue the point and proclaimed himself the World Judo Champion. Tokugoro Ito went on to avenge the loss a few months later on June 10, 1916 by defeating Santel with a choke hold, being one of very few to ever defeat Santel). The founder of judo, Professor Kano sent further challengers from 1914 to 1921. These judoka included 4th degree black belt Daisuke Sakai and Taro Miyake, whom Santel defeated. Ad Santel drew with 5th degree black belt Hikoo Shoji. He also drew with matches with Reijiro Nagata, Tsutao Higami, and Setsuzo Ota. The challenge matches stopped after Santel gave up on the claim of being the World Judo Champion in 1921 in order to pursue a career in full time professional wrestling. The impact of these performances on Japan was immense. The Japanese were fascinated by the submissions taught in catch wrestling. Japanese fighters traveled to Europe in order to either participate in various tournaments or to learn catch wrestling at European schools such as Billy Riley
Billy Riley
For the rockabilly musician, see Billy Lee Riley.For the 19th-century baseball player, see Billy Riley .Billy Riley was a practitioner and teacher of Catch Wrestling...
's Snake Pit in Wigan, UK.
Years after the famous 1911 match between Frank Gotch
Frank Gotch
Frank Alvin Gotch was an American professional wrestler of German ancestry, the first American to win the world heavyweight free-style championship, and credited for popularizing professional wrestling in the United States...
and Georg Hackenschmidt
Georg Hackenschmidt
Georg Karl Julius Hackenschmidt was an early 20th-century Estonian strongman and professional wrestler, and the first free-style heavyweight champion of the world. He launched his professional career in Russia and lived most of his life in London, England, where he gained the nickname of 'The...
, Santel told Lou Thesz
Lou Thesz
Aloysius Martin "Lou" Thesz was a United States professional wrestler and 18-time world heavyweight champion, most notably holding the NWA World Heavyweight Championship three times. Combined, he held the NWA Championship for 10 years, three months and nine days , longer than anyone else in history...
that he was paid $5000 by Gotch's backers to cripple Hackenschmidt in training, and make it look like an accident. However, according to Hackenschmidt himself, the injury was accidentally inflicted by his sparring partner, Dr. Roller, when trying to hold Hackenschmidt down onto his knees and Roller's right foot striking Hackenschmidt's right knee. According to Hackenschmidt, his sparring partners were Jacobus Koch, Wladek Zbyscko and Dr. Roller. Ad Santel is not mentioned in any account of Hackehschmidt's training by either Hackenschmidt or Roller, both of whom offered their insights and accounts.
Santel lost his World Light Heavyweight Championship to Gobar Goho
Gobar Goho
Jatindra Charan Goho , popularly known by his ring name Gobar Goho , was a world famous Indian wrestler and practitioner of Pehlwani. He was the first Asian to win the World Light Heavyweight Championship in the United States in 1921.- Early life :Gobar came from a family of wrestlers...
of Calcutta (now Kolkata), India on 30 August 1921 in San Francisco.
External links
- A copy of the original "The Japanese Pro-Wrestling / Reality Based Martial Art Connection" article by Sam Chan
- History of Puroresu : The Pre-J.W.A. Period
- A New Dawn for an Old Style by Drew Price
- Japanese women learning real Fast by Tatsuo Shimoda. Ring Wrestling, April, 1965
- The Japanese Pro-Wrestling/Reality Based Martial Arts Connection by Sam Chan