Favorite Grapplers?

[blitz]

I'm starting to really get into grappling and I really like watching it. Anyway list your favorite grapplers.
Mine are:
1- Saulo Ribeiro
2- Marcelo Garcia
3- JJ Machado

And I don't care if grappling doesn't help me vs 10 opponents or vs knives and guns. This is for the sake of entertainment, don't open another weapons vs grappling discussion.

[JkD187]

I'm starting to really get into grappling and I really like watching it. Anyway list your favorite grapplers.
Mine are:
1- Saulo Ribeiro
2- Marcelo Garcia
3- JJ Machado

And I don't care if grappling doesn't help me vs 10 opponents or vs knives and guns. This is for the sake of entertainment, don't open another weapons vs grappling discussion.

one name says it all Jacare.

[blitz]

I like Jacare but he relies too much on power.

[JkD187]

I like Jacare but he relies too much on power.

Yes he is a very powerfull person with great technique which is why hes so successfull.

[7r14ngL3Ch0k3]

Eddie Bravo. I think he was the most recent Abu Dhabi winner in his class.

[JkD187]

Eddie Bravo. I think he was the most recent Abu Dhabi winner in his class.

Do you realize that he did not win the abudhabi where he submitted Royler? and that was in 2003..its now 2006 thee have been more fights durr.

[pehlwan2]

hey, i dont mean to be rude but i think u guys r missing an extremely great grappler. How could u not mention kazushi sakuraba. He is an awesome martial artist and practically one of if not THE best grappler in the world. He has beaten every single gracie, and he has defeated strong opponents in pride. from everything ive seen the only times he loses outright r when he is hurt by strikes which is his only weakness. But his strikes might not be the best but they certainly r better then any other worl renound grappler. not only that but he is a humble and honorable fighter who always makes sure to bow to his opponents and always congradualate them after a fight. He is one of the best grapplers in my opinion and im not trying to brag but just so that u dont think i have no experience, i have been doin grappling and martial arts since i was 3 and a half and this man really is a role model for me.

[Tant01]

Kimura!

hey, i dont mean to be rude but i think u guys r missing an extremely great grappler. How could u not mention kazushi sakuraba. He is an awesome martial artist and practically one of if not THE best grappler in the world. He has beaten every single gracie, and he has defeated strong opponents in pride. from everything ive seen the only times he loses outright r when he is hurt by strikes which is his only weakness. But his strikes might not be the best but they certainly r better then any other worl renound grappler. not only that but he is a humble and honorable fighter who always makes sure to bow to his opponents and always congradualate them after a fight. He is one of the best grapplers in my opinion and im not trying to brag but just so that u dont think i have no experience, i have been doin grappling and martial arts since i was 3 and a half and this man really is a role model for me.

Good choice! Good reasons! Welcome to the forum!


I was fond of Masahiko Kimura (1917-1993) for similar reasons in my Judo days... I'm what I call "old school" eh?

Still say he was one of the all time greats!

[Tant01]

The Man Who Defeated Helio Gracie
By Jim Chen M.D.

In 1937 Masahiko Kimura won the All Japan Championship at age 20. For the next 13 years he was undefeated before he retired.

5th Dan at age 18

Kimura (5’6", 170cm; 85kg, 187lbs) was born on September 10, 1917 in Kumamoto, Japan. At age 16, after 6 years of judo, he was promoted to 4th dan. He had defeated 6 opponents (which were all 3rd and 4th dan) in a row. In 1935 at age 18 he became the youngest ever godan (5th degree black belt) when he defeated 8 consecutive opponents at Kodokan... http://www.judoinfo.com/kimura3.htm

He lost 4 matches in his entire career (all four of them in 1935)

[blitz]

I can't say I like any of the old guys. I've never seen them in a match, all I hear are stories. And my favorite grapplers aren't my favorite because they are 134069346-0, I just like their technique and gameplay.

I think Sakuraba is great too but his grappling style isn't one of my favorites even though hes great and leglocks.

[Miss Teak]

I like Genki Sudo, the flashy stuff makes me smile.

[danfaggella]

I think Genki throws in the wierd stances and stuff just to throw people off, though he must like the attention, but he does it in a very interesting way and it adds to his "upredictableness".

Saku is most likely my favorite grapple, I have no idea if he is in Abu Dhabi or not, but I've never seen him in it. He hasn't beaten "every single" Gracie but he has beaten many of them (4). He is my favorite fighter due to his great humility and dignity, as well as his grappling prowess.

[J-Luck]

Ummm... pehlwan2... There are plenty of world renowned grapplers with better striking skills than kazushi sakuraba... But anyway, I'd say Jeff Monson, John Smith, Bobby Douglas, and Judo Gene Labell.

[J-Luck]

Also, Dan Gable.

[pehlwan2]

uhm to j-luck, when i said " But his strikes might not be the best but they certainly r better then any other worl renound grappler," im sry that was a mistake, i apologize, i meant to say that he has some good striking for a person who is a good grappler, i know that thier r some good grapplers with good striking as well, but if u take into account the fact that kazushi sakuraba at his age and seeing as he started judo and grappling at a young age, and he is now 38, the fact that he has learned to strike as well as he has is just something worth mentioning. Many Japanese martial artists who r good strikers, such as norifumi " the kid yamamoto" r young and they started off as wrestlers and grapplers and were able to later on get great striking. But sakuraba isnt as young as he used to be and yet he is still working to expand his knowledge of striking martial arts. Also to danfaggella another mistake i made, i know he only beat 4 and that he didnt beat all the gracies, i was simply pointing out that each gracie that has stepped up to him has fallen, and the fact that after each match he has congradulated them and been an honorable fighter is something that u dont see alot of these day, not to say he is the only one with respect for his opponents. also to blitz, i dont like sakuraba for his record im simply pointing out his record against certain opponents to justify why i like him. and to TANT01 I thanks alot, i agree that Masahiko Kimura was a great grappler and martial artist, and he is another one of my great hero's, his respect for helio gracie after he beat him showed his true greatness. haha sry i forgot to mention another thing, to blitz, masahiko kimura was a truly great grappler as u can see due to the respect he gained from the gracie family and the grappling world which was shown when his signature move was renamed the kimura in his honor. Also if u would like to see masahiko kimura in action, u can go to http://video.google.com/. once there just search the name masahiko kimura. it will give u two videos of the kimura and helio gracie match from 1951. u can watch them both if u want. sry that i cant give u a direct link, but i stink with computers and since im new on this forum i dont know how to insert a hyperlink that isnt 15 lines long. thanks.