Hybrid Grappling

Expanded Lineage & Inspiration Tree

Billy Riley – Snake Pit (England)

Billy Riley was a foundational catch‑as‑catch‑can wrestling coach from Wigan, England, best known for running the legendary Snake Pit training hall. His rigorous methods and deep understanding of catch‑as‑catch‑can techniques helped preserve the art during a time when it was fading from mainstream combat sports. Riley directly trained icons like Karl Gotch and Billy Robinson, creating a lasting legacy that continues to influence modern grappling.

Karl Gotch (Belgian‑born “God of Wrestling”)

Karl Gotch (born Charles Istaz) was a Belgian‑born wrestler whose mastery of catch wrestling, conditioning, and technical control earned him the nickname God of Wrestling. Trained by Billy Riley at the Snake Pit, Gotch later became a revered coach in Japan, influencing generations of wrestlers and MMA pioneers. His intense conditioning philosophies and commitment to catch wrestling fundamentals helped shape the development of shoot‑style professional wrestling and early mixed martial arts.

Billy Robinson (1938–2014)

Billy Robinson was one of catch wrestling’s greatest ambassadors. After years training at the Snake Pit under Billy Riley and with guidance from Karl Gotch, Robinson went on to become a British national and European champion and a respected professional wrestler. As a coach, he mentored students like John Potenza and Sam Kressin, and his teachings helped spread catch wrestling’s technical depth into pro wrestling, early MMA, and grappling communities around the world.

John Potenza (Old School Grappling)

John Potenza is a dedicated teacher and co‑founder of Old School Grappling Catch Wrestling Association, carrying forward the traditional catch‑as‑catch‑can curriculum he learned from Billy Robinson. With decades of experience in multiple grappling arts, Potenza works to preserve the original techniques and philosophies of catch wrestling through structured instruction, seminars, and global outreach, ensuring the art stays alive and accessible to new generations.

Sam Kressin (Catch & BJJ Hybrid)

Sam Kressin is a highly respected grappler who bridges catch wrestling and Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu. Trained under Billy Robinson in catch wrestling and Chris Haueter in BJJ, Kressin blends both arts to create a comprehensive hybrid grappling style. He teaches seminars internationally, produces instructional content, and helps students understand how different grappling systems complement and enhance each other.

Chris Haueter (BJJ)

Chris Haueter is a pioneering American Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu black belt and one of the first Americans to reach that rank in BJJ. A key mentor to Sam Kressin, Haueter helped popularize BJJ across the United States and fostered a generation of practitioners who value both technical precision and innovative problem‑solving on the mats. His influence strengthened the connection between traditional BJJ and integrated grappling systems.

Jake Shannon (Scientific Wrestling)

Jake Shannon is the founder of Scientific Wrestling, a modern organization dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional catch‑as‑catch‑can wrestling. Through seminars, open training camps, educational content, and his book Say Uncle!: Catch‑As‑Catch‑Can Wrestling and the Roots of Ultimate Fighting, Pro‑Wrestling, & Modern Grappling, Shannon works to revive historical techniques and ensure they remain relevant to today’s grapplers, coaches, and martial artists.

Exemplary Inspirations & Guest Instructors

Over the years, our students have trained with or drawn inspiration from some of the world’s greatest grapplers, including:

• Kazushi Sakuraba is a legendary Japanese mixed martial artist and professional wrestler best known for his innovative style, unorthodox techniques, and legendary fights in Pride Fighting Championships. Nicknamed the Gracie Hunter for his victories over multiple members of the Gracie family, Sakuraba blended catch wrestling, submission grappling, and striking to become one of Japan’s most celebrated fighters and a key figure in showcasing grappling effectiveness on the global MMA stage.
  
  

• Mitsuo Maeda was a Japanese judoka and early Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu pioneer whose worldwide traveling demonstrations and challenge matches helped spread the art of grappling. A student of Jigoro Kano (founder of judo), Maeda taught the fundamentals that became the core of Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu when passed to the Gracie family in Brazil. His influence is foundational to modern BJJ, making him one of the most important figures in grappling history.
  
  

• Eric Paulson is an elite submission grappler and mixed martial artist known for his technical mastery across multiple disciplines, including Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu, catch wrestling, and submission wrestling. A multiple‑time world medalist in BJJ and champion in submission grappling tournaments, Paulson has trained with and influenced some of the top competitors in the world while contributing to the growth and evolution of modern grappling techniques.
  
  

• Wade “The Pinisher” Schalles – One of the most dominant amateur wrestlers in history, Schalles holds the Guinness World Record for the most wins and most pins in competitive wrestling and is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and successful collegiate wrestlers ever. He was a two‑time NCAA national champion and four‑time All‑American, set the NCAA record with 106 career pins, and earned induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member. His legendary pinning prowess and competitive accomplishments have made him a lasting influence in grappling and wrestling communities.
  
  

• Josh Barnett -  is a veteran mixed martial artist and professional wrestler known for his powerful catch wrestling‑based grappling style. A former UFC heavyweight champion and PRIDE heavyweight tournament winner, Barnett has trained extensively in catch‑as‑catch‑can wrestling, integrating its control and submission principles into his MMA and grappling game. He is widely respected for his technical depth and longevity in combat sports.
  
  

• Lachlan Giles - is a modern Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu world‑class competitor and grappling strategist, acclaimed for his technical innovation and mastery of leg lock systems. A multiple‑time IBJJF world medalist and ADCC competitor, Giles has become one of the most respected coaches and competitors in submission grappling, known for both his competitive success and his influence on how modern grapplers approach positional strategy and lower‑body submissions.
  
  

• Eli Knight - is a contemporary grappler and coach who blends catch wrestling, submission wrestling, and no‑gi grappling techniques. Known for his competitive performance and teaching expertise, Knight has helped bridge traditional catch principles with modern grappling strategies, contributing to a deeper understanding of hybrid approaches in the grappling community.
  
  

• Neil Melanson - is an elite coach in catch wrestling and submission grappling with a highly integrated approach to control, submissions, and combat strategy. Drawing from catch wrestling, sambo, judo, and BJJ, Melanson has trained numerous high‑level athletes and MMA fighters, emphasizing position‑based attack systems and unorthodox setups that challenge conventional grappling norms.
  
  

• The Gracie Family -  The Gracie Family are the founders and pioneers of Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu, instrumental in developing, refining, and spreading the art worldwide. Beginning with Carlos and Hélio Gracie in Brazil, their innovative approach to leverage and technique transformed grappling and led to global recognition through challenge matches, schools, and competition. Their legacy continues to shape BJJ and modern grappling across generations.
  
  

These figures serve as both technical inspirations and mentors through seminars, showing students firsthand how historic catch wrestling, BJJ, and modern grappling intersect and evolve.