It is mostly because of the hard work IBK member Tom Matson 5th Dan and the new member in LA of the Armenian martial arts coalition and family union of Armenia Mihran Achvinian 6th Dan IBK that together with the sponsor our own KANCHO Henk Kuipers that I finally was on my way to the USA again to visit old friends. Thank you Friends OSU.
 
 The 25th of October I was again in the USA to visit finally my old friend Gene Lebell and his best student EVER. Gokor Chivichiyan in LA California. It was a terrific experience especial seeing Gene at work with 74 years behind him and not as a bureau chief either. That is real BUDO with capital letters and so is his best student GOKOR. Seeing both of them at work no matter if it is judo, jiu jitsu, Karate, Sambo or the whole combination as Allround fighting my eyes could hardly believe it and it made me very happy that I even could learn some new waza from them.
 
 We gave together a seminar on the 12th of November in LA at the dojo of Gokor a real no nonsense machi dojo. All his students know the real business and really work hard on the all-round style which made both of them Gene and Gokor REAL LEGENDS and NOT the Bruce Lee movie style. Gene who has seen it all since 1950 and who was the first Heavy weight and all Over Champion in Judo in the USA 1952 and 1953 and throw the tough judoka like John Osako and all others usually in 20 seconds even if his weight was only about 80 kilos in those days.
 
 He stopped competing and started in free style wrestling because he had to make a living and than also became a stunt man and has been in a hundred movies with stunts usual with motorbikes and cars and bit parts. He also knows about all of them famous actors and had lovely stories about them. His most famous is with Steven Seagall who is kind of a pain in the backside where the sun does not shine and really thinks he the strongest and best fighter in the world and it is good that he thinks so for everybody else thinks he is really something completely else, to put it nicely.
 
 At some movie rehearsals some years ago, Gene was also in the scene with stunts and showing them how to do certain fighting scenes. When Gene was in kind of a circle during the shooting and behind Steven Seagall, Steven said, trying to be the jackass he always is putting down people, Gene I know you are behind me which means your ass is mine. Gene said, No it’s the other way around and I like to show you. Steven said, Oh no because I do this and that and that’s it. Well putt your movement where your mouth is Gene said. Well Steven was so stupid to do just that and Gene turned around closed in and put his now legendary choke on Steven and holds on until he was OUT.
 
 To makes things more pleasant for the watching crowd Steven CRAPPED in his pants while out and shaking and to make matters really smooth, also PISSED all over himself to great delight of everybody their which showed how much respect they have for this bigmouth. Only the director who saw his top boy going down in shame was not amused and Gene was fired. To top things off the newspaper got hold of the story and so Gene name was in gold.
 
 Than the really sore looser tried to get Gene into court but since he asks Gene to make his move the judge told him to F..., off. Just recently Gene had a loudmouth) their are a lot of them in the States) who was the announcer on some TV program who on the way to the studio really tried to put Gene down in front of other people of that event. Gene did not say anything no matter how disgusting the man was. When they finally where at the ring side and he wanted to start announcing, Gene said, just a second I have first a kind of announcement to make.. This man has been a pain in the but all the way to this place and he has a terrible attitude which I must correct now. Than Gene put in a split seconds his arms around the mans neck and choked him out completely. He too pissed his pants and the crowd was delighted. That is GENE, no nonsense and like Murphies law Don’t Fuck with Murphy.
 
 He really made his legendary name when he was challenged by a rough top boxer in those days and a dirty street fighter name SAVAGE The fight was on in the early 50ties and Savage came up with BRASH KNUCKLES on both fist. Since it was agreed that anything goes Gene said let him keep the damn things. One time during the first round he hit Gene in the belly and broke with those brash knuckles his black belt clean in two. After several rounds it was clear that Savage could not hit Gene for KO and when Gene throw him ') I seen the film ' ) with a left harai goshi clean of the ground and bored Savage into the mat and got him into his now famous choke and kept him their. When they finally plucked him off of the guy he was out cold and stayed that way for more than 20 minutes which was not really good for his little brain cells and Gene had to sneake out the sport hall for they wanted to knife him because everybody thought that Gene was dead meat for Savage who had a horrible street fight name and all bet for Savage but Gene’s brother took all bets and of course bet on Gene. They made more that 80.000 dollars which was unbelievable good money in those days. Savage NEVER fought again. And nobody else wanted to fight GENE.
 
 Gene also has about broken every bone in his body with the stunts and has many awards from that period for he was also in that division a topper. How really tough he is he showed them when his ribs where broken and stuck thought the skin. In hospital they wanted to put him under which he flatly refused and they just set the bones and put the stitches in without any sedative whatever. He is really something else. And I am honoured that he is my friend and also now a 9th Dan in the IBK in Judo and All round. Gokor his best student for many year is from Armenia and for many years with Gene. His dojo is also called Gene Lebells and Gokors dojo but is really Gokors dojo and Gene just comes in once a week and scares the pants of the others. So does Gokor for I have seen in my 52 years in Budo NEVER anything like it and what more one can do with his opponents.
 
 Seeing him move with judo throws is lovely and rough fast, getting his opponent down is professional and on the ground they are really his with leg locks, arm locks and chokes from every position. He is now to my great pleasure also a 9th Dan of the IBK. So Gokors best student Ken Harte who joined the IBK with his dojo and is now a 6th Dan IBK also his other best student Dana Charvet als 6th Dan of the IBK.
 
 Than to the nice dojo of our new member IBK Mihran Achvinian who really went out of his way to show me around and in general took terrific care of me. The Armenian night ) Yearly ) was a family affair of all Armenians with demonstrations of the kids and Sr of the Reseda dojo in LA and of course eating typical Armenian dishes and a lot of dancing. And than I was called out and up front for all this wonderful families they made me an ARMINIAN KNIGHT complete with nice plaque and sword and my name changed into Armenian like Blumingian. Well so be it and I love it. He took me to the house of Gene Lebell and we talked for hours about the old days and what happened in between ect. Also to Gokors and saw some DVD about fights which was very impressive no wonder they rather eat with him than fight. Mihran is now the DAI SHIHAN for California a good man in the right place. Gene Lebell and Gokor Chivichiyan are both honorary member of the IBK ranked 9th Dan Mihran is now 6th Dan IBK.
 
 Than we went to the other LEGENDS in the USA. Bob Wall and Chuck Norris. They really did a lot for the martial arts in the States and especial Bob who has a terrific business mind made them both a few 100 million dollars. So if you still think that money does not make you happy, than I suggest that you talk to Bobb and Chuck your self. For it made them happy BIG TIME and they stopped working for money in 2000 for they had enough and now want to live the good life. And believe you me they just are doing that. Chuck was away to give the troops in Iraq a lift with his appearance and they sure where happy with him. We had a lovely dinner and talked and talked about all things important and I realized that I should have met them and be friends long ago, but what he hell it is not really too late. He talked also about the BLACK BELT organisation he started years ago and that anybody can be a member AND it does NOT cost anything just to be a member and especial people in the USA have a lot of good things coming from that membership.
 
 If you want to be a member mail me or BOB BobWall@worldblackbelt.com or bluming@wanadoo.nl and don’t forget to mention my name ha-ha. Both are now also member of the IBK with the rank of 8th Dan. Chuck puts a lot back into the martial arts by teaching underprivileged kids in the slumps, karate for FREE. A real Budoka. Than to RENO to my old pal GARY FRIEDERICH whom I know from the old days in Tokyo 1966 where he started with Shotokan but changed that after many years to more realistic fighting. However he still has good contact with his old Sensei Nishimura. Gary was also in the Vietnam War around 67 and 68 with the 173rd para reg and was forward controller around the Laos border with the Special Forces was wounded and recommended the Silver Star and the Purple hearth and REFUSED both and after got out of the Army. Now years later it turned out that he was in the middle also of AGENT ORANGE and what the NVA could do the rotten orange stuff did. His fingers and toes curled like arfritus like a terrible Rheuma. So he cannot do what he used to do in 1966 and later training with weights which made him really strong and with a weight of only some 72 kilo he was for most heavyweights to HOT TO HANDLE. It really hurts me so see him suffer and what gets me really is that he NEVER FUCKING COMPLAINES. What a Budoka and he runs his dojo with the help of real good students from before like he is still the champ.
 
So his Shihandai Pete Frandsen does a lot of the training and does it very well and he is now the DAI SHIHAN for the State of NEVADA with Garies dojo. Gary of course is also DAI SHIHAN with the rank of 7th Dan IBK nd Pete 6th Dan IBK. His other Shihan is Richard DUNN who made 5th Dan IBK and Dale Slingland made 1th Dan IBK. A wonderful new dojo where they where just making the last adjustments to open the dojo next day. Gary who has the most terrific humour I have seen and heard in a long time just make you happy to be alive and have such good friends like he never changed since the last time he was in Amsterdam in 1971. All by all it was a good trip and besides meeting so many old friends and new ones it was the respect they showed me especial when Bob Wall told me that Chuck and he started Karate that they had two idols and that was Gene Lebell and Jon Bluming. I heard from Gene the same and felt humbled and very much honoured. In that way it is good to still be in the picture and hope that that will be still a long time to come. Friend’s thanks a lot and I sure will keep you in my thoughts and may the Gods smile upon you and your loved ones.
 
 BEARHUG FOR ALL: Jon Bluming Kaicho of the IBK.