Karl Gotch, born Karl Istaz, in 1924 (Antwerp Belgium), was a 7 time Belgium Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion and 7 time Belgium Freestyle Wrestling Champion, he represented Belgium in the 1948 Olympic Games in both styles. During the mid 1950′s Gotch became a student of the Snake Pit, run by the renowned catch wrestler Billy Riley. The gym was the center of learning submission wrestling as practiced in the mining town of Wigan, popularly known as catch-as-catch-can. It was here that Karl Gotch did most of his training and honed his catch wrestling skills. He had a reputation for possessing superior specific wrestling strength and fitness, trademark of purebred catch wrestlers.

Gotch conquered several Professional Wrestling titles, both in the United States and Japan, during a time when Professional Wrestling basically allowed for everything that had been banned from Amateur or Olympic Wrestling. Gotch attained legendary status in Japan, earning the name of Kamisama (‘god of wrestling’). Always famed as a true hooker, a legit expert of the rough style of Catch Wrestling. In the 1970′s he taught the art of slams, sleepers and joint locks to the likes of Antonio Inoki, Tatsumi Fujinami, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Satoru Sayama, Masami Soranaka, Akira Maeda and Hidetaka Aso amoung other legendary wrestlers and martial artists. Karl Gotch was a key figure in the development of Japanese submission wrestling styles, (like SAW) that later became relevant in the Mixed Martial Arts scene of Japan during the last part of the 20th century.

Karl Gotch died at the age of 82. His influence in submission wrestling will remain forever.