Kiyoshi Tamura. Catch wrestling forms the base of Japan's martial art of shoot wrestling. Japanese professional wrestling and a majority of the Japanese fighters from Pancrase, Shooto and the now defunct RINGS bear links to catch wrestling. Randy Couture, Kazushi Sakuraba, Kamal Shalorus, Masakatsu Funaki, Takanori Gomi, Shinya Aoki and Josh Barnett, among other mixed martial artists, study catch wrestling as their primary submission style. The term no holds barred was used originally to describe the wrestling method prevalent in catch wrestling tournaments during the late 19th century wherein no wrestling holds were banned from the competition, regardless of how dangerous they might be. The term was later applied to mixed martial arts matches, especially at the advent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Notable practitioners Gene Anderson Shinya Aoki Bob Backlund Josh Barnett Shayna Baszler Farmer Burns Bryan Caraway Val “The Crippler” Childs Gokor Chivichyan Allen Coage Randy Couture Yoshiaki Fujiwara Masakatsu Funaki Masakazu Imanari Verne Gagne Jack Gallagher Frank Gotch Karl Gotch George Hackenschmidt Dennis Hallman Stu Hart Lee Hasdell Danny Hodge Demetrious Johnson Karol Kalmikoff Dan Koloff Gene LeBell Ed "Strangler" Lewis Evan Lewis Abraham Lincoln Neil Melanson Shigeo Miyato Luis Ojeda Erik Paulson John Pesek William Regal Billy Riley Billy Robinson Kazushi Sakuraba Zack Sabre Jr. Ad Santel Frank Shamrock Ken Shamrock Dick Shikat Davey Boy Smith Jr. Joe Stecher Ray Steele Hideki Suzuki Minoru Suzuki Kiyoshi Tamura Timothy Thatcher Lou Thesz Stanislaus Zbyszko Wladek Zbyszko See also Styles of wrestling References External links Snake Pit U.S.A - Catch Wrestling Association in the U.S.A. Combat sports European martial arts Folk wrestling styles Wrestling in the United Kingdom Professional wrestling styles Mixed martial arts styles