According to legendary judoka Karo Parisyan, the story behind Gene Lebell’s famous pink judo gi dates back to when Lebell had to travel to Japan to earn his black belt in the 1950s.
In those days, Parisyan explains, you could not simply be awarded a judo black belt locally – you had to go to Japan and earn it directly from the Japanese judo authorities. As an American “redheaded white boy,” Lebell faced skepticism when he arrived in Japan seeking to be graded for his black belt.
To prove his worth, the much smaller Lebell, weighing just 71 kg (157 lbs), took on and threw the entire Japanese national judo team from the smallest to the largest member using a single technique. With this feat, he slammed his papers down and demanded the officials “Sign my black belt.”
However, something odd then happened – Lebell’s gi mysteriously turned pink during the proceedings. Parisyan says in podcast appearance, “Somebody put something in there” that caused the color change, leading to Lebell’s famous nickname “Pink Judo Gene Lebell.”
The tenacious Lebell, who trained under legendary catch wrestlers like Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Carl Gotch, was renowned for his incredible conditioning. Parisyan shares that Lebell could do 1,000 push-ups in 20 minutes and would have his students perform grueling exercises like tossing large tires to build functional strength.
The pink gi story has become judo lore, symbolizing Lebell’s journey to overcome racial bias and earn respect from Japanese masters on their own soil through sheer skill and determination.
