When you were world champion, what was your technique?

Top roll. Whether it was easy or hard to fight was very much up to the table. If the elbow pads were close to each other, it was easy. Nowadays, all tables are designed similarly, the only difference being the hardness of the pads.

How was it when you were just a beginner?

The pads were very different, round with a depression in the middle. That was to stop the elbow slipping from the pad. That was the main difference. Also, the line of pinning was marked by the edge of the pad, not under the edge. Those were the rules.

If the fight got visibly stuck in one place, the refs started the count : 1001, 1002, 1003, etc., to 5 seconds. If no move was made, they ascribed a foul to the guy who caused the stoppage. Nowadays we sometimes see this go on for as much as 20 seconds, it was unimaginable in our days.

But the most visible difference is that there were much fewer countries starting in the world championships. Back then it was maybe 11 – 12 counteirs entering. The fighters were seated at the table. You had to keep your feet on the floor and sit up straight. Raising a foot from the floor was a foul. Raising from a chair – also a foul. There was a lot of mess, because there had to be four refs, two looking at the seat, and two at the table. We didn’t have the proper equipment for that. I think it changed in 1993. I think that was the last world championship fought in the seated position.

What’s the difference between a fight back then and now?

Back then, 70% of the fight came from the bicep, forearm, and the tendons. Training was all about building strength. The rest was in the mind. Nowadays we have a lot of interesting techniques. Just like in boxing, every action has a reaction. Nowadays you mostly have to use your head.

Iza Małkowska

Grzegorz Karbowski