Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-09-23 | Page 8 | Boxing Helps in Bayonet Training

BOXING HELPS IN Thousands of Sammies in Tournaments in Various Vari-ous Camps. Special to The Tribune. WASHINGTON". Sept. 2:. An inreret-ing inreret-ing account of the method used in teaching teach-ing boxing to the men of the Eighth division divi-sion at Camp Fremont, PaJo Aito, Cal., as a basis for their bayonet t raj n i n g is related by H. Wilfred Maloncy, camp athletic director, in a report to Dr. Joseph E. Ray-croft, chairman of the athletic division di-vision of the war department commission on training camp activities. The report follow?: 'A series of boxing lessons fi fteen in ail was drawn up. consisting prmcipa.iy of blows and parries and entailing footwork foot-work that would coincide with bayonet dnil. Emphasis was placed on the control con-trol of the lower limbs and the co-ordination of the eve. hand arid foot, which are vitally essential m the development of a good bayonet fighter. "A school for boxing was inaugura 'f) and given the same place in the military mili-tary routine as the havor.et and grenade work. The instruct Ion covered a period of two wekp. at the end of whi-h the members of the riasses were returned to their units as instructors. These men started in at once to teach the men of thotr commands to hot by arrani ng company tournaments In which every one bad to taJte part. "The company tournaments were followed fol-lowed by regi mental, bat taJion. brlg.tde aid finally division championship bout. Tt is estimated that more tlran Ij.OiVt j.or-sons j.or-sons ?aw thn f ina Is. In whbm between ooro an(j flow H-.if iPTR paxiir ipa t rd. "No one will ever know , pxcept proh-ably proh-ably the enemy, to what extent boxing has de-vrloped the efficiency of the Kigiith division,-' the report conInd. "When thse men arc asked to give their all In another fiht t hey will not he found wanting. Th"y will havp learnM manv things in their friendly bouts with their comrades that will srve them in good stead wiicn the rruial moment arrives."