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Show SOLDIERS' HHK TO INCLUDE BOXING British Fighting Men Will Be Drilled in the "Manly Art of Self-defense," EXPERT GIVES VIEWS Declares That the Instruction Instruc-tion Will Be of Vast Benefit to Army. LONDON, May 11. Boxing Is. 'to bo an essential part of the training of every British soldier henceforth. The average training period of the British recruit Is not more than six months, but several hours of each week will be devoted to boxing, partly .in an effort to counteract the deadening Influence Influ-ence of continuous drilling and partly because be-cause boxing is regarded as the best possible means of developing the ""combative ""com-bative spirit" in soldiers. During the present summer a comprehensive compre-hensive programme of boxing tournaments tourna-ments will be carried out In every training train-ing camp in England, and American soldiers sol-diers who are in camps here will participate partici-pate in this part of the camp life. View of an Expert. In an instructive leaflet Colonel H. G. Mayes, director of the Canadian army gymnastic staff, says: The cultivation of the fighting spirit Is the greatest problem with which we are faced. For some time past the bayonet has been our special weapon, and no other nation has ever achieved such success with cold steel. But there Is something still lacking in Lhe training the soldier is taught the spirit of the bayonet, taught that he must strike hard to kill, but he is not taught to take, as well as give, punishment. There is practically only one pastime pas-time to give our" men this essential experience. That is boxing. In no other sport is the spirit of give and take so strongly developed. And that is why a new era in the training of the British soldier has come into existence. ex-istence. We are going to try to teach our men that an offensive, combative com-bative spirit is the greatest asset a soldier can possess. 1 Teaches Self-confidence. In order to beat the Germans, the average soldier must realize that a tremendous effort has yet to be made, both physical and mental. Courage is created or largely based on confidence. confi-dence. Boxing teaches a man self-confidence, self-confidence, how to take a blow or a succession of blows, knowing that his opportunity is coming. What we owe to boxing and others in this crisis it is impossible to calculate, cal-culate, notwithstanding that only 10 per cent of the nation participated. The mere fact of watching boxing and other sports has tended in. a measure mea-sure to keep alive the combative instinct in-stinct of the British race, although it must be remembered that watching a game may increase an individual's spirit, but does not Improve his physique. |