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Show Physical Culture j J and Self Defense 1 5 KOBKKT FtTZStM&ONS I CbKmpInn l Ml Wtf M rtfMtr of Ibt Q vr ndi C fcunMlun H tj Wtiii )Icfetr I 1 of lb Yfotiii llfT-IIWi Initructur mnA H iMtnft oa I1i)lcfcl Cutt'ir, etc, tn. LL ill Part II. Article 3. Tho Poise In Boxing. In my flrat lesson ou boxing I told fou how In use your feot. Now, wo will aupposo you liavo learned that correctly, and wo will go to tho noxt lesson: How to hold the body. Tho body of a boy or a man Is tho boiler. It Is from thoro that nil the steam comos that moves tho machinery, ma-chinery, tho arms and legs. No matter mat-ter how big and strong tho arras and logs arc, they will not bo ablo to do Anything unless tho body gives thorn tho power. So you see how much care you should take of tho body. Thoro lis no cxorcUo tbat will do so much to infill o tho body Btroug and healthy and full of steam as boxing. Oaro roust be observed not to do B anything to offset tho benefit of tho exercise, such as smoking cigarettes or cbowlng tobacco. As for drinking tooor or spirits, no one of common- senso will do that Then, when tho body la clean and full of vitality, thero . in always a fouling of cheerfulness and good-naturo. Thero Is no deslro to be t iuarrelsorao. No ono should luarn to box bo that bo may bully It over others, but that he can defend him- solf from nttack, and for tho health and stiength thnt tho cxcrclsn gives. Wrong Beginning. It la nntural for tho American boy to box. Ho picks up a bit of tho nrt himself In sparring with his playmates. play-mates. Hut tho trouble with this Is that ho Is likely to begin all wrong, and thon ho has to unlearn all ho knows before) ho can learn tho right way. Quito recently I saw a enso In point. Two boys, without tho knowledge, attempting at-tempting to box. The way they bold tho body, feot and hands wa3 nil wrong. Tho stylo of ono boy was woreo than that of tho olhor. Ho hold his body away back. A gentlo push would havo taken him off his foot. He had no brnco with tho body to bnck up tho forco of his own blow or to stand against that of his playirnto. The othor boy was not so bad, but his muscles wcro too stiff and his fihotildors too square. Neither of tho boyn could move about quickly and easily. They wero not supple or graceful. They did not hnvo that sure movement of tho body which gives to It bo uuch health. Movement Is fuel to tho body. Where thero Is plenty tl fuol thoro Is plenty of steam. In taking your stand for a "bout" , 'J with tho gloves, let tho body loan a I llttlo bit forward from tho hips. Havo oil tho muscles loose. 1'ut tho left fiiilo forwurd. Do not stand with your body Bqunrc to your opponent; it gives Mm a wider target to hit and doos not nllov you the swing of tho body and shoulders which you need In order or-der to strlko a good blow. Hold your shoulders down, tho left The Correct Boxing Position, ono particularly. This elvee you length of roach and oaso of arm Iniovomont, Keep your loft arm out, hut not Btralcbt. Always havo your elbows bent a llttlo. A perfectly straight arm Is easily hurt. If the nrm I is bent a Uttlo at tho elbow It gives It ' strength nnd ii..ckncss of action. Bwlng your body with tho waist as pUoL Do not havo it "sot;" thnt is, held ilgld. Always keep It swinging, not so hard as to tiro you, but so tlmt it is over ready to start In any direction. direc-tion. Tho body can start much fiulriter If it bo moving than It it ho Htill. I Getting Away from Attack. A boxer with his shoulders about his earn and his body hold rigid cannot can-not movo quickly. When you Jump Imck from nn attarlc do not alter tho position of your body; In other words, Co back with tho body hold In tho earno manner ns when you bogan to par. The reason for this Is, tbat "when you laud away, on your feet, jou aro Btill in a position for oithcr attack or defenso should your opponent op-ponent follow you. Tho man who would ovado an onslaught on-slaught by thrusting back his head ml body so that ho Is nlmoat falling hackward Is all wrong. Ilia adversary ad-versary could follow tho nttack and oaslly havo tho "backward" man at iia mercy. Fill the Lungs. Whon boxing, keep your stomach 1n nnd your chest out; not sillily, but naturally. It mny bo awkward at first, but you will soon learn how easy it Us and wondor how you over stood )d !ny othor wn. .Jfl My keeping tho stomach in and tho ichest full of nlr you enjoy all the luug strengthening bcnoflta of boxing find keep tho stomach out of harm's M way. That part of tho body Is a'- H "ways a point -.' attac : and should bo j protected. U I will noxt tell how to hold tho hands whllo boxing. H Position for the Hands. B In my last chapter I iold how to hold tho body while boxing. Tho position posi-tion of tho body plays a most Important Im-portant part In tho art of self-defense. Now, that you havo learned the correct cor-rect way of holding the body, I shall tell you how to hold the hands. In boxing never have tho muscles "set" and tense. Always havo all tho muscles of the arms and body and legs loose and ready for action. Hold your hands open. Never close your list, except nt the moment when you 'and a blow. Tho reason for this Is olaln; holding your fist closed strains tho muscles of tho forearm and uses up a certain part of your strength un-nccossnrlly. un-nccossnrlly. Always romombcr that you should never use any physical forco until tho moment arrives when you need It. Do not hnvo your muscles mus-cles strained and rigid. Keep everything every-thing loose. It Is easy to do so, nnd tho host oxhlbltlon always comes from a man who is not muscle-bound. In landing a blow remember this particular par-ticular pleco of advlco: never hit with Iho thumb. Alwnys keep tho thumb up. and when you land n punch havo tho Impact and your opponent's head In such relation that your hand will not bo Injured; thnt Is, use tho first two knuckles of the hand. In hitting a blow never close tho hand until the blow Is landed. Tho reason for this Is that It strains the muscles of tho forearm nnd tires tho boxer needlessly. Holding tho hands open not only relieves the muscles from any unnecessary strain, but keeps a wider space of glovo always ready to defend from attack. Now, In stopping a blow thoro is a wrong and a right way. Always turn Stopping a Right-Hand Body-Punch, tho palm of tho glovo outward In stopping a blow. Keep tho hand open. This presents a larger surface to tho glovo of your opponent and will do more to prevent his blow from landing than If your (1st was closed. In guarding always keep your elbows el-bows closo to your sides. This takes In tho benefit of tho forearm, and if tho glovo bo held closo to tho faco all that side of tho body Is protected. Novor land a punch without having tho block ready to meet tho counter. Every time you start a punch remember remem-ber that your opponent Intends to come back with another puncn. Tho particular art of tho garao Is to land a blow without a return; but every time you make an nttack you render yourself llablo to nn offensive demonstration from tho man with whom you. aro sparring. Ono of tho best uses of tho hands In boxing Is not to use them. When a blow Is struck tho proper way to avolu It is not to stop it with the hand or foronrra, but to "slip" It. By "slipping" "slip-ping" a blow, I moan that you should got away from It In such n ma er that no parfof your oponcnt's arm touches you. This Is known as "ducking" and "sldo-stcpplng." For Instance, if your sparring partner swings his right for the sldo of your face, lower your head nud let the blow go over. Do not "duck" In toward him. Let your head go under tho blow and nway Irora it to the sldo. This prevents your opponent from landing nn upper-cut, which ho would do if you wero closo enough to him. Always remember that tho hands ire a most Important factor In boxing Never land a blow that will hurt the hands. When you lead a straight punch, keep tho thumb up. When you swing, nlways keep tho knuckles up. A blow la landed with tho Aral two knuckles of tho hand. Thoro Is another thing to tell a young man If ho wants to succeed In boxing: Tako your chance when you 8co It, and hit from whoro your hand Is. Why do I win fights? Bocauso I bpo tho chanco when It comos, and I tako It. Kvory llttlo whllo a mnn leaves him-Eelf him-Eelf open, but It is only for n second-It second-It is not con a second, It is less than tho tenth part of a second. You must snlzo that chanco and strlko tho In-Btnnt In-Btnnt you seo tho opening Tho foolish fighter drnws back his hnnd to hit harder, but by tho time he has drawn his arm back the man has protected himself, and tho chanco -Is gone. What I sny to young men, and what I say to overybody, is this: Do Just what I do, If you want to make a success In llfo, always hit when you seo tho chnnce; do not draw your arm back; hit from where your hand Is, This Movement Is Called "The Slip," Resorted to In the Face of Tnreat- ened Punishment. and you hnvo got him. That Is my motto. It Is no trouble to whip our opponont when you uso that. Copyi tented. 1001, by A. J. DrexM Hid-ilk', Hid-ilk', PhlliulelphU. Unified at Stationers lfall, London. |