The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-11-14
THE Athletes OF JAPAN.
woNDERFUIlMUsCULAR DEyELoP.
MENT oE1HER wREsTLERs.
Their Heroic lode OF Training-The
hath is AM Observation-Disclosures

Their Heroic Node OF Training-Tbe
bath IL sAlifmportant---Hercule
Coal Biinet
~ffeT Japases4 s44Seontortionists have an
INTERNATIONAL l5putation. On every
country road II Japan you will find
bands Of thrse as:;uboys, ranging in age
from six to fourteen, and these boys will
twist themselves into more shapes than
the india-rubber man of the American
dime-mnseum. They will wrap their
toes about their heads as they lie on their
stomachs, and will look out of their
almond eyes as they frame their faces
with their ankles. They will turn their
heads around SO. that they seem to be set
on their shoulders wrong side first, aud
will bring themselves into SO many
positions that you can hardly believe
that they have any bones in their bodies,
and you feel that they are hardly human.
Among the best developed men l have
ever. seen are the laborers of the Takas-
hima coal mines, who work all day
underground, and whose labors are
carried on in network of passages of
more than fifty miles in length, which
extends under the sea about one of the
islands of western Japan. These men
carry great loads. They work from dawn
until dark, and their daily hot bath and
their rico s-1ea--.,ivo them muscles Of
which any turner in America would be
proud.
The japanese consider the bath and
gymnastics of such Importance to health
that they have introduced them into the
training of the soldiers of their regular
army. The soldiers of Japan are put
through full set of exercises every day.
They swing dumb-bells, jump on the
parallel bars, and go through the severest
of physical training. The bathrooms are
one of the institutions of every barrack,
and the soldiers arc required to hathe all
over once q day, and they have to take
hot baths three times week. Their
diet is rice instead of hard-tack, aud
they have an allowance of six cents per
day for other food
The professional athletes of Japan are
the great wrestlers who seem to be of a
different race from the ordinary japanese,
and who have system of training very
different from that of John l.. Sullivan
or Jake Kilraip These men believe in
the accumulation rather than the reduc-
tion Of fat, and they are great, tall fel-
lows of six feet or more, and weigh from
two hundred TO three hundred pounds.
They train themselves largely by pound
ing aud by being pounded by their fell
lows. They have great strength of neck,
and they increase this by butting against
one another with their heads and strik-
ing their opponents in the chest, so that
the noise is that of battering-
ram. They butt at wooden posts
with their shoulders, pound their flesh,
and stamp the earth with their feet.
saw an exhibition at which about hun
dred of these wrestlers contested, during
a visit paid to Japan year or so ago.
The wrestlers came into the room entirely
naked, with the exception of belt about
the loins. Before beginning, they made
the earth shake with their stamping, and
, :hcy S!ared at each other like demons
They made many false starts, and when
they grapplcd, their muscles stood out
like fopce Lg%as-sisetr great arms, ana il
was battle of the giants. They have &
wonderful strength of wrist and fingers
and now and then one would grasp hi.
opponent by the belt, and, lifting hi
three hundred pounds high in the air
would throw him over his shoulder, anC
he would fall on the earth with terrible
thud, while the umpire would raise hi,
fan and yell out the japanese word 70
victory. The most noted .Japanes
wrcstlers have as great regulations a
those of our prize fighters, and tn
profession of wrestling dates back t.
the beginning of the japanese history
The rules of the ring are quite as rigi,
as those of the Marquis of Queensbury
aud there are forty eight falls which car
be made. The very best class of tn
japanese people patronizes these wres
tiers, and rich man often has party O
them come and wrcstle at his reception
for the entertainment of his guests. Som
of the most noted statesmen are patron
! 81 wrestlers, and one Of the. SahipGt mig n.
nicknamed the s'Wrestler." The wres
tling goes on in both its public exhibition
and at private entertainments without tb
aid OF betting. and so far the musculs
exhibitions of Japan have not been CO,
rupted by the vice of pool selling .-Ne
York Ledger.