Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-15
PERSIAN PAsTIMEs.
Athletic Sports the Favorite Entertail
 meNt of the PeOple.


 tellers contribute to the peoples amuse- ment; but the most popular sport is that of athletic exhibitions. Of these there are many kinds, some, chiefly wrestling matches, being given in the street, the athletes relying on the iberality of the onlool<ers for their pay. But if one would see the athletes of Persia at their best, he must go to the covered arenas where they perform to cultered audiences.
 The professionals of Persia form class by themselves, and are as care, fully trained, dieted and disciplined as champion oarsmen, although on quite different methods from our own.
 The athletes of Greece and Rome thought to maintain their prodigious strength by frequent and violent exer- cises in the gymnasium; but the Per sian professionals follow quite another course.
 They avoid severe exertiop and fa- tigue. They eat five or six times day, and are warmly clothed. especially during the cold season.
 As the Persians also treat their horses in the same way-and all the world knows the endurance, strength and beauty of the Persian breeds-this system may not be so absurd as it at first appears to us with our different no- tions and practice.
 The athletes on ordinary occasions gc abroad but once daily, and then toward evening, and walk with great delibera- tion.
 When the period for practicing or fol exhibiting in public approaches, the Persian athlete lies in bed for several days, gathering force for the contest of strength. Our plan is to gain strength by exercise; theirs not so much to gain as to keep what strength they have. Strange as this theory of the con. servation of forces may seem, there is yet no question that some of these prodigious power.
 The public exhibitions are held in 1 places especially constructed for the l purpose. The arena or pit is excavated at least five or six feet below the sur l face, and the earth is beaten hard and I rolled smooth. The spectators sit, Per | sian fashion, on their knees and heels on the floor of the gallery built around the arena, and carefully protected by 1 an awning or roof from the elements. l The arena, whether oval or round, 1 has an average circumference of one 1 hundred and forty feet. In the better 1 class of amphitheaters the floor of the arena is sometimes spread with the l thick, massive felt carpet, and the sides l padded with cushions to prevent any in jury to the performers.
 When time is called the athletes TUT l forward and leap from the gallery into the arena, sometimes alighting and bal ancing themselves some moments on one l leg-a remarkable feat.
 Their only garment is pair of close
 fitting brooches of leather. Their skir
 is oiled, to enable them to elude tht
 grasp of their opponents.
 1 A number enter the arena at once ant
 begin with prolonged exercises witt
 heavy Indian clubs, which they swing
 in every position, gradually increasing
 the weight until toward the clos,
 of this practice clubs of oak ar
 sometimes wielded in each hant
 weighing sixty pounds. This club ex
 ercise continues over two hours; tn
 movements are made to the accompani
 ment of music, and, toward the close
 the strongest athletes stand on one le,
 and balance the clubs at arms lengtl
 for several seconds.
 This species of exercise is of grea
 antiquity in Persia. The athelete wh 1 is able to outlast all the others in tn
 club game is accounted the victor an
 receives substantial rewards from tn
 spectators.
 After this sport is over the wrestler
 begin. When they are ready to grapple
 each places his right hand on the hea
 of the other, as salute. They the
 grasp each other with deliberatior
 placing one arm over and the othe
 under the shoulder of the opponent. Then the struggle begins in earnest
 As with us, the chief object of tn l Persian wrestler is to throw his antae onist, and on the back, if possible. . At the very outset one or other of tn l wrestlers drops on his hands and knees I and then has to resist the efforts of hi . l antagonist to turn him over on his bacl , One might easily imagine that a tai , | muscular athlete would have little di ! ficulty in accomplishing that feat, e 7 pecially as it is permitted by their rule t to lift ones antagonist by the leathe . band of the brooches; but the strength 1 suppleness and quiclzness of the Pe sian athlete are such that the maneuve 2 is one of extreme difficulty. ! As last resort, the wrestler who down may still further resist the q tempt to turn by falling flat on h stomach. Experience shows that : this position skillful athlete offel , still greater powers of resistance tha on his knees.
 I If the standing wrestler finally su - ceeds in laying his antagonist fiat c - his back the latter remains there lon @ enough to thank him, then springs b his feet and once more salutes u 8 victor with every mark of deep r t spect. The latter receives the courtes with silent gravity, as conscious that 5 in turn may soon be among the val T quished; for the victor must meet a u newcomers, until he encounters oI e both stronger and fresher than himsel I- | Nf ParSic