Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-09-14
TckiO's Peculiar Tournaments - Diaplay Of tn
Skill ard Science Of Oriental Experts.
Splendid Bloodiess Battles Fought
Dat Before Great Ihrongs.

headed, bare-lcgged Japanese thrOhR-
Ing 10 the entrance. This is up q mar
row lane, where is England nothing
gut a large force Of police could pre-
serve any order; but the japanese hOll-
day Uublic-police itself. Everybody IS
good tempered, smiling and willing 10
be jOStled.
'sNo carriage could we'll approach,
and there are no regulations Tor any,
but nv rikshaman dexterously thrGsts
his vehicle In between the stall OF an
ameya blowing sugar birds out OF paste
and the shop OF q dealer in flags and
lamus, and promising the obliging
tradesman q peuny-twO senior tax
ing care for it passes In with with me
20 the arena. This is at once the most
democratic and the most conservative
land In the globe. The good fellow who
has pulled me five miles at the speed OF
of trOtting pony takes his seat on the
mats IN my box with as good decorum
and lust Self-regard as anybody, and
having taken charge OF my boots and
placed at my side the tobacco and the
honorable tea proceeded 70 read 70 me
from the Chinese characters the pro-
gramme Of the afternoon, with many
enlightening comments.
CONTESTANTS IN THE RING.
'The building, IL it can be so called,
IS a vast imprOyiSed circular structure
OF pine stems and bambOos, rooted with
cOLr. 70 cloths and walled with the same.
. Its countless tiers OF rude seats rise in
terminably Que above another from the
2 wrestling stage in the middle. This Is
the most carefully constructed feature
, OF the edifce-a low, circular floor,
strewn thickly with fine black dust and
surrounded by a ridge OF rice bags,
firmly fastened In their places. At four
points OF its circumference rise four
poles, bound round with different cot
ton cloth, and under each sits an UNI
pire-one for north, south, east and
west respectiyely-yery correctly attlr-
ed in high class Japanese fashion, with
nakama, kimOnO, obi and all the rest.
The Wrestling ring measures about
fifteen or sixteen feet i'm diameter IN
side the rice bags, and there are two
other officials seen upon its sacred
limits. the umpire and the herald. Both
are atJred in the ancient Nippon style
samurai, with projecting shoulder
pieces, hair tied back in a cue, and fans
with long strings or purple silk. Round
the ring, on the floor OF the building,
which is perhaps foot or eighteen
inches lower than the ring, you see
sQuatted q dozen or fifteen nearly naked
men. OF immense bulk in body and
limbs, who are the next batch OF COM
baants. Scattered about the circles OF
expectant people you may see good
lwF H = ID
guishable by their tOpknOt and their
huge size, but these as being for the
time spectators, wear the yukata, an or
binary bathing dress OF stamped cotton,
over their brawny forms.
THE BATTLE BEGUN.
The umpire reads from long roll
upon a red stick the names OF the sue
cessive couples who will contend be-
fore US, aud then the herald, In q high
theatrica, voice, prociaims the style and
title Of the forthcoming pair This OIL
cial is known as the yObIdaShi, or "call-
er forth aud as his lOud-pitched fall
settO terminates two massive athletes
step from below upon the stage, slight
ly raised above the floor Of the hall.
"They ascend from opposite sides,
for one-half of the building and the
arena is for the East, the other for the
West: and in the contests there is al
ways a Western and an Eastern man.
Two of the same party are never match
ed az Ekein. Each champion is stark
naked. save for lOin rag and black
silk girdle, from which hangs a fringe
Of silk cords.
Zach, as he slowly and pOnderOuSly
mounts the platform and steps within
the rice bags, turns his face around TO
his own side OF the house. and,
stretching his left leg high and far into
the air, brings down that foot with
thud upon the earth, smiteS resOund-
ing blow with the fat of his palm on
his squared thigh, stretches forth the
left leg in balance, SIapS that also, and
then, without deiguiug glance az his
adversary. who is going through the
same performance betiud him, stalks
TO his corner, vets his lips with water,
rubs his mouth with salt, brushes the
sweat f---u his arms and breast with a
square of paper, splits aud swagger' 70
lis place over against his opponent.
As they cOnhO ont each other each man
S0uats down on his heels, letting his
huge dark carcass descend upon the
classic muscles and ligaments OF thigh
and calf with q TeSlilen movement
like a barOuche settling upon Its
springs. Upon this the umpire, in an
ancient costume Of green and gold and
purple, with fan in hand and hair
dressed to the mines, after the old
Samurai manner, approaches, nicely
measures the distance Of his men, and,
standing with his white stockings
astride, levels his fan and says, Pro
ceed.'
FIGHTING FOR A HOLD.
"The two brown giants lean forward
on their hands, now like two gamecOckS,
Ditted almost nose to nose, and, with
eyes fixed eagerly upon eyes, watch
each other. The infexible rule is that
the 'clinch' must be made simultaneous
". Neither must get the better OF
either by any premature motion, and
thus, when you hear a yell and see the
giants fly at each other, you are az first
disappointed TO find that, after all, time
after time, il is no start One or the
other will let his arms drop, or the I'M
nire himself will call out MAZDA! MAZDA"
Not vet! Not YETI The fierce en-
brace is unlocked, the brawny rivals
saunter to their corners, where again
thew wash ont their mouths with water,
sake. or soy, take a little salt for purih-
cation. wipe themselves over with pa
per. expectorate, aud then anew crack
their huge Joints aud crouch down face
N face. Again aud again this may be
yeneated. The umpire shouts the dis
appointing 'Mada'-One or the other
drops his arms-the audience patiently
I'M their little pipes, but shout 'Sa!