The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-21
JAPANESE FENCING.
SKlLLFUL WORK WITH FOlLS DE
OF SPLIT BAMBOO,

An Encounter Witnessed In the Sunrise
singlestick Club of ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Ing 0uickness nnd Skill In Attacking
and Defending.
IL you are ever asked to engage in G
duel with Japanese, being the chal
lenged party, select any implement
rather than the siDglestick. for unless
you arc proficient in thrusts and parties
you will BIO "done up in short order.
In feudal times every ablebodieo
Japanese was obliged to become an ex-
pert swordsman, so that in tho event OF
war no could go to tho front and do his
share of fighting. But with the i'm.
provement in the methods Of warfare,
which the Japanese were quick to adopt.
the short sword has been relegated to
the back yard and the shop of the brio
a-brac dealer, and fencing is merely q
pastlme known as GEEK ken. In the civil
war In Japan, 1S years ago, however,
there were certain companies of guards,
armed with swords, who did some very
effective and bloody work with them.
There is club in Honolulu, with
headquarters on Maunakea street. whose
members have an instructor in the use
or the slnRlestick. Tho organization is
solely for amusement, rather than for
business, though there is probably de-
sire on the part of the leaders to perpetu-
ate the old fashioned methods of their
forefathers in Quelling rebellions Just
now this club, the Sunrise, is without
an Instructor, so that there is but little
practice and no exhibitions.
The headquarters Of tho Sunrise Sin
glestick club is Oh the lower floor of
the building occupied by the japanese
newspaper of the Same name Through
the kindness of Editor Satto, and Hira-
Okla, business manager of the paper, n
reporter was given an opportunity to
witness an exhibition between YAH
mai and Karikawa, two expert handlers
of tho sticks
BY tho way of introduction the COM
batants removed their kimonas and
donned loose skirts and Il helmet with
strong iron bars across the face Then
they sheathcd their bodies with stiff
bamboo breastplates. Heavily padded
gloves with gauntlets finished the cos
tune. Tho 'short sticks arc about five
feet long, and are made of several pieces
OF bamboo Fastened together. There
seemed to be no call Of "time" by q
! referee. Tho men stepped to the center
of the room and saluted each other by
motion of the arm, and then ono ut
| tered cultural sound signifying his
| pnwillingness to begin the fray and
they C,ossed sticks, tho noint of each
being held on level with tho neck ard
tho handle rrasped with both hands.
Yajimai led, ard throughout The boat
was acting on the ofensive. while Kari
kifwa braced himself 50 So to resist and
wars off any blow that might be di-
rected toward him. Once he was
thoughtless. Iajimai gave him cracR
on the helmet that resounded through
tho room. All the time tho men were
fencing they We're shouting as if warn
ing each other to look ont for what
might be coming.
To the stranger who is not familiar
with tho rules there seemed to be no
rest for tho men. If one should receive
blow which under ordinary circum-
stances would warrant his going down
for Il few seconds, long enough to re-
cover. it must simply end with the de-
sire, and his next move will be to get
back at his opponent. III this exhibition
karikaWa who was rather more stock
lily built than his fee, had tho best of
the first of the fight, bat the end was Il
draw, and the men retired MINDLESS ard
with the perspiration pouring from their
faces.
The wrist seemed to be the part Of the
anatomy oftenest aimed ut, and whilo
that part Of the arm is protected by Il
| padded gauntlet tho humerus is bare,
| and strong blow means heavy welt
and sore arm. AT the end of the con-
| test spoken Of, here Yajimai carried a
mark which was quite blue. If blow
on the wrist Is severe enough, it will
| disable fencer, and the fight ends, and
| If it cannot be accomplished i'll that way
fencer will raise his stick high above
and inclined toward the back of his
| head, very much after the style of an
! cient executioners i'll the chopping block
| process, and bring it down with all hi.
| strength on his rivals head-if he can.
Celebrity marks every movement of thu
fencer, SO that tho observer eye is taxed
to its utmost to keep track Of the men.
Singlestick fencing among tho Japa
nese is SO different from anything at
tempted y tfg whi:s ge:r!e tkat it j.
toHHc'usi9ns, # quickness In an attack
or parry Is The Etete. of TIC game, YAH
mai and Karikawa should be entitled
to positions as experts. Their endurance
too, is remarkable, considering the
thickness of the clothing worn. SwatheG