The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-06
WOMEN TAKE UP BOXING
n MANLY ART NOW PRESCRIBED
AS 4 TONIC BIZ no -oRS.

Advantage which It Offers TO Women
Above other Forms OF Athletics-Graoe.
Health. ard vieor Conferred Upon TIE
Votaries-Ths style OF rrnstssoSS
II any one doubts the Eest for physical reoui
peration and re~freshment evinced by = portioa
of this comm"Gtty, let him visit the natatorium
on a frosty morning and see the women diving
aud ducking and floating about In the big eI-
panse OF water, regardless of the fact that theiH
follow creatures outside are tucked up to the
chin In fur. Or let him look in at the GYM
nasium morning classes and see the pupils,
some sober-Roing housekeepers, some buttert
flies of fashion,, tumbling about on the mat,
tresses, rowing In tho wonderful
rowing machines, swinging of high places,
running round the galleries. or, stranRest OF
oil. having q bout with the gloves.
Physicians have adopted what public opififU1a
formerly secuted at, and are sending their pa
tients to the boxing master to get self poise and
grace and symmetry, and. most impcFe.nt OF
all, the strength that comes with this art.
Women get tired of ordinary gymnastics-
They won't keep them up. There is no real mo-
tive TO chain their interest,"" rays medical ANA
thority, but there is a rivalry about boxing
that fascinates while It invinorates."
Certain women for whom boxing has not been
prescribed. who have no need of q doctors gars
Vices and possess body and brains In perfect
tone. have discovered this subtle charm In puJ
gilism and are learning to guard and lead and
duck and feint under the guidance of the most
expert instructors OF the day. They are NOT
learning boxing in the aggressive John L. Sullis
van sense, but in an localized. chivalrous inter-
probation of the term.
This IL all nonsense about women boxinr,S
says one lifelong advocate of the sport. "wo.
men can't box. You hit q woman in the chest
or in the wind, in professional phrase. and you
knock the breath out of her. or else you bring
on some horrible disease. cancer, or the like.
Some women, masculine by nature and mascu-
line In build, make fair fighters, but the average
woman, the woman in everyday lfe-pehawtS
and he looks his incredulity.
1T is for these very weak, domesticated, avs;
erage women that / would recommend b~oxinK,'t
says q mild-mannered trainer to whom this
criticism is repeated. There 10 no sport or
game in all the calendar that has such ad.
mirable qualities. The successful boxer must
have the feet of o dancing master and the
strength of a Hercules. He must understand
the principles of endeavor and the principles Of
attitude. and have his brain in entire harmony
with his BODY.
I'm boxing the exercise is far moro evenly
distributed than in bail playing, and that In
saying q good deal. Each muscle and nerve in
the body moves either actively or In sympathy,
In the early series of lessons the boxer thinks
first and acts afterward. When he becomes
proficient brain and muscles move almost sim.
pltaneopsly; the intent. purpose. and execution
Il do not recommend women to learn the art
as a means of self-defence, because 1 do NOT
think them likely to need it in this age. although
have known pukilists 10 train their wives and
recommend boxing for women who have athH
letic tastes. because they can derive untold benz
eft from II and get more out of 1t than from
other pursuits in the same line.
Does 1t help the breathing? Well! rather.
II e woman goes to lift ny, anything beyond hef
ordinary EtrRnufh ahR will natnroI1 taIA L. .
good breath first: Just so in boxing. head
ap" , ,s!1 Srss iaT toes out% .shest e1pandedt
insures a better carriage, All the women
have taught box gracefully. It is good to see
the i~ntuitive alertuess that / cultivate than
other. Of course, but not hard enough to hurt
Just sufficiently to gain the score. Head. arms,
trained along with the rest. and all sensation in
enlightened and intensified. l mad one pupil,
ideas wonderfuliy." ny
The word of women is that their hands get
boxer. When asked for HI. views lew in p'p pesarG to
the training OF women. IL noticed that with
too. In my day I have taught for months at q
time ten OF the incest ladies in New York, and
since. You can never get a woman to move her
legs; though. as a man can
SIX months sU Will, h s a half i hour's q lesson see5ai a day
will insure tolerable proficiency. Boxing is no
course the principles. the dim iessoe oan SS s
learned in q dozen lessons. but only practice
an expert, It's Just ike H iearn ann' the p pan maze
person may learn the notes and the scales and
all the rest OF IT. but il it isn't in him to bo .
much pains he takes. If a boxer hasn't got the
natural vim and 90 and finish in his body and
and fail to be effective" :" uAss
- believe that boxing will be elevated to ite
these days" said an ardent disciple of the art.
IL Will cease to be inevitably associated with
the prize fight and the drinking saloon, and
come to be regarded as refined and heaithfuI
and inspiring. Now the mere mention Of q
boxer centuries up the idea OF, a bully or =
rowdy or an ignorant. pug headed braggart II
people would examine dispassionately the
Jcm Mace, they would find much to ad.
mire. His fighting was u wonderful display Of
precision. Every principle OF boxing is urohib.
itory and not supplementary. Every additional
higher. Always get your blow to It's marx
even II you receive a counter in return; it will
tinsn 'o 'Se sS mt h da'SSs sidw Sn ths sp Ssia., better :Nsvs a. Ss
this; never do that ~ Is always prohibItory.
adopted Of aF hitting WITH Wahen the sG inside oo OK the haDS
is regarded as ,barbarous from the ideal stand
ara. A blow should always he delivered with
padded, and it will do less injury. The boxer
who delivers a blow from the inside OF tho
hand IL IN n totally different attitude from tho
ideal boxer. The whole expression Of his body
and arm ia changed. He has TO stand awk-
'"'N'J. '''o ASSNiiN u hhlAlil NNu-ll pbo~
turc. Long ago in Roman DAYS the mailed
glove, the cestuS. was used to box with. an APP.
pliHnce that made the blow more telling and
cruel. Later. when the sport was introduced
into London. in 1920. the Cestus had been aban-
doned and only the native knuckles were re-
sorted to. Later still, "a people grew more toll
Grant, q glove was contrived that would miti-
gate the blow and render il almost harm
less. The hitting with the unpadded por-
ton OF the glove, the palm, is contrary
n reversion TO the oid-time heathenism'
There is much that is artistic and interesting
about n personal contest man 20 man without
the aid OF artificial appliance Of wrapon of any
Kind. II is not n pnstime that sluou d be decried,
but rather It should b. upheld, ana should be
taken ont OF the hands OF the ignorant. who
would debase IL and have no conception of its
possibilities.
- hay" had men, and women too. as pupils
who have told me they were surprised to and
how inspiring n sport II was and how much
there was in IL to learn. These were people who
were aftahle in spite OF thrIr nigh social posi-
tion and did not hesitate e. express their views
frankly. Have, they kept up their interestf
Some hive. and often they look In to have a
q n n r Hifh mn M tAr,, .nu avs to nr.l q