Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-07-17
JAPANESE FENCING.
iskiLLFUL WORK WITH FoLS MADE
OF SPLIT BAMBOO.

OF SPLIT BAMBOO.
IAN Encounter Witnessed In the Sunrise
singlestick Club of acknowledgements
ing Quickness and Skill In Attacking
and Defending.
If you are ever asked to engage in a
duel with a Japanese, being the cha1-
lenged party, select any implement
rather than the singlestick, for unless
you are proficient in thrusts and parties
you will be "done up'' in short order
In feudal times every ablebodied
japanese was obliged to become an ex-
pert swordsman, SO that in the event Of
war he could 60 to the 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 RELOCATED to
the back yard and the shop of the brio
a-brac dealer, and fencing is merely a
pastime known as GEEK ken. In the civil
war in Japan, 10 years ago, however,
there were certain companies Of guards,
armed with swords, who did some very
effective and bloody work with them.
There is a club in Honolulu, with
headquarters on Maunakea street. whose
members have an instructor in the use
of the singlestick. The organization is
solely for amusement, rather than for
business, though there is probably de-
sire Oh 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 the 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,
reporter was given all opportunity to
witness an exhibition between YAH
mai and Karikawa, two expert handlers
Of tbs sticks.
By the way of introduction the coms
batants removed their kimonas and
! donned loose skirts and helmet with
! strong iror bars across the face. Then
| they sheathed their bodies with stiff
bamboo breastplates. Heavily padded
gloves with gauDtlets finished the cos
tune The "short sticks" are about five
| feet long, and are made Of several pieces
| Of bamboo fastened together. There
| seemed u be Lo call Of thine" by a
/ ref ctoY,,,ad fn tho Ne1,ter.
Of the room and saiutea each other BY
! motion of the arm, and then one ut
tered cultural sound signifying his
uuwillingness to begin the fray and
they crossed sticks, the point of each
being held On a level with the neck and
/ the handle gr2sped with both hands.
| Yaiirlai led, and throughout the bout
was act5ne oG the offensive, while Kari
kawa pracod himself SO as to resist ana
ward off any blow thai might be Iii
rected toward him. Once he was
thoughtless. Yajimai gave him crack
on the helmet that resounded through
the room. All the time the men were
! fencing they were shouting as if warn
ing each other to look out for what
| might be coming.
To the stranger who is ret familiar
with the rules there seemed to be no
rest for the men. If one sh0old receive
| a blow which under ordinary elroum-
stances would warrant his going down
! for a few seconds. long enough 10 re-
cover, it most simply end with the de-
| sire, and his next move viii be 10 get
i back at his opponent. III this exhibition
Karikawa, who was rather more stock
| lily hI1iIt t}lan bis foe, had the best Of
the first Of the 1ig1t, but the END vos !
draw, and the men retired MINDLESS ard
With the perspiration pout ing from their
faces.
The wrist seemed to be the part Of the
/ anatomy oftenest AIMED at and while
| that part Of the arm il protected by a
| pauaei gauntlet tie humerus is bare,
and strong blow .1eans heavy welt
and sore arm. At the end OF the con-
test spoken of, here Yajimai carried a
| marx which was quite blue. If blow
On tie wrist is severe enough. il viii
! disable fencer, and the fight ends and
If it cannot be accomplished in that way
a fenear will raise his stick high above
and inclined toward the back of his
| head, very much after the style of an
! Gent executiouers il the choppipg bloch
.-e,r-z--77s5 -,,,. urlng 1t down with all hi
strength on his rivals head---if be can
Celebrity marks every movement Of tht
/ fenoer, SO that the observers eye is taxed
to its utmost to keep track OF the men.
Singlestick fencing among the ,japa
nese is SO different from anything at
tempted by the white people that it /:
! difficult to make comparisons or draw
conclusions II quickness il an ATTACK
vi parry Is the secret OF the game, Yaji.
mai and Karikawa should be entitled
to positions as experts. Their, endurance,
too, is remarkable, considering the
thickness of the clothing worn. swathed
as they are in heavily padded suits, evi-
IDENTIFY much depends upon the eye, and
it is when one of the fencers catches the
eye of his opponent off his guard that he
attempts blow, but to ascertain when
the eye is not attending to its business
is much too difficult for stranger to
solve, shielded as the fencer's face is
with iron bars set closely together.
There are four points in match with
slnglestlcks between Japanese-a blow
on the back of head, fair one, for glanc-
ing strokes do not count a thrust at the
throat, a stroke On the wrist and a
stroke on the side. There is norule as to
the position fencer must occupy in de-
livering any one of these blows-it may
be from either side and from one or both
hands. If it is chopper it is apt to
be one that will make the man receiving
it vince, even though he be protected by
all sorts of grotesque contrivances. -
Pacific Commercial Advertiser.
med Rather Startling.