The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
JAPANESE FENCING bouts.
skiIfuI Work with FOiIs Made OF
Split Bamboo.

split bamboo.
From the Pacific Commercial Advertiser.
If you are ever asked TO engage in a duel
with a Japanese, being the challenged
party, select any implement rather than
the single stick, for unless you are pro-
flcient in thrusts and parties you will be
done up" in short order
In feudal times every able-bodied Japa-
nese was Obliged to become an expert
swordsman, so that in the event of war he
could go TO the front and do his share of
| fighting. But with the improvement in
the methods of warfare, and which the
Japanese were quick TO. adopt, the short
sword has been relegated to the back yard
and the shop of the bric-a~brac dealer, and
fencing Is merely a pastime, known as
GEEK ken. In the civil war in Japan, elgh-
teen years ago, however, there were GER
tain companies of guards, armed with
swords, who did some very effective work
with them.
quarters on Maunakea street, whose men,
bers have an instructor in the use of the
single stick The organization is solely for
amusement, rather than for business,
though there is probably a desire on the
part Of the leaders to perpetuate 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 eN-
hibitions. Yamashita, who has filled that
post for the past six months, is at present
in Japan. He was a member of the army
in his native country and has been given
medals for bravery on different occasions.
s The headquarters OF the sunrise a single
building occupied by the japanese news
paper of the same name. Through the
Kindness of Editor Static, and Hiraoka,
| business manager of the paper. a report
| err was given an opportunity to witness
an exhibition between Yajimai and Kari
kawa, two expert handlers of the sticks.
BY way of Introduction the combatants
removed their kimonas and donned loose
skirts, and a helmet with strong iron
bars across the face. Then they sheathed
their bodies with stlff bamboo breast
plates Heavily padded gloves with
gauntlets finished the costume, The
short sticks" are about five feet long,
and are made Of several pieces of BAN
boo fastened together. There seemed to
be no call of time by referee; the
men stepped ITO the center of the room and
saluted to each other by motion Of the
arm and then one uttered a gutteral
sound signifying his Willingness TO begin
point Of each being held on a level with
the neck and the handle grasped with both
hands. Yajimai led and throughout the
Karikawa braced himself so as to resist
and ward off any blow that might be d.
rooted toward him. Once he was motion
helmet that resounded through the room.
All the time the men were fencing they
were shouting as If warning each other
to look out for what might be coming.
the rules there seemed to be no rest for
the men. If one should receive blow
which under ordinary circumstances
would warrant his going down for a few
seconds, long enough to recover 1t must
simply end with the desire, and his next
move will be to get back at his opponent.
In this exhibition KarikaWa, who was
rather more stockily built than his foe,
had the best of the first of the fight but
the end was draw and the men retired
MINDLESS and with the Precipitation pour
ing from their faces.
The wrist seemed to be the part of the
anatomy oftenest aimed at and while that
part of the arm is protected by a padded
gauntlet, the humerus is bare, and
strong blow means heavy welt and
sore arm. At the end of the contest spok-
en- of, here Yajimai carried a mark which
was quite blue. If a blow on the wrist is
severe enough 1t will disable fencer and
the fight ends, and IL 1t cannot beNccom-
plished in that way, a. fencer will raise
his stick high above and inclined toward
the back of his head, very much after the
style of ancient executioners in the chop
ping block process and bring IL down with
all his strength on his rivals head--if he
can Celebrity marks every movement of
tho fencer. so that the, observers eye is
taxed to its utmost to keep track OF the
men.
single-stick fencing among the Japanese
is so different from anything attempted
by the white people that it is difficult to
make comparisons or draw conclusions. If
quickness In an attack or parry is the Sc
cret of the game Yajimai and Karikawa
should be entitled TO positions as experts.
Their endurance, too, is remarkable, con-
sidering the thickness of the clothing
worn. Swathed as they are in heavily pad
ded suits. evidently much depends upon
the eye, and 1t Is when one of the fencers
catches the eye of his opponent off his
guard that he attempts blow, but to as
certain when the eye is not attending to
its business is much too difficult for a
stranger to solve-shielded as the fencer'S
face is with iron bars set closely together.
There are four points in a match with
single sticks between JapaneSe--a blow on
ing strokes do not count, a thrust at the
throat, stroke on the wrist, and a stroke
on the side. There is no rule as to the po-
sition a fencer must occupy in delivering
any one of these blows-it may be from