Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-15
JAPANESE FENCING BOUTS.
skirIfui Work with Foils Made of Split
Bamboo.

Z
skilIfuI Work with FoiIs Made of Split
Bamboo.
II you are ever asked to engage in
duel with Japanese, being the chal-
lenged party, select any implement
rather than the single-stick, for unless
you are proficient in thrusts and parries
you will be "done up in short order
SAYS the Pacific Commercial Adver
tiser. There is a club in Honolulu
with headquarters on Maunakea street
whose members have an instructor IN
the use of the single-stick. The organi
Zation Is solely for amusement, rathe'
than for business. though there is prob
ably a desire on the part of the lead
ers to perpetuate the old-fashioned
methods of their forefathers in quench
ing rebellions. The headquarters OF
the Sunrise Single-Stick club is on the
lower floor of the building occupied by
the Japanese newspaper Of the same
name Through the kindness of Editor
Satto and Hiraoka, business manager
of the paper, a reporter was given an
opportunity to witness an exhibition
between Yajimai and Karikawa, two
expert handlers of the sticks. BY way
of introduction the combatants re-
moved their kimonas and donned loose
skirts and helmet with strong iron
bars across the face. They then
shcathed their bodies with stiff bamboo
breastplates. Heavily padded gloves,
with gauntlets, finished the costume.
The short sticks" are about five feet
long and are made of several pieces of
bamboo fastened together. There SEEM
ed to be no call of time" by referee
the men stepped to the center of the
room and saluted each other by mo-
tion of the arm, and then one uttered a
gutteral sound, signifying his willing
ness to begin the fray. and they crossed
sticks, the point of each being held on a
level with the neck and the handle
gIasped with both hands. Yajimai led
and throughout the bout was acting on
the offensive, while Karikawa braced
himself, so as to resist and ward off
any blow that might be directed toward
him. Once he was thoughtless: va
jima gave him a crack on the 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.
To the stranger who is not familiar
with the rules there seemed to be no
rest for the men. If one should receive
blow which, under ordinary circum-
stances would warrant his going down
for few seconds, long enough to re-
cover, 1t must simply end with the de-
sire, and his next move will be to get
back at his opponent. In this exhibit
ton Karikawa, who was rather more
stockily built than his foe, had the
best of the first of the fight, but the
end was a draw and the men retired,
MINDLESS and with the perspiration
pouring from their faces. Single-stick
fencing among the Japanese is so diff
ferent 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
secret of the game Yajimai and Kari
kawa should be entitled to positions as
experts. Their endurance, too, is re-
markable, considering the thickness of
the clothing worn. Swathed as they
are In heavily padded suits, evidently
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 a blow, but to ascertain
when the eye is not attending to it's
business is much too difficult for a
stranger to solve-shielded as the fenc-
er's face is with iron bars set closely
together.