The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-12-15
BOB FITZSLMMONS' HOOK.
The Lanky Australian Gives Expert Opinion on
Physical Culture

INDUCES in some caustic philosophy,
which viii be recognized as both just
and trenchant.
Muscle aailding brings beauty to wO-
man. This brief statement is sufficient.
I think, TO make many women embark
upon q physical development course.
What VIII woman not do TO become
beautiful? They-some of them, at
least-pOwder and paint, and bleach
their hair, and do all kinds of other
foolish things in an attempt to improve
their appearance.
For such unhappy creatures he en-
dOrses every healthy sport, with en-
phesis on golf. and AYERS that she who
lives thus nationally lis the woman
who is queen" His advice to parents
is to train their children gently but
steadily by exercise, enforcing his point
with this terse epigram:
Get them up early IN the morning
and send them out into the fresh air.
Even if you live in the city, keep them
outdoors when the weather permits.
Better to have them dirty and
healthy than clean and sickly.
In his instructions ITO Prospective
Athletes" Mr.. Fitzsimmons takes &C
casion to inculcate moral advice pure
" as a means to physical health. TIE
fOndest mother would endorse his plea
for q wholesome life:
One thing that I want 60 particularly
impress upon the young athlete is the
priceless value OF a good home and
pleasant home surroundings. Some
boys and young men have an idea that
an athlete must be tough" This is
all wrong, and it has been proved time
End again that the athlete, whether a
runner, wrestler, boxer or anything
else, can best fit himself for manly
sports if he leads a clean, wholesome,
good life. And this can best be found
amid pleasant home surroundings.
1t appears, therefore, that the ambi-
tiOus youth should first of all pick out
a pleasant home. This accomplished,
the rest depends upon himself.
The eighteen chapters IN Part II are
devoted to practical lessons in the art
which made Mr.. FitZsimmons famous.
He lays down in the first place three
cardinal rules for the boxer: (1) Keep
cool 90 Do not get ratified. 90 Do
not lose your temper. The advice is
strongly reminiscent Of that given to
aspirants for fame by a distinguished
philosopher Of old, when he said;
First, action; second, action; third,
action" Mr.. Fitzsimmons is to be con-
graduated for having substituted va
rying phrases for such iteration.
He makes it clear that great strength
does not necessarily imply skill as a
boxer, and in bringing out this point
INDUCES in some humorous side-step-
ping and feinting that is very effec-
tive. Speaking Of a huge. strong man
who put the gloves on" with him once,
he remarks:
He was as slow on his feet as a
messenger boy. Those huge
masses Of muscle were Of no more prac-
teal use to him than a hand organ
would be to q shipwrecked sailor. =
A muscle-bound man is as awkward
and Ungasnly as a crocodile would be
in a ballroom"
So pugilism is not at all incompati-
bic with light and airy wit In his
serious instructions MI FitZsimmons
insists that the use of heavy weights
and overexercise are not only useless,
but harmful. SUppIeness and agility.
he believes, are more desirable than
mere brute muscle power. And no
doubt he's right. At any rate, he is
capable of backing up his view in con-
NlnclnG manner.
Bag punching" receives a CHAPTER
with illustrations. Mr.. Fitzsimmons.
however, does not give detailed instruc-
tons. If the reviewer, protected by
anonymity, might venture a criticism
of the book as a whole, il would be
this lack of detail. Secure in his own
all-pervading knowledge, he often puts
off the weakened and narrow-shoul-
. @ o
In boxing Mr.. Fitzsimmons points
out: ''The first thing to learn is the
right way to use your feet" and for
this feature Of the art his instructions
are really complete, as these extracts
indicate: