The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-17
TEDDY WRESTLES
WITH WIRY JAPS
TacKABA AND YUBDAMA
HIS INSTRUCTIONS IN HALF MEL
SONS AND .sTRANGLE HOLDS.

Three Afternoons Every Week One
of the White House Basement
Rooms the Scene of a Series of
Bouts Between the Athletic Presf-
dent and a Pair of Japanese
wrestIers with Commander Taxa
white of the Japanese Legation as
Interpreter-The Bouts Guarded
with Great Secrecy and the Press
ident is Supposed to BE Horseback
Riding or Walking While They
Are Going On.
By r. NJ. Larner.
Washington, March 16.-President
Roosevelt is taking a course in physi-
cal culture from a pair of Japanese
wrestlers. He has temporarily aban-
doned his afternoon walks and drives.
and three times week INDUCES in
wrestling bouts with these wiry and
athletic Japs, who give him instruc-
tons in one of the basement rooms of
the White House.
President Roosevelts instructions in
wrestling are. conducted with the great
"a
sued that no publicity shall be given
of the fact that the President is cul-
tivating this special lines of athletics.
The Japanese instructors to the
President are Tackaba and Yubdama.
They are members of a celebrated
troupe of male and female wrestlers
who recently arrived in this country.
They come we'll vouched for through
the Japanese legation. A semi official
flavor is given to the Presidents les
sons in wrestling by the fact that
Commander Isam Takashite, naval at
tache of the Japanese legation, accom-
panies the wrestlers during each visit
to the White House and acts as inter-
prefer.
All Sorts of Holds.
OF course the President is larger and
stronger than his instructors and it
does not follow because there are two
of the latter that they both GO at him
at the same time. Each one has diff
ferent style of wrestling and the les
sons usually occupy about an hour. All
kinds of holds and grips, including
half Nelson's, collar and elbow, fore
arm and strange holds, are employed
in the course of instruction given the
President.
These lessons have been in progress
for about two weeks and the President
has confided the fact to few conf
Dental friends that lit beats fencing
horseback riding, or. sword sticks for
the development of the muscles of the
body"
Gave the Jeps a Few Bumps.
The Presidents superior strength
1oe- II IN Mill cfn no X1yiry
skillful and clever Jap instructors in
some of the games that they attempt
ed to play on him during the lessons.
1t is understood he has had some hard
bumps on the mat, but his instruc-
tions to the teachers are to use him
as roughly as they please. He re-
serves the right to do likewise. One
of the instructors is now nursing a
big bump on the side of his head, the
result of a heavy fall the President
gave him against one of the side walls
of the room.
The Presidents wrestling Days.
On wrestling days the President
leaves his office about 8 o'clock with
the Understanding that he is going
out for a constitution and will not be
back for an hour or more. Business
in the executive office is temporarily
suspended, the clerks and doorkeeperS
take a recess for luncheon, the secret
service men and newspaper reporters.
stationed regularly at the White
House, also. take advantage Of the OPP
portunity to seek refreshments and re-
cuperation until the President returns
to his office.
While the President is supposed to
be horseback riding or tramping
across country in the vicinity of the
White House. he is down in the base
ment contending strenuously with the
pair of skilled Japanese wrestlers.
Japanese wrestling is just now the
fad in Washington and while the
President is receiving instructions
from the male members of the Japan
csc troupe some of the ladies of the
smart set are also receiving similar
Instructions from two female japanese
wrestlers.