Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-02-06
The Sport is Still Very Popular
In the MikadO's
Land.
THE ORIGIN OF THE GAME.
Dates Back to Establishment Of the
Government and Many Traditions
Have Been Handed Down.

II is claimed by some writer's that
wrestling as we have It today, as we
saw 1t last night at the Grand theater,
had It's origin in Japan centuries ago,
In the Mikado's land wrestling is
what bull fighting Is IN Spain. 1t Is to-
day regarded as one OF the most popu-
lar of sports, patronized by the nobility
as well as by the common people.
II do believe, though, It Is dangerous,
more so, II anything, for women
than for men, says an expert.
Not so much because OF physical dan
ger as because a womans tempeTa-
inent Is usually more eXcitable and
nervous than a mans. She has not
perhaps mans lasting qualities I'm ANY
protracted kind OF endeayor, but for
the time being she rushes into a fight,
q contest OF any sort, with even
greater ambition, more intensity,
"She has been known to grow hys-
tencal over defeat, For her a contest
means every nerve strained to the
breaking point and an inevitable and
awful reaction.
abnormal excitement is bad-bad for
men as well as for women. Therefore 1
am thoroughly opposed TO young men
and young women INDUCING IN college
contests.
But from the standpoint of purely
physical danger, | don't agree with
President Eliot. In fact, believe there
IL more danger Of men being hurt In
n
that the latter are more cautious.
"Anatomically | don't see any rea-
son why a woman should not play the
same game that men play, not with
men, but with other women. None but
n perfect sound girl should ever at
tempt the rougher athletic sports
III woman Is thoroughly sound
organically there Is not the slightest
reason why she should come TO grief
Until the establishment of the Sho-
gunate, or military government OF the
country, as distinguished from IT'S I'M
perial. or titular, and sacred rule by
the Mikado, wrestling was not es-
pecialy organized, and its practise
was dependent principally upon the
caprice, of the emperor, Upon the es-
Enlistment OF an essentially military
regime, however In the year 1855. by
Yoritomo, wrestling became one OF the
nee gssary accomplishments Of tho
sHnuraI or fighting men, who wcro
trained In wrestling, as well as IN
horsemanship and the use Of weapons
From this time until the year 1903
wrestling remained a military accom-
plishment. useful IN the wars which
We're continually raging. In the year
1903 the great statesman lycyogu cs-
tabllshed the ShogunNte I'm his own,
the TokugaWa family whore Il re-.
maiued until the restoration OF the
MikadO 10 supreme power In 1865. Dur
lng this period of more than $50 years
there was peace throughout the coun-
try which also remained isolated from
the outside world
Wrestling from being the accom-
pllshmcnt Of the warrior, became the
sport of the dalmlo and feudal lords Of
the land These patronIzed wrestling
much In the same Way as the manly
art Of solf-dCtcnse' was nurturpd and
encouraged hy the mobility and gen.
Try of Great Britain during the first
half OF the nineteenth century Many
dalmlp supported trOupts of Wrcstlers
as part ot their regular establish
mcuts and took the kcvnest interest iu
The success Or failure of their pro-
tCges with the downfall of the Toku-
gaWa ShOgunatc and the diseshblIsh.
W,ut uf the ieudIl system. lu the wear
1865, the Wtestlyrs were thrown cut of
employment and havnmc dependent
upon the general public Cor their sup
port This is tha condition ,of things
tnluN hut one NuHllors also dopeud