Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-04-17

DDS in particular. and his stamp of
approval is a hallmark not to be dis
regarded.
Sakamoto. director general of the
ROYAL Japanese Jiu-Jitsu Troupe OF
ten all-around athletes, arrived in
town recently from the Pacific coast
to complete arrangements for the ap-
pearance of his company at the Olym-
pic theater this week. Coming by
special permission from the japanese
government, this company. aside from
such general athletics as fencing and
wrestling in the natural style, Will eX-
hibit the jiu-jitsu art in its authentic
form
Sakamoto, wise little brown man,
who has evidently reacned years OF
discretion, halts and goes lame in his
English, yet industry and persever-
ance finally conquered this stronghold
of information, and some interesting
facts were obtained at first-hand in
| regard to the gentle art" which is
| the Interpretation of the strangely or
| iental words jiu-jitsu. Gentle art"
seems trifle ironical wnen applied
to method which impresses it's vic
Tim very much as If a house should
suddenly and unceremonously fall
upon him, but in the suave interpreta-
ton of the Japs the meaning is not
Inappropriate, since the art reduces
| the limits of a personal encounter and
gently puts ones adversary to sleep
before either party is badly bruised
or beaten. AT least this is Sakamo-
to's view of the case, and, having stu
died he ought to know several things
including the pronunciation of the
name. which, according to his views,
| should be given the sound of Jew
| jitts. Though, for that matter. by any
other sound the name would effective
'ly represent this novel invention of
some clever Jap who died and turned
10 clay twenty centuries ago.
To be quite accurate, it is claimed
by scholars of Japan, who probably
know a few things and guess many
more, in the good old American pro-
fsseional way-that authentic records
prove the origin of this science TO
date back $500 years. Not knowing
TO the contrary, the world will be
obliged to let it go at that. In feudal
Japan knowledge OF the science was
impaired only to the Samaurai and
that under oaths of secrecy which
| would cause a frat" students cheek
to pale. The Samurai, by the way
were men and women of the priviies
ed military class. Toe Samaurai
were the fighters, while the women
remained at home to attend to the
gossip OF the day, but they were re-
| -, ,,.;, t,NtAs -
jiu-jitsu and were often accomplished
representatives of the art. This was
the inviolable rule in Japan for ages,
until the common people commenced
to grow chesty" and establish unions,
university settlements or something
OF that sort. and then the Samurai,
always roosting high until that time,
had 10 come down like Davy Crock.
ett's coon
When the present emperor came
to the throne he abolished all feudal
rights and customs. and now, while
the Samurai are proud of their blood
and illustrious lineage. they have no
status as a class. Even jiu-jitsu is
no longer a heritage of theirs. 1t is
open to all the other little brown men
of Japan who may desire to learn it,
and the art is no longer any more
exclusive tnan Halsted street ball
OF state legislature. In fact, it is
taught in many of the schools, but has
not as yet been generally mastered by
the common people. Thus it Is moth
ing more than q neat fiction that as
cribes the prowess of the Japanese
soldiers to their knowledge of jiu-jitsu
since very few of them nave any &C
quaintance with the art.
No scientific authority mas analyz-
ed this process sufficiently to describe
Its qualities and essential methods ac-
ourately 1t is said that there are
twenty-six series of holds, and more
than a thousand tricks and holds al
togetner. in this gentle art, which is
therefore quite too intricate for gen
eral adoption. II is conceded that
even the experts seldom conquer all
/ OF these manipulations. and it would
be pretty bad thing If two jiu-jitsu
stars would get tied up and forget the
fcombination.
| The athletes of the Royal Jiu-Jitsu
| Troupe who are to appear at the
Olympic, have as their expert leader
Naon Isiuchi. and Yama. a noted Jap
anese actor. explains in English the
doings of the athletes, all of whom
come direct from Toxic by special
permission of the government They
hope to turn few dollars for the ben.
eft of the Red Cross service in Man
chnria. This is the reason the war
department permitted them to come
just when all available men are need.
ed to keep the Russians guessing.