The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-03-13

| ad0red Sun Flag, and OF Dai Nippon
1t has always been, and is still to-day
a process Of which the far-famed "jiu
| jitsu" is but a fractional element Tht
training commences almost in infancy
for child of four Is considered quite
old enough to become subject of tn,
four drastic disciplines which entel
into this extraordinary course Of mill
tary education in the very home itself
These are applied to the training Of
the muscles, the stomach, the nerve
and the soul.
The discipline OF the muscles consti
tutes the first part of this formidable
program. When the little lad has
passed his fourth birthday, he is one
snowy winters morning awakened by
his father, and told to dress himself fol-
his initial fencing lesson, from a mas
ter Of the art Of sword play. But the
business Of dressing is on this occa
sion, simple enough, for the apparel
donned Is only a single thin shirt and
a ''hakama," or short divided skirt
The fencing master and his baby pupil
go out together, barefooted, on to the
snow Noticing the shiyering Of the
little boy the tutor encourages him with
the assurance that within a few min
utes he will be delightfully."- warm. The
sham fight begins. Master and scholar
have bamboo swords. The child wears
padded gauntlets and a face guard.
His master, holding out his weapon,
bids the boy strike as freely as he
pleases at it. This is the beginning Of
muscle training for his arms. In few
minutes the young pupil is glowing and
perspiring. He knows that he is to
become one OF his countPy's champions.
He has never belonged to himself
since the moment when his mother as
soon as she could take him to the
temple, laid him on the altar at the
shrine of the guardian deity OF the
district as q gift to the adored nation,
and an embryo patriot-hero.
Every day there must follow some
amount Of muscle-training by the prac-
tice Of the art OF sword-play. For
there must be no relaxation. The
muscles must be developed day by day.
Then come lessons in tha marvellous
''jiu-jitsu,r which means the art Of
yielding, or of overcoming stronger
wrastlers by the physical paradox Of
making their very strength their great
est disadvantage 1t Is the develop
ment Of fine quality, not Of conspicuous
quantity, in the muscles, which the
Nippon trainers value. The agility OF
the well-taught but sightly-buiit
wrestling contortionist is magical. and
well-nigh incredible. but long years are,
spent in the cultivation Of the exacting
art IN which the eye and the perceptive
faculties, as well as the muscular sys-
tenn, are magnificently trained
The mastering of appetite is the sec
ond stage Of juvenile Samurai instruc-
ton The stomach has to attend this
severe school as well as the muscle
The child is still very young when his
father suddenly one day begins to the
prize to him on the probabilities OF a
time of war. Talking Of the contin-
genelps Of campaign, he explains
that some day, when he Is d grown
soldier fighting for the defense OF his
Emperor, he may be besieged in a for
tress, without food or drink. And in
order to acquire adequate powers Of
endurance, every true Young patriot |
# Nippon should begin betimes TO prac-
lice abstinence, as if actually under
going the direst ordeal Of war. Now
legins "a month of seini-stlrvation. /
Nothing but the smallest quantity Of
ice than can sustain life Is allowed, /
he only relish added being a few pieces /
II picked "daikon,' a popular kind OF
'adish. But what makes this period |
II training extra severe is that hard
exercise is imposed, part Of the phiios-
,phy Of the discipline being that q
ilege is anything but time OF mac
ion. MY friends father, says Adachi
In the days o. this made
o-order starvation, had him climb
chop wood roll the logs,
md subjected him to all manner of
lhysical exertion. One day, when he
vas about fifteen years of age, he was
ent out upon long journey. His ser
ant accompanied him, and he was al
owed to have two bowls Of rice,
icce Of dried fish and two cups Of
gater per day 10 sustain himself At
ne time be was sent to Mount Atago
IL was told TO spend fifteen days on
he mountain, and to sustain himself
fith whatever he could find with his
Nn hands,"
In facts like these We discover the
cason why the japanese troops were
Bile to tramp such great distances day
fter day. on the rough mountainous
acks Of Korea, to deliver three frontal
teacks on the semi-permanent forti-
cations of Liaoyang. and to master
he complicated and tortuous Man
hurlan geography, on the ridlcuiously
canty rations of rice, dried fish and n
aw stray picked plums.
Thirdly, comes the discipline of nerve
nd soul. Il recall" says Kinnosuki,
how we used to go to ain old deserted
ouse which stood on the outskirts Of
ie castled town of Kameyama. There
as genial gathering OF boys. ranging
'om seven 10 sixteen years of age. An