The San Francisco call., 1905-03-26
SINGLE STICK
FOR LADIES
Cane Defense, Once so Popu-
lar With Men, Now Coming
Into Favor With Women
EXERCISE AND UTILITY
Art Is More Useful Than
Fencing, as the Club Will
Ward Off Heavy Attacks

with the increase OF physical cul-
ture the theory becomes more gener-
ally accepted that physical exercise
merely as such Is not nearly so valu-
able as that which is to an appreci-
able degree incidental to the accom-
plishment Of definite object, some
tnlng which keeps the mind as we'll as
the muscles In play and working to-
ward the same end. In other words.
ana TO come down to a concrete ex-
ample, bedroom calisthenics and in
Vulnerable similar exercises, while
well enough in their way, do not do
as much good as many games which
combine pleasure with practice.
Ihe explanation Of this is that ex-
erclses which mean nothing to the
mind and which are gone through
with mechanically call for no real ex-
ertion of the muscles and while the
muscles may nevertheless be benefited
and made alert by mere motion they
are not such ready and responsive SER
wants OF the brain as when they are
trained to do what the brain requires
and is striving to accomplish.
In cal1sthenics the mind may be
Iar away, but In such work as box
ing. rowing. tennis and the like 1T Is as
active as the body and the culture Is
really mental as we'll as physical. The
motion is suited to the thought
1t is to a general realization Of the
soundness of this theory that physical
culturtsts attribute the great increase
In the popularity of fencing with
women. In addition to fulfilling the
conditions described it Is further de-
S1rable for women because 1t brings
| into play just those muscles of the
waist and hips which If not exercised
tend to make fat rapidly and in a way
ND erfyy
strength and firmness and elasticity
without causing that abnormal and
, unequal development of muscle which
is unfeminine and greatly feared by
women who devote much time to
physical culture.
Still another of its advantages is
that in SO far as 1t involves a contest
for supremacy with another mind 1t
imparts self-confidence and courage
and power for rapid thought.
While these considerations are per-
haps sufficient in themselves there is
still another and a queer cause, in the
opinion of Professor William J. Her
mann, a we'll known authority on
physical culture, for the great and in
creasing vogue for fencing among
women. Professor Hermann says that
the paStime first began when "A Gen.
tleman of France" first appeared. and
since then there has been at least one
successful novel year to fan that
flame.
More than one of the novels, too, In
which the heroine of some other like
ly figure carries her fortunes forward
through an ability to WELD the rapier.
has been dramatized and the beauty
of the exercise all the more realistic
ally demonstrated in consequence.
Most actresses, indeed, now include
fencing as a regular part of their
fTn i,,ir lie oil To Ira
1t generally popular.
Many Philadelphia women are now
so proficient in the art of fencing that
they are going forward to other but
closely related forms of the exercise,
and among these cane defense" is
rapidly coming to the front as giving
all that the use of the foil does, and
having, besides, a practical utility, for
the pastmistress of cane defense can
pick up a stick of any kind and put
out" man who is not similarly armed
or equally expert. Her self-confidence
is even greater than that of the fencer,
for she has learned to work with the
kind of tool that may be had at
moments notice.
The chief difference between cane
practice and that with the foil is that
a stroke or blow is substituted for the
thrust. 1t is closely allied to and an
offspring, perhaps, of ''single-stick,"
an exercise in which President Roose-
welt has recently made himself prof.
cent.
WHERE TO STRIKE.
1t was at first thought that 1t would
be too heavy and strenuous for wom-
en-, but the cane used may be of as
light a weight as desired, and the
strength of wrist required Is less,
rather than greater. than in fencing.
Aside from parrying the blows Of an
adversary similarly armed, the expert
ness of cane defense develops chiefly.
In placing the blow at the exact point
desired and with just the desired force.
With blow on the chin, for instance.
a man may be knocked out with a
comparatively light cane and without
any injury of a lasting character.
Yet, with all this, the exercise is
just as valuable as fencing when the
actual use of 1t as a means of self
defense is not thought of. 1t cultivates
the same muscles in the same way and
brings the same mental control. AS
In fencing, the use OF the weapon in
either hand can and, indeed, always
should be taught.
The costume for cane defense exer-
else is similar to that for singie-stick,
with the sides of the head and shoul-
ders and arms we'll protected, for Ii Is
to these points that the blows are prin-
cipally directed.
The science OF defense. as well as Of
attack, is looked after In cane defense.
and an expert can protect herself
against an adversary whose mere brute
strength is much greater. With this.
too is Incorporated the principle, more
highly developed in the American
school than any other, Of immediate
return, whereby the pupil, having re-
ceived and parried a blow, at once
follows up the parry with a blow of
her own. Cane defense Is pretty ex-
ercise to look at, graceful and full of
suppleness, and to the inexpert spec
tator 1t is a marvel.
1t would not be interesting to go here
into the methods of cane defense in
detail. All the positions and passes
that belong TO fencing are taught and
in so far as the instruction Is desip-
mated for practical application, partie-
ular stress IS laid on side-stepping. the
strokes at the head and on the law
and the use of the double-hanrIed
guard, which permits the shifting of
the cane into whichever hand is most
convenient for an effective return Ths
ability to use either hand is partic,,~
TDt-f