The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-03-10
RHTMA. The First Worlds Champion
He Won the Heavyweight Belts for Boxing and Wrest
ling Hundreds of Years Before the Olympic Games
Were Instituted or Troy Was Besieged-Made SPe-
ciaty of Crotch Hold, Like Hackenschmidt-Spo
Taught by Professionals at that Early Day
Bv THOMAS s. RICE.


Copyright. 1907. by Thomas s Rlce)
Of the purse in this year, 1907. Having
emitted his defiance. he charged head
down with what he would describe as a
'.Jeffries crouch" There is no attempt
by the Hindu reporter 10 describe the
affair by rounds but he gets in all the
news and gives us the winner in few
words, which have been translated as fol-
lows. in Wheeier's History Of India:
They Lost Like Tom Jenkins
First. the Asura and Bhima fought
with fists; then they tore up trees and
Cudgeled each other. But at that
moment Bhima seized the Asura by the
waist and whirled him around several
times. and dashed out his brains against
the ground: and then, holding his head
under one arm, he so belabOred him
with his fist that he broke every bone in
his body"
There you are. In this and the other
stories of his fights with his hands
Bhima is almost invariably described as
"whirlng his enemy around, dashing his
brains upon the ground or against a
tree, and from the wording IL Is almost
impossible 10 dodge the conclusion that
Bhlma used tho crotch hold exactly,
or very much. as Hackenschmidt used
II on the unfortunate jenkins in May,
1900 The writer was probably hurried
and perhaps a little shy on technical
knowledge of the game when he says
Bhima held the head under his arm and
pounded the Asura TO pieces after his
brains were scattered on the sward.
| What is more likely is that he got his
"ChanceTy hold on the head and punch
ed the AsUra face i'm the good old
| fashion which was popular with Tom
( F'igg and other London prize ring cham
( pions three or four millenn!gms later
/ and then. when the Turanian was ex-
/ haustcd. he let go the head. "pped
! back, got busy with the crotch hol- ana
completed the work. The little extrava-
4 gance about breaking all the bones with
! his FIST may be excused, even as We do
] such little figures OF speech when the
! American ringside cores ondent in
! forms the public that "Jeffries waded in
/ and kpocked Sharkey's block or or
! drove his face through the hack OF his
/ neck or shot I'm a daisy 10 he bread
| basket"
Proof of Antiquity of Boxing.
The point is that fist lighting without
immediate intention 10 use other
weapons was well understood and that
IL was not unusual. in that distant day
for men 10 settle questions Of suprem-
lacy in that fashion. The story fits in
well with the previous statement thai
DrOna had instructed the youths in hi,
! This is a specimen Of Bhima's efforts
10 get a reputation as we would say
There was no trouble about his kec0inE
, in condition and always being ready
! TO take on a local faVOrIte. He and his
brothers had To stay IN the woods once
they got there and the jealous kaura'
vas never allowed him 20 remain In on,
place long enough 10 settle down anc
announce that he had retired He haC
TO move on every time he thought of II
and il was necessary that his mlnt
p | should be active on that parucuial
, point When his four brothers and MS
! | mother became tired Of the lncLssan
: hike he cheerfuIly Hf-ed them up. dis
; UIbuted them about his person and con
7 tinUed to trudge.
Star Beefsteak Eater.
The open air life. the constant exer
else. and the continuous performance
strong-man stunt Of supporting th'
I family every time he went strOllini
We're responsible for his reputation rs ;
r pedestrian and as the star consumes
OF beefsteak in India. Il is related il
, several places in the Mahabharata tina
? when the family acquired the materia
for a full meal the mother Of tn
wanderers would divide II into two equa
parts. one for Bhima and one for tn
, four brothers and herself. Bhima wa
doting son and a fond brother. but n
never had any false modesty about &C
, cepting this arrangement. He needet
the food in his business.
In their travels the hiking famil,
came 10 the court Of Raja Nirata, VIII
{ was a king Of substance and a goo
, : sport. with an abundance Of red blOo'
! Z in his veins. They presented themselve
in disguise, sang sad song 20 the oil
raja about how they had been much per
Z secuted, and how he was the only KIN
| I'm India who seemed to be sufficient
70 powerful to give them protection. Blu
= / they did not state that they were OF roy
Y al blood. for the kaurava representa-
r tives were scouting around looking 70
a I them. The raja fell for the line Q
n talk and gave them all jobs in his house
f hold. With more appreciation Of muscl
Y than ability as a mindTedder he put IN
8 husky Bnima IN charge of the kitche
j 10 boss the cooks and see that they oil
0 not steal the royal viands. This suite
o Bhima exactly. He was not likely [
e let the scullions steal what he needle
: fol himself.
5 Five Brothers Had One Wife.
e The five brothers. it should be mel
e toned. had one wife, named Draupad
b polyandry being frequent and reform
$ ers scarce at that period. She was
{ worthy helpmeet of such a formidab
: combine and was a prolific source
O press agent stories. As the wife
T. peripatetic athletes looking for Sngag
z ments, she was some 1000 years ahea
s Of the chorus girls of the present da
e who have a fOndness for knocking o.
Washers and then coyly admitting to Il
newspaper men that they have hopes
, some day becoming stars and elevatiT
n the stage.
Once. while they were living in u
/. Jungle and the boys were Off huntin
a Draupadi was noticed by a gay spo
= named Jayadratha. who was driving
: I'm his chariot. He gave her the a
" there. Little Sunshine greeting al
Is otherwise tried 10 impress her with I
II fact that he was daredevil. but Ora
N padi had troubles enough with five hu
bands and told him to be on his wa
With the lack Of discrimination usu
- In those of his class. Jayadratha I
a. fused to be rebuffed, and grabbed nc
lie of her gown.
in D.aupadi promptly chit him in I
70 face with her clenched fist and knock
no him down" Great stuff for the publicl
10 promoters. Lone Woman Saves II
is Honor "A Jungle Heroine" Smash
IL ! a Washer" Mrs. Draupadi Tells HI
ne Bhima Taught Her the Manly Art
ar Self Defense" Photo Taken Especla
in For This Papyrus. Showing Mrs. Ora