The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-05-16

not be "bruiser" or a paragon OF
weight and hard muscle to excel In
them.
Boys Should Learn Boxing.
The first three-boxing, fencing and
ag-punching-should be made a part
Of every boys education. They not
only bring strength, endurance and
activity. but they teach boy to think.
They teach him to use his brain as
well as his body.
Parents whose boys come home
from school with black eyes, bleeding
lips and torn clothes are wont to think
the injuries are due to boxing-or
fighting, which In many persons minds
means the same thing. Now those
boys have not been boxing at all.
They've been in a rough and tumble
fight. Between "scrapping" and box
ing there Is as much difference as be-
tween a three-year-old baby's strum-
ming on the piano and Paderewski's
playing of the same instrument.
Instead of being vent for i'll tenn
per and quarrelsome disposition, box.
ing is the best method / know of for
teaching a boy self-control. More
over, the skilled boxer is usually the
last person to look for fight. Conf.
dent in his superior skill and prowess.
he generally avoids a quarrel as long
as possible.
The main thing for boys to remem-
Der in handling gloves is that quick
ness counts for everything, and that
merely heavy blow counts for moth
ing. Siugging is not boxing. The
trained boxer can easily beat the mere
slugger. Moreover. you are boxing
with the idea of self-improvement; not
in the hope of hurting your opponent.
OF course. now and then heavy blow
cannot be avoided. The recipient
should understand that it was accl-
dental and should bear no malice nor
turn a friendly bout into a smuggling
match.
Never box longer than three minutes
at most without stopping to rest for at
least one minute. Don't box in dila-
tory fashion, but keep at it quickly and
steadily as long as the round lasts. In
the rests" no matter how warm you
may be, put coat or sweater on and
keep out of draughts.
Get Punching Bag.
Bag punching is inseparably linked
to boxing. Every boy who can do so
should save up" to buy a punching
bag. If possible, hang it in your room
and, as part Of your morning and
evening exercise, punch it.
Punch 1t in three-minute rounds,
resting one minute between rounds.
If three minutes is too long at first,
begin with one-minute rounds. Try
three rounds morning and evening.
That is enough for any boy. Practice.
on the bag, the blows you use in box
ing, and learn the simple tattoo" and
right and left shifts" Keep your
feet moving. Duck the bag as you
would duck an opponents blow. Keep
moving in and out, striking the bag as
IL 1t were living adversary.
You may be somewhat awkward at
first. but you will quickly acquire
grace and speed.
Fencing Cures Awkwardness.
Fencing is an art that not one per ]
son In one hundred thousand under
stands.
Yet fencing should be studied BY
everyone. 1t gives the wrist and arm
the strength and pliability of Damas. |
Gus blade, makes one graceful and
well-balanced, and lends suppleness
and symmetry to the figure that no /
other exercise can impart. BY learning !
to fence with either hand, and doing !
so as often with the left as with the /
right the danger of becoming unevenIy /
developed is averted.
One precaution that no fencer
should ever forget is the wearing of q
mask. Not even the briefest bout /
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