The Washington times., 1914-02-17

are made Up OF
thc history of men who couid see the
merit in things that were now. and.
contrary to custom, did not fear 10
Practice and preach the new doctrines
III the face of a hostile OF a scofGng
World.
f:tzsimmons first saw the shift
which was to become famous il con-
ncction with his name in 1850, the year
je tegan to box, in Timaru. New Zca
Land. 1t was used by Maori, or New
Zealand native, in one of Jem Mace;s
msny New Zealand boxing tcurns-
Inents, and it was used clumsily ard
very badly. Fitz knew that the man
who was trying to use it was not much
OF a fighting man, but the method Of
delivering blow appealed to him He
thought he saw possibilities in it, il
developed and perfected.
He spoke of the idea to Jem Mace,
me veteran champion, but Mace was
too English and too conservative to
Stand any kind of an innovation.
You'd best leave it alone" he said,
''or somebody III knock your bloody
'ead OFF, But Fitz thought ne knew
good thing when he saw one, and re-
fased to be argued out of trying it, so
lie practiced and worked and thought
and scbemed, and finally got into the
i'ahit of shifting and punching like
lightning with the shift.
Under the conventional English style
o. boxing, which was the, style Fitx
learned, when q nan swings hard
5icw with his right hand and the right
Ioot and right side OF the body follow
The land to lend weight and impetus
10 the blow, it is not customary to hit
again until the left foot and hand are
advanced to the proper" position. Al
ter trying a right-hand punch boxers
OF this school usually fall into a clinch.
F,itz decided that for him there was
10 he no such thing as a ''proper' posi-
ton. If by any means he couli learn
10 hit from a position which other box
ers could not hit from, so much the
re.ter for him. 1t was infinitely bet
ter, he argued, 10 hit man once than
10 come into a clinch with him a dozen
timea.
Many beautiful boxers were devei-
oped BY Mace during his stay in New
Zealand. The flower of the lot was
Herbert Slade, the Maori who after
ward fought John L. Sullivan. Slade
was fast as lightning, with a typical
English jab and lots of footwork. He
Inade the other pupils of Mace look
like lot OF wooden Indians
In 1881, while both were still ANA
Ieurs, he met Bob Fitzsimmons. 1t
:Saa,in tournament arranged by Mace
Old Jem was said to favor Sla1 At
any rate, Fitz was scheduled 80 meet
fruI other men besides the big aborgine
For time Slade fitted in and out
like shadow, jabbing and jahbing at
will and escaping without return. Ar-
parently totally bewildered b. the
.Naori's speed, FitZ swung wildly and
1T random, missing by ridiculous mar
gins.
At last, as Siade jabbed, Fit swung
his right. The Maori saw the blow com
ing and stepped back, raising his guard
so that the Cornishman's glove icll Oh
lis left forearm. Then as Fitz lurched
forward with his right foot. apparently
:airIv off his balance, still pushing
his right hand at the Maori's face,
>lade smiled at his clumsy Toe and
stepped confidently in to clinch.
He never came into that c'inch. As
&C stepped forward Fitz's thick lert
arm curled out and up and took him
1T the point where the ribs meet vi ith
e noise like the boom of bass drum.
Then Slade shut up like a jackknife.
~ chest pressed tight against his
I.:Ghs, and they carried him to his cor
iser. the first victim OF a punch that
"as to make ring history.
(Copyright 1874 by F. A. WsIkerj