The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-03-30
SPORTOGRAPHY.
BY "Gravey."
Sir Thomas Parkyns Was Famed as


Authority on Wrestling Game.
Many titled Britishers besides the
Marquis of Queensberry and Lord
Lon3dale have been patrons of pugi-
lism, but the wrestling game has also
had its ardent devotees among the
upper crust" of English society.
Perhaps the most famous of these
early authorities on the graphing art
was Sir Thomas Parkyns, Baronet of
Bunny Park, in Nottinghamahire the
author of a classic work, THE Inn
Play, or Cornish Hugg Wrestler"
from which the present-day practi-
toner of the mat game may obtain
much good advice and valuable in
struction. Sir Thomas died TIA years
ago today, in his seventy-eighth year,
and. thanks OF his devotion to wrest-
ling and other sports, never knew a
day OF illness until that which re-
suited fatally. He was a man of great
learning, but his fame as a lawyer
and magistrate is forgotten, whne he
is still honored as the foremost
student of the ancient art and sCIence
of wrestling.
While a student at Cambridge and
at London he TOOK Instructions from
the best masters in wrestling and
boxing, but the latter sport. thSu in its
INFANCY, did not appeal to hlm as did
Wrestling. On ms ancestral estate,
which lie inherited soon aIicr mas
StuueAi Gays, ne ned anGaa.iy great
wrestling tournament. Ihv prize was
goid-iaCeu hat, worth Guy about 50,
bat the cory was SO great that crap
piers from ali over LIgGand TIUCAed
20 the contest. Tie gold ma wreSt-
ing matches were Continued long
.ts;e. his death, bot were Abandoned
t-Dlut u century ago.
Sir Thomas would nave no servant
or Workman on his estate who was
not good wrestler. When ne wan.ed
70 employ a new man the applicant
vas required to wrestle wILh the
0arouet.' and II tooh goou nan to
get the best OF hun, even when ne Was
past the three-score-aud-Ien MARX. sir
Thomas declared that this test gave
HIM the best stan III the Kingdom, be-
cause no man could be goou Wrestler
unless he laS sober and lived cican
LIE. In his book Sir Thomas gave a
bit OF ADVICE that is just as good to-
day as when 1t was written:
"Nanever would be a complete
wrestler must avoid being overtaken
III d,iuN whic Ec.y much emo. v;.tes.
or, De:4A ~ a pas ~ n a tue sIaht "
his adversary OF having received a
Iall, in such ca-es he Is Lerea,e4 O.!
too much play. or none at al, or rather
RuI.UlI., t.IC..E.It tLl.u ,e1Il... ca. 49, .A.a
AL re-sOn anu MS judgment when
unset"
In nlS Instructions in wrestling Sir
'ILUA.to eAp.a.l-eu all the holds and
throws then in vogue. His directions
for the flying norse"-the throw
adopted in America as the spread
eaEIe"-are as follows:
Take HIM by your right hand with
your left, your palm being upwards
as II you designed only to shake him
by the hand in friendly manner
in the beginning, and twist it out
wards, and lift 1t upwards to make
way for your head, and put your head
under his right arm-pit, and hold his
hand down to your left side. hold your
head stiff backwards. to hold him out
of his strength, then put your right
arm UP to the shoulder between his
grainings, and let your hand appear
behind past his breech, but II you
suspect they will cavil at that arm,
as breeding. lay your arm along
his belly. and lift him up as high as
your head and in either hold, when
so high, lean backward and throw him
over your head"
The "hying horse" was favorite OF
Sir Thomas, and before his death he
had marble effigy made Of himself,
in wrestling costume and in the atti-
tude of the first position of the wrest-
Ter about to perpetrate the flying
horse"
O.