The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-02-26
LONG Lees HELP
JOE STECHER win
Powerful UHdGrpinning of Me-
brdSkdn Of Great Service.
TAUGHT HIMSELF MAT GAME
Watched Others GrappIe and Practiced
Scissors Hold With His Brother-Has
Tried All Kinds of Westinghouse
Believe In Much Training.

Joe Stecher, the self taught heavy
weight wrestler from Nebraska, who
is now touring the country meeting all
comers is a freak in more ways than
one. Although only twenty three years
old, according TO his own version of
his life, which agrees with that of
others, he has become one of the
worlds most prominent wrestlers as
the result of his own endeavors. He
insists that he taught himself and
boots the stories that he was brought
TO his present perfection by Farmer
Burns, the old grappler of renown, who
lives In Omaha. In speaking of him.
self Stecher said recently:
1t makes me tired to see that story
about Burns breaking me into the bust
ness. | taught myself by practice, by
study of my own qualities. by watch
ing good wrestlers and by studying the
pictures of first class men in action.
My only trainer and coach has been
my brother, Anton.
That 1T is not impossible to become
clever heavyweight without system
atlc coaching from a recognized expert
is proved by the cases of a number of
other wrestlers. Ed Lewis, one of nv
most prominent rivals, taught himself.
just as / did, and he is one of the most
scientific and well informed wrestlers
of today.
Took Advantage of Legs.
i am well above six feet and have
always had legs that were strong out
OF proportion to the rest Of my body.
They were also extraordinarily pliabIe.
If had taken up boxing or sometime
OF that sort l might never have noticed
what valuable legs 1 had, but in work
ing out in wrestling~I noticed right
away that ! could scissors hold more
hrmly than other men because my legs
were long enough to go around an Cd
ponent's body and leave my feet free
for locking.
Continual observation showed me
that the legs could be used for the
pressure they exerted, as well as fol-
the purpose Of merely holding, and l
set out to develop that speciality. Now
they credit me with having the most
powerful legs in the business, and per
maps they are. l have tried all forms of
wrestling, but naturally prefer catch
as-catch-can, in which / have the full
use of my legs
Il think it is a mistake for wrestlers
In practice to keep at it so long that
they become dead weary and also have
a tendency to make themselves mus,
Gle bound. get on the mat for short
stretches and find that amply sufi
Gent
Stecher looks the part. He is a long
loose jointed individual and still has
many of the characteristics of bow
George Bothner, the veteran wrestler
expressed the impression he makes
when he said that Stecher has the
body of a middleweight and the legs
of heavyweight" The chest is rathe,
that OF light heavyweight, but the
long, powerful legs are those of a man
as heavy as Jess Willard. His move.
ments are loose, almost gangling. and
when in motion it is easy to see where
he has the attributes for the wriggline
ana twisting which are such essential
features of wrestling.
Alexander Aberg and the Other
Greco-Roman exponents will probably
uecry Stecher as poor specimen of a
wrestler. Where they have enormous
plceps and chests that stand out like
those OF pouter pigeons, Stecher has
biceps that would measure a couple of
inches less than Aberg's, and his chest
IL merely that of an athlete of long
training.
The crushing force in Stecher's legs
Is phenomenal. When he met Charley
cutler some months ago he nearly
caved in Cutters ribs with a scissors
hoid and broke him rather than threw
him.