The Washington times., 1926-10-14
GEVE STUDIES MUSCULAR MECHANICS; PERFECZy BLOWS

tried as much as practicable TO use
sense in my mess room sessions.
often eat meat. but now try
to substitute eggs, boiled usually,
for meat. Then. and since then,
I have been deluged with advice
on how to eat, how to train and
how to box. But / assumed that
had fair intelligence and that /
was able to choose for myself the
best way for conditioning Gene
Tunney.
When I found that l was punch.
ing pretty hard but was not floor
ing my opponents as rapidly as I
should, l decided that this was as
much due to my ignorance Of
anatomy as it was to any lack of
power or drive. So / sat down In
earnest to learn about muscles,
bones, nerves and vital spots. OBJ
tanned a copy Of Wilbur Pardon
Bowen's applied Anatomy and
Kinesiology, the Mechanism of
Muscular Movement"
learned the sO-caIIed "solar.
plexus" blow and found that by
striking an opponent under the
ribs and in the pit of the stomach
that he folded up often like a
camp chair. But / went further
than that. learned that this
blo- when properly delivered.
must have AN UPWARD
THRUST. Many experts have
termed pne cover cautious" 1
would not call it caution. Rather
would say, / was STUDIOUS.
There is no royal road" to box.
ing perfection. Once I had deter
mined to stay in the ring. / worked
with persistence that few can
know. On occasion / took terrible
beatings, but ! learned from those
attacks how to strengthen my
pugilistic armor.
When I returned to America.
"Doc'' Bagley was in California.
The late Sammy Kelly became my
second manager. Kelly was a for.
mer featherweight. That was in
1919. That fall Kelly went to Cuba
on racing business.
Bagley had told me that l was
born under three aces" He re-
ferred to the number Of my Greer
witch Village birthplace. III Bank
st. He said couldn't fail under
such an omen of good fortune. He
also pointed out that had the let.
ter ~" in my name John Joseph
and that my predecessors, such as
John L. Sullivan, James J. Cor.
bett, James j. Jeffries, Jack Demr-
sey, all had the letter u" on their
fistic escutcheons.
Kelly left me in charge of Billy
Roche, veteran referee. Roche had
been one of the experts overseas
to see promise in me. Robe was
Kelly's representative rather than
fights in Jersey, which I shall
touch on in later chapters. That
winter ! again hooked up with Bag.
ley after a conference we had at
the old Stillman's Gymnasium, then
on West One Hundred and Twenty.
fifth Street, near Seventh Avenue.
Kelly was busy with his racing in
terests. He was agreeable that I
retain Bagley. l was coming along
steadily. I weighed 172 pounds. In
1928, I purchased my release from
Bagley. William Gibson became my
pilot.
Before retained Gibson, however,
/ did my own business for a while.
Harry Greb and Johnny Dundee
and a few lesser lights were then
their own affairs.
I must confess that even in 1919
and 1920 I was not sold" on box
ing as a profession. I have a
rather analytical mind and want
to see a subject from all possible
sides before embracing it as my
own. 1t is a tedious way, perhaps
but 1t is Gene Tunney's way, and
he knows no other or better way.
Copyright, King Features)
Ito be Continued Tomorrow