BOXING HEALTHFUL SPORT

(This is the third of a series of articles which will be published by the Crimson written by University coaches on the problems and various aspects of their respective sports.)

The most convincing evidence that boxing is a form of exercise well suited to the development of mind and muscle, is the fact that the sport has lived through one century after another from the days of the ancient Greeks to our own more enlightened times, and today is more popular than ever before. If participation in a form of athletics such as boxing were not beneficial to the development of man's body and brain, it would have perished long ago, so I feel that in writing these lines for the CRIMSON I am speaking of a game that merits its place among the men of Harvard whether or not they are among those who report for the boxing classes at the Hemenway Gymnasium.

My aim in setting down these thoughts is not to interest the two hundred students who are in the classes, for they are well interested now, but to give the others an idea of the sort of work we do.

Exercises Every Faculty

To start with, let me say that in our classes the same methods of attack and defense are taught that Jack Dempsey, Jack Britton, Benny Leonard, Johnny Kilbane and other champions had to learn in the more rugged school of Give and Take when they were youngsters breaking in. The same left jab, the same right cross, the same block and the same parry are a part of our system, but they are learned and practiced by the majority, not with the thought of achieving any championship honors, but with the idea of attaining genuine exercise. When one considers the footwork, arm action, body movement, bending and straightening that one goes through during a few rounds of boxing, it is not difficult to understand that one gets the maximum of exercise in a short space of time.

Boxing properly done brings into play every muscle in the body. It develops speed with the arms and legs, teaches perfect balancing of the weight, sudden shifting of weight from one foot to the other and, above all, calls for alertness of the eye and mind second to no other sport. The eye becomes trained to notice an instant's opening in the other man's defense, the mind must instantly recognize the opportunity, direct the proper currents of muscular action to start the hands on their way to take advantage of that opening. There is eye, brain and muscle all in action at the same moment. Is it any wonder the boys who try it once come back for more?

Conduct Classes of 56

The classes at the Hemenway Gymnasium are three times a week, at 1.45, 2.30, 3.15 and 4.00 o'clock, with individual instructions for those who want it after 5.00 o'clock. The floor, where 56 men can be accommodated at one time, is marked off by painted floor prints. The feet of those in the class are placed on those marks, giving them the proper position and the instructions are given from a raised platform. First they are shown the various fundamental blows, and with these in mind they are sent through a drill lasting about 10 minutes. They include straight punches, left jab, hooks, uppercuts and combination punches and the body action that goes with the various strokes.

After the class drill the boys are sent through a round of shadow boxing at one quarter speed. They try out all their punches, ducks and feints against imaginary opponents. Following this is a round of shadow boxing in which the footwork is given most of the attention. This is done at full speed to enable them to step around lightly and not become flat-footed in their style.

Practice Lightly Together

With instructions to work only at half speed the boys are then paired off to box lightly with one another, care being taken to see that at no time do they work any faster than half speed until they have familiarized themselves with the sport sufficiently to preclude the possibility of accidents. After two or three weeks of this I find the students here at Harvard are capable of such good work that the rounds are full of action and the full benefit of the exercise results.

I believe that boxing is a natural sport for Americans. We borrowed it, of course, from the old world, but I think the youths of this country take to it so naturaly that they develop faster than elsewhere. I have found some excellent material since I started instructing at the University and in fact many of the boys in the classes have learned so rapidly that, in refereeing professional bouts, I have found many of the preliminary boxers do not know nearly so much about how to box as the boys in the classes. I do not attribute this to anything that I have shown them, but to the fact that the college man is more capable of reasoning out the science of the game.

Value of Self-Defense

That the boys naturally take to the sport is evidenced by the fact that last year three Freshmen, who had never had a glove on before they took it up at Harvard, won the University championships.

A boy who can box seldom gets into trouble, and when he does he stands much less chance of being injured than one who has not familiarized himself with the art of self-defense, but even though the knowledge gained in boxing may never come into use, the sport brings its full reward in physical condition, muscular and mental alertness.

The late classes are filled every day we work, but there is room for new comers in the earlier sessions, and I expect that before the winter is over we will have a full quota in each class